Yang – American Born Chinese

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. New York; First Second, 2006.

American Born Chinese is a graphic novel which won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature. The graphic novels weaves together 3 separate tales – all of which come together in the end. The first story is that of the legendary Monkey King; the god of the monkeys who’s obsessed with getting the respect of the other gods. The second story is of Jin Wang, a young Chinese-American boy trying to fit in at school. The third story is of Danny, a seemingly average American teen who is haunted by his over-the-top Chinese stereotype cousin Chin-Kee.

Though I’ve read a lot of graphic novels, I had never gotten around to this one – so I had to choose it as my Printz book! I had expected big things from it, but I was still pleasantly surprised at just how good the story was. I should have seen it coming, but the way the three stories came together still took my by surprise. Yang’s illustrations are great; with a solid, clear & whimsical look to them. Their childish, amusing design helped kept the reader rooted in Jin’s young perception of things – implying that he still saw the world in much the same way as a teen as when he had been in 3^rd grade. They also help ease the transition of the Monkey King into the ‘real world;’ the already cartoony nature of the frames let him fit right in without seeming out of place. I’m not quite sure that I ‘get’ the integration of the Birth of Christ with the Monkey King’s story, though. Perhaps it’s intended as a parallel of Jin’s journey & integration into Western Culture? I don’t know, but I still loved the book.

Ned Vizzini wrote a thoughtful & interesting review of American Born Chinese for the New York Times last October.[1] He point out that “Asians are widely perceived to have it easier than other minorities in the United States,” but that Yang does an admirable job of breaking down those perceptions with his honest depiction of Jin Wang’s childhood. Vizzini points out the many references to negative Asian stereotypes in American pop culture, such as Chin-Kee’s William Hung impression while singing “She Bangs.” On the other hand, a Library Journal review concludes a brief description of the work with, “some potty humor; recommended for teen and adult collections.”[2]

American Born Chinese is obviously a must-have for any public or school library. It should have a place of honor in any graphic novel collection, display, or program. In addition, it serves as powerful material in any discussion of stereotypes & race issues, or on contemporary Asian-American culture. It would also make a great addition to a Chinese New Year (today!) book display for teens or adults.

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[1] Vizzini, Ned. “American Born Chinese.” New York Times Full Text Review. 27 October 2009. as found in Bowker’s Books in Print through the University of North Texas’ electronic Library. http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2612/merge_shared/details/RecordDetails.asp?item_uid=72028277&viewItemIndex=0&navPage=1&FullText=&BipAlertQueryString=&BipAlertDisplayQText= (accessed 14 February 2010).

[2] “American Born Chinese.” Library Journal. 15 March, 2007. as found in Bowker’s Books in Print through the University of North Texas’ electronic Library. http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2612/merge_shared/details/RecordDetails.asp?item_uid=72028277&viewItemIndex=0&navPage=1&FullText=&BipAlertQueryString=&BipAlertDisplayQText= (accessed 14 February 2010).