American Born Chinese

I have recently been swept up in the graphic novel craze with books like Persepolis and Maus. So I was very excited to read the book American Born Chinese, and I was not disappointed. American Born Chinese was awarded the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature for ages 12 - 18. The book is a graphic novel with three stories that are intertwined and all come together at the end of the story. A boy of Chinese origin who was born in the United States named Jin Wang. Jin Wang spends his life trying to live down the Chinese stereotypes, and deny his origins, until he finally manages to completely transform himself. The only thing that is left of Jin Wang's heritage is a yearly visit from his mysterious cousin who seems to embody every stereotype associated with Chinese people, both the negative ones and the positives. Mean while there is another story of the Monkey King who is trying to prove he is human so he will be accepted as a deity, and respected by the other immortals. In the end both Jin Wang and the Monkey King realize that the only way to make it through life is to embrace who you are as an individual and be that person.

Libraries could use this book to promote a diversity appreciation program. It would be a good opportunity for the library to bring in an outside presenter. 

PROFESSIONAL BOOK REVIEW FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Graphic novels that focus on nonwhite characters are exceedingly rare in American comics. Enter American Born Chinese, a well-crafted work that aptly explores issues of self-image, cultural identity, transformation, and self-acceptance. In a series of three linked tales, the central characters are introduced: Jin Wang, a teen who meets with ridicule and social isolation when his family moves from San Francisco's Chinatown to an exclusively white suburb; Danny, a popular blond, blue-eyed high school jock whose social status is jeopardized when his goofy, embarrassing Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee, enrolls at his high school; and the Monkey King who, unsatisfied with his current sovereign, desperately longs to be elevated to the status of a god. Their stories converge into a satisfying coming-of-age novel that aptly blends traditional Chinese fables and legends with bathroom humor, action figures, and playground politics. Yang's crisp line drawings, linear panel arrangement, and muted colors provide a strong visual complement to the textual narrative. Like Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Laurence Yep's Dragonwings, this novel explores the impact of the American dream on those outside the dominant culture in a finely wrought story that is an effective combination of humor and drama. 

Yang, Gene, and Lark Pien.American born Chinese [pbk] . New York: First Second, 2006. Print.