rudyfaber

What an absolutely mind-blowing book. American Born Chinese looks like a pretty straight-forward, fairly simple graphic novel with cartoonish characters and an un-taxing dialogue. And yet, this is one of the most penetrating books about racial self-acceptance that I've read in a long time. There are 3 narratives: Jin Wang, one of the only Asian Americans in his whitewashed high school, just wants to fit in and get with the (blonde) girl. The Monkey King, a character from Chinese fables, wants to be recognized as a divine being by the other gods. And Chin-Kee, this profoundly disgusting Chinese stereotype, plays up every revolting mischaracterization that has ever plagued Chinese Americans. In the end, these stories intertwine and build to a pitch-perfect resolution. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend this book to any Asian American who ever grew up in suburbia (the story is eminently relatable, though you won't be proud of it), or really to anyone willing to learn more about how turbulent that experience can be.

2023-02-26 10:53