Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel published in 2006, American Born Chinese consists of three stories: The Monkey King’s storyline, Jin’s storyline, and Danny’s storyline. Each storyline is separated with a picture of the main character in that chapter. Danny is the only one who is not displayed in his chapter page and is instead replaced by his cousin. Monkey King is based on China’s infamous mythological character, Sun Wukong from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Monkey King wants to be in ranks with the gods but is rejected. Jin Wang is a Chinese American boy who wants to fit in with the American students at his school. Danny is an American boy who wants to be popular and have a “normal” teenaged life but is unable to because of his embarrassing cousin Chin-Kee who visits every year.
Overall in the graphic novel, the main theme is identity. Despite its three separate
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storylines, each main character shares the same problem of being uncomfortable with who they are. The main message of the book is self-acceptance. American Born Chinese gives the message of how we must accept the way we are and must not try to be someone we are not. Monkey King desires to be hailed as a divine being, but other deities just see him as a monkey. Jin’s first day of school turned out horrible and learns the difficulties of being one of the only Asians in the school. He is internally ashamed of his heritage and wants to become someone else. Danny just wants a normal student life but he can’t have one because of Chin-Kee. Frank Chin is a Chinese American playwright and author. His article published in 1991, “Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and the Fake” criticizes the inauthentic quality of specific Asian-American writers’ words. He denounces writers such as Maxine Hong Kingston, Amy Tan, and David Henry Hwang. Chin claims Chinese American writers portray Chinese stereotypes in their works to appeal to readers. With Yang’s graphic novel, Frank Chin would agree how Yang has used Chinese stereotypes to emphasize his characters and appeal to his audience. The Chinese stereotypes he uses contrasts with the American culture and collides the two cultures in order to make the plot interesting in each storyline. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to use stereotypes or cultural references to catch attention and enthrall the audience. Authenticity Chin is angry how some Asian American writers do not write with the Chinese expectations. An example is China’s classic Fa Mulan chant. Some versions tattooed Fa Mulan’s back. Some have Fa Mulan coming home to her family and being surprised that she is now engaged. Some versions have Fa Mulan returning home to her burning village and finding out everyone is dead. Chin states "she is not tattooed. She returns home to her realm and family and a banquet..." (Chin 6). Chin wouldn’t have liked Yang’s parody of the Monkey King. Yang has used the character Sun Wukong as a reference to create his version of the Monkey King. Most of the details portrayed in the graphic novel are accurate. Just like Sun Wukong, Monkey King was birthed from a magic rock on the “Flower-Fruit Mountain” (Yang 8). They both happily reign over monkeys. They both rebelled and called themselves “The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven” (Yang 60). They both were imprisoned for five centuries. There were a few details Yang left out to focus on his self-acceptance message and cater to his readers’ attention with analogies. Sun Wukong had stolen many things from the superiors, like peaches of immortality, pills of longevity, or the Jade Emperor’s royal wine. He also was not able to free himself from under the mountain of rocks, unlike Monkey King. Instead, the monk had to use his spiritual powers to break the sealed parchment. Additionally, there weren’t any demons lurking around to attack the monk. After fighting the demons, Monkey King quickly accepted his master, but Sun Wukong had to be convinced with a magical golden headband which would squeeze his head so tight it could explode. This specific detail that was left out may confuse readers due to Monkey King’s spontaneous decision of becoming the monk’s disciple. Furthermore, the alterations would’ve displeased Chin with its inauthenticity. A major change Yang has done is switching Buddha with the made up character Tze-Yo-Tzuh and also switching the monk Tang Sanzang with fictional character Wong Lai-Tsao. Journey to the West is a Buddhist tale. American Born Chinese uses Christian concepts. Tze-Yo-Tzuh represents God. He controls everything that happens and watches all in the world. He tells the Monkey King that no one can ever “escape [his] reach” and proves it with the five golden pillars (Yang 70). This is similar to the Christian concept of when an individual sins against God, it leaves a mark on him. Wong Lao-Tsai symbolizes Christian believers. He accepts his fate and is willing to let Tze-Yo-Tzuh guide him. He tells Monkey King “if it is the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh for me to die for your stubbornness, then I accept” (Yang 146). He truly believes “…Tze-Yo-Tzuh loves [him] deeply and faithfully” (Yang 137). Yang replaced the story’s Buddhist details with Christian details to let America understand better, since roughly 70% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. I believe Yang used Christianity because he himself is Christian. His version of the Monkey King is an attempt to make sense of himself, telling America his experience as an Asian American using the Monkey King. Although Sun Wukong’s story is adjusted, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. American Born Chinese informed readers of the Monkey King story. It may be a chopped up version, but at least the audience now have a reference and do understand some parts even before they read the original story. Another example can be the British-American movie Gnomeo and Juliet which was based on William Shakespeare's play− Romeo and Juliet. A few parts were altered, since the movie is family-friendly. People who are unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet would watch this version and would not know about Mercutio (who was not in Gnomeo and Juliet) or the tragic ending where both main characters die. At least the people who were unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet will know about the feuding families and forbidden love. Even if they never read the original version, they will have background knowledge on the raging brawl between the family names of Montague and Capulet. They will know of Paris's marriage proposal to Juliet. They will know about Romeo and Tybalt's immense hatred towards each other. Stereotyping A huge stereotypical concept Yang used in American Born Chinese is portraying the character Chin-Kee.
This character was designed and assigned the role of a stereotypical Chinese guy, and completely embraces his Chinese ideologies when he visits in America. He was introduced in the first chapter of Danny’s arc stating “harro amellica” (Yang 48). His introduction already blasts with Chinese stereotyping− Engrish dialogue. Engrish also known as Chinglish is when someone speaks or writes in the English language, but is heavily influence by the Chinese language. It is very common for a Chinese accented person who speaks English to mix their “L” and “R” pronunciations up. Likewise to his dialect, his physical attributes also correspond to the stereotypical Chinese guy. Chin-Kee has very yellow complexion, buck teeth, squinty eyes, and wears traditional Chinese clothing, including the Queue hairstyle− long braid and hat. If the hyphen in his name is omitted, readers are able to pronounce his name as “chinky”. Chinky is a negative slang term to describe an individual of Eastern Asian
descent. Chin would believe these details about Chin-Kee would taint the minds of the readers. Not all Chinese people are like this. Not all Chinese people would raise their hand excitingly and answer the questions correctly (Yang 112). Not all Chinese people would eat crispy fried cat gizzards with noodles (Yang 114). Not all would pee in someone’s soda can as a joke (Yang 118). And most certainly not every Chinese male wants to wed and bind a girl’s feet right after meeting her for the first time (Yang 50). Yang has used Chin-Kee as a comic relief character. Almost all of the panels Chin-Kee was in, there was a laugh track that stated “ha ha ha ha ha…” at the bottom. Considering Chin-Kee appears every three chapters, it is assumed he can relieve the serious tone portrayed in the previous two chapters− which involve Monkey King and Jin’s questioning if they belong where they really are. Chin-Kee is hilarious and appeals to the audience. Every little detail about him satisfies the Hollywood stereotypes. Yang had implemented these stereotypes to gain the readers’ attention, and I believe Chin-Kee wasn’t meant to be comical. This satirical character was intended to remind the readers how America views Chinese people. Chin-Kee was meant to give the readers a “Mongorian foot in face” (Yang 207). Every third chapter of the graphic novel was aimed to be offensive. Portraying stereotypes in this novel was a good thing. Yang wanted to exaggerate this designated character to open up his readers’ eyes and get his point across. If Chin-Kee wasn’t designed the way he was, why would he be beheaded by the end of the story. Yang wanted to cut this allegorical figure because the purpose had been taught. The Monkey King and Jin had learned to ignore the teasing and accept who they really are. The readers have learned how intense stereotyping can really be. Conclusion It is appropriate for Chin to say some Chinese American writers would write in a certain way to accommodate their audience. Yang has done what Chin claims, but it is not pointless. This method really helped captivate the audience to learn. The graphic novel takes full advantage of being a graphic novel. The characters were very representable. Monkey King is Yang, Chin-Kee is the racist consciousness of everyone, and Jin/Danny is the reader (before and after reading). The narration structure was effective. The story would have not been convincing if it used a more traditional narrative style. The ending was a big mind-blowing event and perfectly synced− three storylines all linked together seamlessly into one message. The message is not blunt, but is genuine which must explain the open ending. It is in a subtle tone to tell us that we don’t have to change because of our origins, it is okay to be who we are.
The Sun of the Revolution by Liang Heng, is intriguing and vivid, and gives us a complex and compelling perspective on Chines culture during a confusing time period. We get the opportunity to learn the story of a young man with a promising future, but an unpleasant childhood. Liang Heng was exposed to every aspect of the Cultural Revolution in China, and shares his experiences with us, since the book is written from Liang perspective, we do not have a biased opinion from an elite member in the Chinese society nor the poor we get an honest opinion from the People’s Republic of China. Liang only had the fortunate opportunity of expressing these events due his relationship with his wife, An American woman whom helps him write the book. When Liang Heng and Judy Shapiro fell in love in China during 1979, they weren’t just a rarity they were both pioneers at a time when the idea of marriages between foreigners and Chinese were still unacceptable in society.
In the beginning of the story, the author describes the Chin Yuen's as American in appearance yet Chinese in customs. Throughout the story she continues to describe the deterioration of the Chinese customs by American ideal. This is pinpointed when Mr. Chin Yuen decides to let his daughter marry the boy that she loves. The conversation that Mr. Spring Fragrance has with Young Carman explains that only in American culture is it customary to find love before marriage; in the Chinese tradition, all marriages are arranged. This clearly exemplifies the manner in which the Chinese characters are more and more disregarding their Chinese culture and taking on this new American standard of living. Ironically, Sui Sin Far conveys the notion that the American tradition is not necessarily better than the Chinese tradition. More so she demonstrates the struggle of identity between two worlds that both make sense. Though Laura and Kai Tzu have found their happiness in the American tradition of marriage, the reader discovers that Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance are equally as happy even through the Chinese tradition of marriage.
Traditional Chinese culture has a very strict set of rules which need to be followed. Only if one follows the rules, will they fit into the Chinese society. This is depicted in the book The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy and Iron Road directed by David Wu. The Jade Peony portrays a story about three Chinese-Canadian siblings living in Vancouver’s Chinatown: Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum, and Sek-Lung. Each child experiences different complications depending on their age and gender. Their Grandmother, Poh Poh, teaches them to balance their Chinese culture along with Canadian culture. Moreover, Iron Road portrays a story about a strong-willed 19 year old girl, Little Tiger, who presents herself as a boy in order to survive as an orphan in the male-dominated
Subsequently there is a big entanglement of characters that represent one another. On pages 204-214 we see that Chin-kee, a cousin of another character, symbolizes the Monkey King. On all accounts in the book Chin-Kee shows all asian stereotypes that we see continuously to this day. Jin is the cousin of Chin-kee, they both go to school with each other, and Jin is ashamed of
There is no better way to learn about China's communist revolution than to live it through the eyes of an innocent child whose experiences were based on the author's first-hand experience. Readers learn how every aspect of an individual's life was changed, mostly for the worst during this time. You will also learn why and how Chairman Mao launched the revolution initially, to maintain the communist system he worked hard to create in the 1950's. As the story of Ling unfolded, I realized how it boiled down to people's struggle for existence and survival during Mao's reign, and how lucky we are to have freedom and justice in the United States; values no one should ever take for
with her husband, who had served in the army during World War II, part of the wave of Chinese who were finally considered more American because of their patriotism. They had also come to Detroit for job opportunities, and lived and worked in a basement laundry operation. Chin’s mother distinctly recalls being harassed by neighborhood kids and people at a baseball game; she and her husband were also physically assaulted because their Chineseness marked them as perpetual foreigners. She could not have children so they adopted a boy from China, Vincent. He had integrated pretty well, establishing himself as an engineer who was popular, made friends easily, and was always laughing and
The protagonist of the story is Jing-mei. She is a flat character who turns out to be dynamic. Throughout her life, she has been very stubborn about accepting her identity. An example of this is when she explains, "I was 15 and had a vigorously denied that I had any Chinese whatsoever under my skin" (857). She shows her dynamic characteristic at the end of the story when she finally does accept her heritage.
Growing up in the American education system, I always took my education for granted. My mother would always say, “You know how much people would want to be in your place and go to school?” In Chinese culture, education is the only way to achieve upward social mobility and leave the poor social economic class; whether you are rich or poor, you must have education and go to school. Education is not equal for everyone so how can one play the game when it is set up against you. Education is based on the resources that are offered in the area, thus if you live in a poor area, you get fewer resources. When the One Child policy was passed, it helped because all the family’s resources are focused on one child but the child is the only one to take care
Justina Chen Headley explores in her book Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) the search for her protagonist’s identity, Patty Ho, which is a part Taiwanese, part American girl. Headley displays the mother as a one-dimensional parent who is holding onto conservative and traditional Taiwanese values, and is imposing her cultural values onto her daughter as a justification for her strict parenting style.
All women are too sensitive! All Mexicans are illegal immigrants! If you’re from the South, then you are ignorant! Most people have heard at least one of these stereotypes pertaining to a certain group. Some people believe them whilst others do not. American Born Chinese illustrates three stories depicting the custom of stereotypes surrounding society: “The Monkey King”, the story of Monkey King’s thirst for infinite power, and his quest for atonement; “Jin Wang”, the story an awkward boy who tries to “fit in” the community around from but constantly fails; and “Danny”, the story about a high schooler who feels uncomfortable by his stereotypically negative Chinese cousin Chin-Kee. In this day-and-age, stereotypes are what bring people together, and stereotypes are what set people apart. To be ignorant of stereotypes would be a disastrous event as one would consequentially be ignorant to the prejudices engulfing them daily. Even though this causes problems throughout different communities, the way some individuals choose to address stereotypes is through laughter. From start to finish the graphic novel, American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang purposefully satirizes Asian stereotypes in hopes that the reader opens up to the fact that stereotypes are indeed existent in today’s society.
Chinese-Americans authors Amy Tan and Gish Jen have both grappled with the idea of mixed identity in America. For them, a generational problem develops over time, and cultural displacement occurs as family lines expand. While this is not the problem in and of itself, indeed, it is natural for current culture to gain foothold over distant culture, it serves as the backdrop for the disorientation that occurs between generations. In their novels, Tan and Jen pinpoint the cause of this unbalance in the active dismissal of Chinese mothers by their Chinese-American children.
This novel tells the story of Wang Lung. He is a man who rises from being a poor farmer to a very wealthy man because of his faith in the good earth. In the beginning of the story Wang Lung tries to see as little water as possible because he feels safest with his land under his feet. His family is very poor so he must feed his father corn gruel and tea.
The air would always be humid and stuffy while riding the bus to school, and the slightest bump in the road would result in tossing up the kids like salad. The backseat would provide carriage for all the popular and tough kids shouting out at pedestrians on the street or flipping off a middle finger to the bus driver that would shout for them to calm down. I despised those kids in the back. They were the same people that made my life a living hell, while growing up and attending an American school.
Comparison of American and Chinese Cultures Cultural differences are apparent from one group of people to another. Culture is based on many things that are passed on from one generation to the next. Most of the time, people take for granted their language, beliefs, and values. When it comes to the cultural differences of people, there is no right or wrong. People should be aware of others culture and respect the differences that exist between them.
In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan the setting takes place between the 1950’s and 1960’s in Chinatown, San Francisco. The narrator uses the first person point of view. The exposition explains when Jing-Mei came to America when se was a baby in 19...