American Born Chinese
by Gene Luen Yang
Three stories. One argument about what assimilation costs.
For you if
you have ever made yourself smaller or different to be accepted and need a graphic novel that shows exactly what that bargain costs and who it was never going to work for
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Three storylines that seem unrelated: Jin Wang, a Chinese American boy navigating the social cruelties of an American middle school where he is the only Asian kid; the Monkey King, a deity from Chinese mythology who desperately wants to be accepted by the other gods; and Danny, a white American teenager humiliated by the annual visit of his cousin Chin-Kee, a walking compendium of Chinese stereotypes so extreme he reads like a racist cartoon come to life. Yang weaves all three together into a single argument about what assimilation costs — the self-hatred it requires, the parts of yourself you have to make invisible to be accepted, the impossibility of the bargain the dominant culture offers. The Monkey King wants to be a god among gods. Jin Wang wants to be white. Danny wants Chin-Kee to disappear. All three are the same person making the same deal. National Book Award finalist, Printz Award winner, the first graphic novel nominated for the National Book Award. The capstone text in the borders and belonging bundle for older readers ready to examine what belonging has been costing them.
Where This Book Lives
- Setting
- China • East Asia
- Voice
- Written by a Chinese author
Part of a Reading Journey
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