Review: American Born Chinese

I just finished reading Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese. I have to say I was surprised almost by my reactions. I assumed something more of an autobiographical memoir, you know, the kind that usually gets the awards. Persepolis, Epileptic, Maus. But this is not that kind of story. Rather than simply being the story of Yang’s childhood, it takes the emotions of that time and turns it into something bigger. With all three of the novels I mentioned above you never get that feeling. You never once forget who the main characters are. You’re reading because you want to know about plot points. In Yang’s book, the main focus is not the plot, but the experience. Though I am not ABC, I am first generation (meaning first generation to be born here) ABCD, I couldn’t help but feel he was writing my story.

I feel like I can say this about plot vs. emotion because I wasn’t too happy about the ending, though the very last page with the youtube screen was great. Let me give you some of the experiences I was talking about. Jin’s new teacher tells the class his family just came from China though they moved from San Francisco. The class rumors that he and the only other Asian in the class were arranged to be married at thirteen causing him to avoid the only person that he might be able to relate to. Danny hates his cousin the stereotyped FOB Chin-kee because Chin-kee’s presence taints Danny’s perception of who he himself is. Suzy compares her life to being an unwanted wallflower at a perpetual party. Read this book for these kinds of moments.

While I think I’ve given it quite a bit of praise, I will say that to me this is only telling half the story, the half where you don’t fit in as an American. He makes no mention to the half where you don’t fit in as Chinese or Desi or what have you. Growing up I think you’re both. There’s the culture you have at home and the culture you have at school. Then you hit a certain point and realize you’re neither, that you will never fit in anywhere. This is when you find a bunch of other American Born something or others and make your own culture, your own identity.

I guess what you can do then is take Yang’s story and read it once as him not being able to fit in white America, then turn all the white people into his Chinese born parents and their generation of immigrated Americans and read it again.