Bibliofreakblog

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

It’s really no wonder that this was shortlisted for the National Book Award (Young People’s category) and won the Printz award.  It’s one of those highly literary stories that trancscends the young adult or genre or the graphic novel genre.  In fact, I think it may be enhanced by them.

Three different stories are woven together, to create a modern fable of fitting in, and the immigrant experience, and its affects on second generation Americans.

Jin Wang transfers from a mostly Chinese-American School to a mostly white school, where he immediately realizes he doesn’t fit in.  He somewhat reluctantly befriends the only other Chinese boy at school, who has recently moved from Taiwan.

Danny, a high school basketball player, with blond hair and blue eyes, also can’t shake his Chinese connections.  Once a year his cousin from, Chin Kee, comes to visit from China.  Chin Kee is the epitome of Chinese stereotypes, with buck teeth, a top knot braid, and spurting things like “Me Chinese, it no joke, me go pee pee in his coke”.  And, well, does.  Danny has to switch schools every year after his cousin’s visit.

The monkey king is a folk tale from China.  After being humiliated in front of all of the other deities, he vows revenge, learns more kung fu, and makes all of his monkey subjects wear shoes.  He denies that he is a monkey, which, despite his newly mastered kung fu skills, ultimately lands him in trouble.  It’s here that the tradition of the graphic novel really shines.

These three seemingly disparate stories come together in one glorious, kick-ass climax.

Buy American Born Chinese on Amazon

If you like this book/author, you might like:

(my reviews in blue)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Epileptic by David B.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Buddha, Volume 1: Kapilavastu by Osamu Tezuka
Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Pena
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People by Helen Zia 
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Other works by Gene Luen Yang:

Prime Baby
Gordon Yamamoto And The King Of The Geeks
Loyola Chin and the San Peligran Order
Rosary Comic Book: Includes the Luminous Mysteries

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