American Born Chinese

Infobox Book
name = American Born Chinese
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover art of the first edition
author = Gene Luen Yang
illustrator = Gene Luen Yang
cover_artist =
country = flagicon|USA USA
language = English
series =
genre = Graphic novel
publisher = First Second Books
release_date = 2006
media_type = Print (paperback & hardback collector's edition)
pages = 240 pp (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN-13: 978-1596431522
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"American Born Chinese" is a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. Released in 2006 by Roaring Brook Press, it was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Awards in the category of Young People's Literature, and won the 2007 Michael L. Printz Award. It was the first graphic novel recognized by the National Book Foundation. It was colored by cartoonist Lark Pien.

ynopsis

It starts out with three seemingly different tales, and then merges them all together at the climax in the style of a graphic novel.

The first tale is the legendary folk tale of The Monkey King, which is renowned all through China and throughout the world.

The second tale is the story of a second-generation immigrant from China named Jin Wang, who still is heavily influenced by Chinese culture. The story follows his life through the making of his best friend, to him falling in love with a girl, and many adventures in between.

The third tale follows the story of a white boy named Danny, whose Chinese cousin Chin-Kee comes and visits every year. Chin-Kee is the ultimate Chinese stereotype in terms of accent, fashion sense, hairstyle, appearance, and hobbies.

The high school Danny attends is called "Oliphant High School", which Yang has said he named after political cartoonist Pat Oliphant, in response to a comic he took offense to. [ [http://tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=666&Itemid=48 Gene Yang interview] , "The Comics Journal"] Many of Chin-Kee's stereotypical quirks are also lifted from this cartoon.

Plot

The first tale is about the Monkey King who goes to a celestial dinner party, but is denied entrance because he is a monkey and does not wear shoes.

The second story then begins with a Chinese American boy, Jin Wang, who has moved to a new home. An old woman tells him he can be anything he wants, if he is willing to forfeit his soul. Jin told her he wanted to be a Transformer. When he goes to school, the teacher mispronounces his name, boys pick on him, and rumors arise that he is betrothed to a Japanese girl named Suzy Nakamura. Two months later, a new student from Taiwan arrives, named Wei Chen Sun. At first Jin wants to beat him up, but later the two become friends, bonding over Wei Chen's Transformer toy.

The third story is about a white boy named Danny, and his Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee. Danny is having a study date with a friend, Melanie. When he is about to ask her out, his parents announce that his cousin, Chin-Kee, has come for his annual visit. Chin-Kee insults Melanie, and causes her to leave in a huff.

The first tale about the Monkey King then resumes. He has decreed that all his subjects wear shoes, then locks himself in his chamber to learn the twelve disciplines of kung fu, when he is summoned to the underwater kingdom to be executed. He goes around causing havoc, until Tze-Yo-Tzuh, his creator stops him. As a result, the Monkey King flees, carving his name into five pillars of gold at the end of his trip, as well as relieving himself on one of the pillars. Afterwards, he again meets his creator, who shows him his fingers, which were in reality the five pillars of gold. Tze-Yo-Tzuh then buries the Monkey King in a mountain of rubble. (This is a famous Chinese historical tale.)

The second tale resumes at this point. In the 7th grade, Jin begins to notice a classmate of his, Amelia Harris, and develops a crush on her. Later on, Wei Chen and Suzy start to date. One day, Wei Chen and Amelia get trapped in a supply closet and Jin comes to their rescue, asking Amelia out, who eagerly accepts.

The third tale resumes. Chin-Kee answers every question the teachers ask, pees in Danny's friend's drink, and even brings a dead cat for lunch.

Many chapters later, it turns out, Chin-Kee is really the Monkey King. Wei-chen is actually the Monkey King's son, and Danny is really Jin Wang. Later, having told to him the Monkey King's story and of why he should not try not being himself anymore, Jin goes to a Chinese bakery in Oakland, CA and meets Wei Chen, who had totally changed; the two resolve their differences and become friends once more.

They come to this realization from the magical powers of the herbalists wife, reference in the beginning of the book.

ee also

*Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians in the United States
*Journey to the West

External links

* [http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/authors/geneYangBlogMain.html First Second - Creators - Gene Yang - Blog] , essay on the book by author Gene Yang

New community Jewish High School reading list.