American Born Chinese

Complex, multi-layered story told through the graphic-novel format. Because of the format, I was left with many questions (not everything can be explained), but because of the subjects, I think having questions is a good thing. The book tells the overlapping stories of the Monkey King, a Chinese-American boy who doesn't know where he belongs, and a white boy embarrassed by his Chinese cousin. Yang brings their stories together masterfully. It is a simple book with amazing depth. This is only the second graphic-style book I've read, and I was impressed by Yang's use of the format to really “show not tell” the experiences of all of the characters.

I'm a decade late to the party but this was such a great graphic novel. Both in terms of the 1st generation experience and how parables were interwoven. The artwork was punchy and fun. My kids go to a public school with a special Chinese emphasis (they take Chinese once a week and there's a special Chinese classroom). I wouldn't be surprised if the upper grades read this GN. Still a little too complex for my guys, but they would love the story of the Monkey King!

Good Illustrations, and fun use of multiple stories to arc into one story. Great point of view about how stereotypes in general cause us to do and say ridiculous things. Main complaint was how the story just ends. The rising action takes us right to a 4 years in the future resolution. I can't even call spoiler here, because it happens so quickly, and just ends. Oh Well. I would still recommend, but I would also give the heads up.

American Born Chinese follows the three seemingly-divergent plot lines of the mythical Monkey King, Chinese American Jin Wang, and American Danny. All three struggle to fit in–the monkey king with the gods, Jin Wang with his American counterparts, and Danny with his overly-stereotypical Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee. The book doesn't shy away from portraying common stereotypes and situations that Chinese Americans face in everyday settings such as school, but does so in good humor and, at times, hilarity. The full color graphics are fantastic and contribute a great deal to the narrative, particularly when the three storylines begin to merge. This is a great book for non-Chinese Americans to read for awareness, although there is a danger that they won't understand how offensively stereotypical Chin-Kee is. It's accessible graphic format might also be attractive for more reluctant readers.

I enjoyed the three, initially separate stories: Jin and his feelings about being Chinese-American and surrounded by white people; Danny, a blonde high school student who is content to be just like the other kids but whose social life is upended every year by his cousin Chin-Kee; and the Monkey King, whose struggle for acceptance from the other gods leads him to a greater purpose.

The stories intertwine in a way that I personally enjoyed. I had a lot of fun picking out western influences in a story that is heavily inspired by eastern ones. I was uncomfortable with the depictions of Chin-Kee, but that's the point of that character (if you can call an amalgam of negative and positive stereotypes a character).

The text reads a bit flat at some points. But it is a graphic novel, and the images are there to do some of the heavy lifting.

This is a great, middle grade/middle school graphic novel about identity.

In some ways, I think it's always great to go into a story expecting it to be one thing, and then finding out that it's really something rather different. That was my experience with this GN.

When you start the book, it seems to be a typical, slice-of-life style indie comic story, the kind that's been told a thousand times before, this time specifically being about how hard it is for kids of Asian descent to fit in in American society. What you find out, though, is that it's really a parable of the Monkey King, and how sometimes there can be nothing worse than getting what you wished for. That switch is accomplished very effectively, though, and you don't realize the fantasy elements that are in the story until they're completely in your face, which then forces you to look back and see that they were really all there all along. Wonderfully accomplished storytelling.

I'm sorry, I don't get this one. Some parts of it really worked for me, but I didn't feel drawn into the story or the artwork, and the end felt really heavy handed and a sharp right turn from the rest of the story - it didn't work for me. I'm not sure how this is if you're reading it as a kid, but as an adult it rubbed me the wrong way.

(notes on 6/27/2023) this was a reread (dates are estimated, but definitely during june 2023), only brought on by me watching 2/3 of the disney+ television adaptation (mediocre, imo, despite the cast) and wanting to revisit the source material to see if the MC was as insufferable in the graphic novel as he is in the show. i last read this a very long time ago, likely close to release date, and i've kept it on my shelf for this long because it was a showoff title for my asian american lit collection. i can't say i love it now or find as much importance in it the further away from high school i get, but it was certainly a book of its time.

i think it embellishes the story of the monkey king and i'm kinda intrigued about how the OG story actually went, because i only remember bits and pieces from my upbringing. i was trying to summarize the OG for a friend before we started the show but couldn't remember details beyond him storing a size-changing magic staff in his ear, wrecking a peach garden, and trying to outrun someone's hand and peeing on it thinking it was a mountain then getting trapped under a rock.

I would rate the comics 3.5 stars because I like the story of Jin Wang and I can somewhat relate to him because I was one of the few Filipino-Americans in West Haven. Like the main character, I also faced racism and had a tough time making long lasting friendships since some of my friends were more racist than I thought. I also liked the graphic arts of the comics, which added something special to the comics. Overall, a solid read.

Man this hit me in the feels. This would have been a momentous book for me as a pre-teen. I totally identified with Jin Wang and in him recognized the need to fit in as a second generation Asian surrounded by a majority of white peers and the undercurrent of Asian stereotypes that still bubbled to the surface from Long Duk Dong to William Hung. It is a coming of age story that explores this overwhelming need to fit in while wresting with a larger cultural identity. It works absolutely perfectly as a graphic novel and manages to say so much in such a short and simple way. Loved it.