Analysis of American Born Chinese

            In the Young Adult graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, the central message of the story encourages teenagers to accept themselves for whom the really are and to never evaluate people just because of their appearance, culture or race. Throughout the story, the main characters are affected by a lack of self acceptance because of the way in which the society that they wish to become part of treats them. These societies treat them in a very discriminating way due to racial and cultural differences. Because of the lack of self acceptance that this treatment causes to them, these main characters do things that really just hurt themselves and the very same people with whom they try to socialize.

A good example of how generalizing and evaluating people because of their race or culture can cause harm to other’s sense of self acceptance, is the way in which Monkey King behaves throughout the story before he decides to follow Tze Yo Tzuh. Throughout the story it is easy to see that before Monkey King mastered the twelve Kung Fu disciplines, he was already as powerful as any of the other Gods that he fought against. What gave rise to Monkey King’s decision of becoming more powerful and decide that "all monkey must wear shoes" (Yang, 55), was they way in which he was rejected by the guards when he went to the party the other Gods were making.

Then, after he isolated himself and became more powerful he thought of himself as someone else other than a monkey. He didn’t want to be called monkey and because of this he abused of everyone that wouldn’t call him The Great Sage Equal of Heaven.  Later, after he frees himself form Tze Yo Tzuh’s punishment, he tells us “I would have saved myself from five hundred years' imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.” (Yang, 223).

            Another good example of how bad it is to generalize people and to don’t accept one’s self it’s the story of Jin Wang. As soon as Jin starts going to school in the United States the first thing he notices among his American peers is all the racist stereotypes about Asian people. When he was first introduced by a teacher in school, the teacher assumed “He and his family recently moved to our neighborhood all the way from China!” (Yang, 30) and one of his peers said “My momma says Chinese people eat dogs.” (Yang, 30). All these kinds of stereotypes make him to don’t want to be Asian and to become an American version of himself in high school which he calls Danny. But, before he becomes Danny, his lack of self acceptance is what makes him so insecure about fighting for the girl he liked Amelia and what leads him to destroying his friendship with Wei-Chen Sun.

            In conclusion, through this novel Gene Luen Yang teaches that not accepting one’s self have negative consequences and that also Evaluating and generalizing people because of their race, culture or appearance without really know anything about them can lead to non self acceptance and insecurity.

           

Works Cited

Yan Luen, Gene. American Born Chinese

New York: First Second, 2006. Print.