BERKLEY -- One of the first Asian American bookstores ever to open in the U.S. is closing its doors and moving operations online after more than four decades in business.

The number of bookstores in the country has steadily been on the decline over the past two decades. Some that have closed are rare shops that will be nearly impossible to replace, like Eastwind Books, which highlighted the work of Asian American writers for readers in Berkley, California.

Over the years, Eastwind Books also lined its shelves with Asia-themed books, such as those on the politics of India's conventional cinema, the pop industry in Korea, and California's Chinese heritage.

Harvey Dong, co-owner of the shop, made his last morning walk to his store last Friday to bid a final farewell to the store's patrons.

Many of Eastwind's regular customers also came to say goodbye and browse the shelves that had imparted so much insight into the Asian American community one last time.

Eastwind Books has been in operation since 1982. This year, the bookstore announced its closure due to rising rent and competition with online booksellers.

Dong said he is aware of only two other Asian American-themed bookstores in the country. He helped found the very first one, Everybody's Bookstore, in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1970, but that shop closed 10 years later.

Dong's stores have hosted book launches and seminars, and they have even helped publish books for numerous Asian American authors.

One of the first books Eastwind published was a novel called 'A Village in the Fields' by Filipino American author Patty Enrado in 2015. Based on more than 14 years of research and writing, the book tells the story of a Filipino farm worker fighting for civil rights in California.

Dong also recalled giving shelf space to Asian-American cartoonist Gene Luen Yang, who went on to write a critically acclaimed novel, 'American Born Chinese' that became a Disney TV series. For DC Comics, Yang also created the character Kong Kenan, which has come to be known as 'the Chinese Superman.'

The bookstore plans to maintain an online presence, but those who worked at the shop and have been inspired by the interactions with their customers said the experience will not be the same.

"Seeing people come and go with the books that they buy and they return and they talk about how these ideas were important to them. You can see the world from behind the counter," said Dong.