AMERICAN BORN CHINESE - Serio Comics 44

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE written and drawn by Gene Luen Yang, published by First Second and Macmillan

Dave Cowen

and

David Cowen

Sep 20, 2024

When I have opportunities to have books signed at readings by graphic novelists.

If the book is appropriate for kids, I often like to have them sign it for my godson.

I read the book and then give it to him as a gift.

This Gene Luen Yang signature was special because I asked him for an inside joke about Avatar: The Last Airbender, which Gene had written and the godson had read.

When I gave it to him, 👼 smiled, clutched the book, and said, “How do you know everyone?!”

I laughed and said, “I don’t know Gene personally. I just had him sign it for you at a book signing. Next time, you should come along, you can meet him too!”

Gene Luen Yang

Gene Luen Yang is an American cartoonist and educator known for his graphic novels that explore themes of identity, culture, and mythology. Born on August 9, 1973, Yang began self-publishing comics under the imprint Humble Comics in 1996. His breakthrough came with American Born Chinese in 2006, the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award, and winner of the Michael L. Printz Award.

Yang was a high school teacher at Bishop O'Dowd High School and has been on the faculty at Hamline University's MFAC program. In 2016, he was named the Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the U.S. Library of Congress and received a MacArthur Fellowship. His acclaimed works include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Boxers & Saints, and Superman Smashes the Klan.

Beyond creating comics, Yang advocates for their use as educational tools and serves on the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and four children, continuing to create stories that bridge cultural gaps and inspire readers of all ages.

American Born Chinese

A tour-de-force, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters.

Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school.

The powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables.

And Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits.

Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable.

American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.

Cartoon Mythology

Gene Luen Yang is beloved for his ability to translate mythology into cartoon forms.

In this book, he mixes the traditional story of The Monkey King and other legends of ancient Chinese culture like Lao-Tzu of The Tao Te Ching.

But Yang personalizes it to create his own versions of the lessons.

And also mixes them into a story about Asian-American immigration, American ethnocentrism, internalized racism, coming-of-age, friendship, and first love.

Inventive Use Of Visual Medium For Story of Immigration/Ethnocentrism

Yang is incredibly inventive in how he uses the visual medium to depict a story about immigration and ethnocentrism.

With his shocking yet meaningful use of a caricature of a Chinese stereotype.

And his use of color of skin and hair to depict internalized racism.

It’s truly risk-taking and groundbreaking, making the comic an educational tool too.

Awkward But Touching Friendship And First Love

Yang is also an expert in empathetically showing the interpersonal relationships of young adults of his era and many others.

Jin’s good friend Wei-Chen helps him with his crush on Amelia.

But like most things in high school and life that doesn’t mean everything’s perfect forever after.

Disney+ TV Adaptation

AMERICAN BORN CHINESE was also adapted into a fantasy action comedy television sitcom by Kelvin Yu for Disney+.

Yu, an actor on Master of None and TV writer for Bob’s Burgers, among many credits, is also the brother of Charles Yu, the novelist of Interior Chinatown, and the two of them wrote the pilot episode together.

Quite Different From The Graphic Novel

I wasn’t the first to notice this, but the TV show is one of the more different than the source material graphic novel adaptations I’ve ever seen.

Part of that is updating the setting to our contemporary milieu.

But while the source elements are the same, like The Monkey King and Amelia and Wei-Chen, how they’re employed is more as inspiration for a new vision.