Early this year, Yu Miao had two key assignments in his Writing for the Web class at the University of the District of Columbia: Create a social media account and use it to facilitate a professional goal. He decided to use LinkedIn to announce the revival of his Shanghai-based bookstore in the U.S. Now, it’s open for business.

“[The class] was the first thing to motivate me to think about the possibility of opening a bookstore,” Yu says.

The English senior, 52, opened JF Books on Sept. 1, a Dupont Circle brick-and-mortar shop predominantly focused on Chinese-language books on social sciences, philosophy and other topics promoting intellectual thought and debate. Yu saw a market for the store when he was unable to find a Chinese-language bookseller in the District.

The retailer is similar in nature to Jifeng Bookstore, a popular Shanghai-based shop that opened in 1997 and whose name translates to “monsoon.” Yu, who grew up in China, purchased Jifeng in 2012, attracted to its reputation as a “public sphere” for cultural debate and discussion. Over the next five years, the store carried hard-to-find books and hosted more than 800 cultural events.

“And then the bookstore was shut down,” Yu says. Decisions by Chinese authorities led to its closure in early 2018, he says.

“We encouraged readers to change views freely in that bookstore, and we encouraged them to think critically. We discussed some important social issues,” Yu says. “It’s a place with freedom of expression. But it’s not easy in a non-democratic country.”

After the closure, Yu moved to the United States with his family to continue his studies, first at American University and then Valencia College in Florida to pursue a degree in journalism. When his family decided to return to Washington D.C., Yu says he was drawn to the accessibility and affordability of a UDC education.

“It’s a public school—it would not give me too much financial pressure,” Yu says.

Next May, he will graduate UDC with his fourth academic degree—Yu has a master’s degree in political science from American University as well as a bachelor’s in economics and a master’s of business administration from schools in Shanghai.

“Besides being a student and studying, I want to find a path to get in touch deeper with the local community, with the society here,” Yu says. “I think to open a bookstore is the right way for me—to make some friends, to do some contribution to the local society.”

That community extends beyond Chinese Americans to a broader swath of local residents, one of the reasons he has stocked some of his shelves with books translated into English. He also has sections devoted to books written in English by Asian American authors and novels and nonfiction originally written in English now translated into Chinese—a decision inspired by his studies at UDC.

“Because I’m studying English literature, I have more feeling about the English-version books,” Yu says.

At UDC, many of Yu’s professors encourage him and his peers to delve into the works of a diverse array of authors. The English program includes coursework on African American literature, British literature and Latin American authors. Yu says he’d also like to see more Asian American authors represented.

The shop has three events scheduled for September and plans to host scores more in the coming months. Yu hopes to collaborate with UDC on discussions and events, including lectures from faculty members. He’d also like to offer internships for UDC students interested in literature. And future JF Books locations in Boston and Los Angeles are also a possibility, he says.

“UDC is already involved in today’s chapter,” Yu says. “I have confidence that UDC will still play some roles in my future chapters.”

JF Books is located at 1509 Connecticut Ave., NW, in Washington, D.C.