American Born Chinese | Gene Luen Yang | Portrait of an Asian-American as a Young Man

American Born Chinese | Gene Luen Yang | Beautifully woven graphic novel on assimilation

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American Born Chinese

	American Born Chinese Gene Luen Yang First Second, 2006 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 57 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Portrait of an Asian-American as a Young Man

This is the first graphic novel I've read (well, I've read many a comic book in my day, but I'm delineating here). Not a bad choice for a first time, as Gene Yang's parable of a Chinese boy in America actually begs for second and third readings. A graphic novel with multiple layers, you ask? In fact, yes.

Separated into sections that will join at the end, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE blends the ancient Chinese fable of the Monkey King with the tale of Jin Wang, the book's protagonist, who happens to be the only Chinese boy trying to fit in to his American school.

A third story, the source of over-the-top humor and under-the-belt stereotypes, chronicles the travails of a popular American high school student named Danny who is beleaguered by his Chinese-born cousin, Chin-Kee. What did Danny ever do to deserve this Eastern nightmare? Why does he have to change schools every year due to the humiliation Chin-Kee rains down on him?

The answers are unexpected but pleasing as parable, fable, and morality tale meet nicely at a place called "The End." Winner of the Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, AMERICAN BORN CHINESE is a satisfying read that can also serve as a substantive discussion piece in the classroom (Grades, say, 7 and up).

You don't have to be part of a minority in a dominant culture to enjoy it. We're ALL "outsiders" in one way or another, and Jin Wang's story will thus speak to each and every one of us.

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Beautifully woven graphic novel on assimilation

I didn't realize how the separate tales in this graphic novel were interplaying with one another until nearly the end of the book. Together, these tales capture the experience of cultural assimilation in the United States in a... at times disturbing and thought-provoking and at other times a charming and heart-warming way.

Heartbreakingly funny and true for all young immigrants.

This graphic novel moved me because the story hit a nerve about how it feels to be a young immigrant who longs to belong to the new country. The stories are clever, humerous, and emotionally authentic. Highly recommended read. I want to buy copies of this book to hand out to all the Chinese-American kids who are embarrassed about their Chinese part.

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American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese
Gene Luen Yang
Legendary fiction

American Born Chinese is an easy read in comic book form that starts as three different stories and becomes one. The first is a young American boy named Jin Wang, whose parents are Chinese. He is an outcast who does not have many friends. The second story is about his cousin Chin-Kee who lives in China and visits Jin once a year. He is the exaggerated Chinese stereotype: eating cats and peeing in cokes. The third is an old Chinese myth about the monkey king. The monkey king has been embarrassed and tries to be someone he is not.

The legend's moral is: be true to yourself and kind to others. This relates to my life because sometimes at school someone feels they are not liked by a group of people. They will try and become someone they are not to fit in. They will even act mean to others who are not popular. The book points out that to transform like this costs you your soul.

I like the author's writing style because it is different and fun to read. It caught my interest quickly and the pictures gave me a better understanding of the story. I think that in this comic book style of writing the author can better express himself than in any of the more formal writing styles.

I enjoyed this book because it reminds me that I should not be anything but myself. I liked the illustrations because they were very inventive. One of my favorite parts was when the little monkey was wearing the shoes on his ears. I would highly recommend this book to people who like mythology, who like comics, and who love monkeys.

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Comic Book

I was really looking forward to having a book to sit and read and when I got this I was suprised. I didn't know it was like a comic book. All in all though it was a pretty good book. It send a nice message about being who you really are and not trying to fit in.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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