American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese

by Gene Luen Yang

Graphic novels combine excellent drawings and engaging storylines, and this RA Favorite book, Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, meets both criterion.  Luen has three story lines: in the first, he delves into a history of Asian heritage, using the idea that monkeys, superpowers, and a lineage of value-centered morals converge into the lives of two young American boys.  The first of the two American-based stories is of Jin Wang, whose family immigrates to the San Francisco area.  He struggles to fit in as an Asian with an American culture that makes fun of the culture and language of his home country, China.  He befriends a second Asian who arrives to his high school but struggles to feel he can date American girls.  The second tale is of an American boy named Danny, whose Chinese cousin visits America every year for two weeks.  His cousin, Chin-Kee, is characterized as the racial stereotype that has pervaded our culture for decades.  Danny continues to be embarrassed by his cousin and has transferred schools after his visits.  The three independent stories are brought together when the reader learns that Danny is actually Jin Wang transformed into a white boy.  Danny fights with his cousin, and we learn he is the Monkey King, who is featured in the first story as the disciple of the God of the world. Through the battle, Jin Wang finally embraces his Chinese identity and is reunited with his Chinese friend whom he had walked away from because of the pressure to succumb to white culture.  An excellent read, not only from a visual standpoint, but also the story that captures how immigrants at a young age are pressured to give up their identity.