American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese

Gene Yang

I have to admit, I was not thrilled about reading a graphic novel for this week. I have never really been interested in comic-formatted books. I have always enjoyed reading "normal" books, because they move faster for me, and I think they are easier to understand.

This book is composed of three separate tales. It starts with a story about the monkey king, a God-like figure that struggles with his identity as a monkey. He goes through many struggles to eventually shed his identity and disguise himself as someone new. The second tale is of Jin Wang, a Chinese American student in Chinatown. He struggles to find his place in school, feeling as though he doesn't belong. Like most other students, he goes through the struggles of crushes and break ups with his interest, Amelia.

I particularly enjoyed the third tale of this book. I felt it had the most depth and possible implications for the classroom. It deals with Danny and his Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee. Chin-Kee fulfills a great number American-made stereotypes about the Chinese. Danny is embarrassed, and he combats the inner-struggles brought on by his cousin's visits.

This book highlights the racial stereotypes in American. The illustrations emphasize such stereotypes, with depictions of the Chinese with yellow skin and slanted eyes. This book could definitely lend itself into complex conversations about race and identity in a nation that claims to be accepting. In reality, Americans hold a variety of stereotypes about other cultures.

It is important to provide students with interesting and unique forms of text. Utilizing graphic novels is a great way to introduce difficult subjects, such as underlying racial stereotypes, in the classroom.