Author:
Yang, Gene Luen
Title:
American Born Chinese
Publisher & Date:
First Second, 2006
Recommended Age Range:
13 and up
Plot Summary:
American born Chinese has three intersecting plotlines. the first story is a slightly altered version of a traditional Chinese tale about the monkey king, who comes to be embarrassed that he is a monkey. the second plotline involves jin wang, a second-generation Chinese-American, and his relationship with wei-chen sun, a first generation Chinese-American. jin, whose status In his mostly white suburban school, is already low, is embarrassed by wei-chen sun’s asian-ness, which reinforces jin’s, own ethnicity and self-hatred. the final plotline involves danny, a white character that inexplicably (or not so inexplicably in the end) has a cousin named chinkee, who is an amalgamation of endless negative asian stereotypes. these three plotlines merge to beautifully illustrate the complexity of having multiple identities (Chinese, Japanese, American, first generation, second generation, teen) and finding yourself in America.
Reader Appeal:
The charming, clever, and realistic manner in which ethnic identity is discussed in this book would appeal to anyone who has been embarrassed by certain aspects of themselves. the teenage years are a tumultuous time for most teens and unfortunately, can be a time of much self-hatred and low self-esteem. this graphic novel addresses those issues sensitively and positively. this book would also appeal to anyone who wanted to learn more about asian-american culture and history or about dealing with ethnic identity in general. the hilarious dialogue would appeal to anyone who remembers the more embarrassing moments of their adolescence. the clean drawing style and entertaining dialogue would also appeal to fans of Derek kirk kim and Adrian tomine, who are asian-american graphic novelists who write and draw with a somewhat similar style.
Literary Merit:
American born Chinese Is a beautifully drawn, cleverly written, and excellently paced graphic novel that is especially relevant in our increasingly multicultural society. the graphic novel accurately, sensitively, and humorously tackles issues of ethnic identity, adolescence, tolerance, and ultimately, self-acceptance in a way that is not preachy or overbearing.
