American Born Chinese is a graphic novel weaving three seemingly unrelated tales together. The Chinese fable of the Monkey King connects two modern stories of Jin Wang and Danny. I initially picked up this book because I enjoyed reading Dragon Hoops also by Gene Luen Yang. I thought American Born Chinese would be similar to Dragon Hoops, however they are not as similar as I expected. American Born Chinese incorporates magic and traditional folk tales. It also focuses on the Chinese American experience in a predominately White environment.
What American Born Chinese gets right:
Yang shows readers what it is like to be embarrassed by your heritage, but also what friendship looks like. Yang also does an excellent job of weaving the three stories together. For readers unfamiliar with the Monkey King fable, Yang illustrates it well. The graphic novel format helps readers see and feel what is happening to characters. As a graphic novel, it is a faster read without missing the details found in a traditional novel.
What American Born Chinese gets wrong:
Initially, the inclusion of the Monkey King story seemed oddly unnecessary. However, by the end of the book, it is an important piece of the puzzle. Some readers may be offended by the portrayal of Chin-Kee, Danny’s cousin from China. Chin-Kee embodies every negative stereotype about Chinese people. Initially, it seems inappropriate to add a character like Chin-Kee, but Danny’s experience depends on Chin-Kee’s behavior. Chin-Kee emphasizes the struggles of Jin Wang and Danny with not fitting in with their peers.
Recommended for:
High schoolgrade readers, graphic novel readers, readers who like folk tales
Not recommended for:
Readers who only like realistic fiction, younger readers
American Born Chinese is located in the Family Room of the library.
Amber Wessies’ reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.
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