American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

I know that I went into reading graphic novels with a little bit of hesitancy. I did not know if they would live up to my expectations. Because I loved comics so much growing up, I was hoping that the graphic novel would be able to use this format to tell a story in a new and creative way. I was not let down. It included many of the parts that I love about both novels and comic and developed a story that was fun to read but did not lose the meaning in the process.
This graphic novel did take a little bit for me to get into. I thought it was funny; however, the multiple stories seemed random at first. It was not until about half way through the text that I realized that there was a connection between all of the stories. When I realized this I read frantically to get to the end so I could figure out what that connection was. It was not until I read the story of Wong Lai-Tsao that I realized the meaning of the story. When that happened I saw American Born Chinese in a whole new light. I actually went back and read through portions again so that the confusing parts that I glanced over would actually make sense this time.
I think the part that I enjoyed the most about this novel is the idea of trying to be something you are not. I think that in high school many students are put in the position where they feel they need to act like someone they are not simply to fit in with the crowd. I see it every day in my high school; kids who act one way with one group and another way with another group. That is why I like working with seniors so much. They are much like Jin at the end. They have lived their whole life trying to hide who they are so they can fit in. Finally, like Jin at the end when he realizes that it is more important to be who he is the seniors start to step out of their shell as they realize that high school is about to end. I do not begin to believe that it is same to be a white suburban student as a minority, but I truly believe that in adolescents there are some real similarities. I feel that it is hard for all students to find themselves when so much of our society says they need to be like everyone else. It is because of this that I feel this book would be great for everybody, not just male students or minority students.
Another part that I really enjoyed about the story, even more so after finishing the book, was the story of the monkey king. In the dedications at the beginning of the book, Gene Luen Yang thanks his mother for the monkey stories. I do not know whether or not this was one of the stories that his mother told him as a child, but I know that no matter what, it was a story that perfectly intertwined with the story of Jin. I felt that it was a beautiful way to tell the story of being who you are. At first I was cheering for the Monkey King when nobody gave him any respect. Then as he gained his knowledge, he became more arrogant and stubborn. This sounds like so many people in life, and in high schools.
As a graphic novel I feel that this was a great book. But I also feel that even as a novel it would have been a good book. I think that the themes that Yang talks about are universal themes that everyone can relate to. On top of that, the story itself is very entertaining. It is both funny and meaningful. Knowing that this is such a good story, made the fact that it is a graphic novel even better. The artwork was a story into itself. Like many great comic books, the pictures themselves tell the whole story. The colors and the graphics seem to fit perfectly with the story itself. One image that I will never be able to get out of my head will be the image of Jin’s hair when he decides he wants to try to fit in more, especially when the lightning shoots out of it. Another is the image of the soap on his armpits because he was afraid that he smelled. It was the use of the images that allowed the text to carry with it so much humor.
Overall, I think this is a great graphic novel, and one that many students would love to read. It has messages that I feel most students in today’s society can relate to no matter their background. As a graphic novel, I think that it will draw in readers that might not actually want to read. The idea that they are looking at pictures makes it seems more assessable to them, they don’t lose their coolness because they are enjoying reading a graphic novel. The ironic part is that if they find themselves reading American Born Chinese they will be reading a text about staying true to themselves and not worrying about what someone else is saying about them.