Ming Yi and Ching Yeh Chen felt like they were “dropped in the middle of New York City’’ when they immigrated to the U.S. from China in 1965— they didn’t feel an immediate connection to American culture and struggled to access traditional items they grew up with in Asia. In 1971, the Chens opened the Asian goods market Pearl River Mart to bridge that gap. The Chens imported their favorite soy sauces, clothing, kitchenware and more from Asian manufacturers, hoping to provide a place where their