American Born Chinese

The story of the Monkey King in American Born Chinese serves as an allegory to Jin Wang's evolution, and the comparison is evident in the parallels between the two narratives. The Monkey King...

Throughout the comic, Jin struggles to accept his true identity and is determined to assimilate into white, suburban American culture. He feels outcast, isolated, and upset with himself, but his...

At the end of American Born Chinese, Chin-Kee is revealed to be the Monkey King. Chin-Kee, Danny's embarrassing Chinese cousin, accompanies Danny to school whenever Chin-Kee is in town visiting...

Shoes represent the Monkey King's insecurity about being a monkey in the face of other gods. As the sovereign ruler of flower-fruit mountain, the Monkey King has no need for shoes. He climbs and...

The best adjective I can think of to describe Jin Wang is insecure. He certainly isn't alone in this description; as adolescents, most of us are/were insecure at least some of the time. Jin has...

Danny sees Chin-Kee as the living embodiment of all the many offensive stereotypes that have adhered to Chinese Americans over the years. His whole identity, from his yellow skin and his buck...

Although not explicitly stated, the protagonist of American Born Chinese, Jin Wang, is a hero. Like many heroes, he is on a journey. Jin is on the journey toward self-acceptance, and he faces many...

American Born Chinese is a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang that was published in 2006. I am going to present the five most important characters of the story here. Firstly, one has to mention the...

Jin’s parents are both immigrants and the family lives in San Francisco’s Chinatown neighborhood—where Jin enjoys his life surrounded by other Chinese Americans. Wanting a better life, and...

Transformers—robots in disguise—aren't just toys from the 1980s. They're also a very important symbol of what Jin wants to be in life. Like the giant robots, Jin wants to transform himself into...

Assuming that you mean readers of today, Gene Yang's message in American Born Chinese revolves around embracing one's identity. In the novel, Jin is plagued by transformations because he does not...

Jin’s increasing familiarity with the Chinese menu and his increasing comfort in Chinese restaurants show that he is coming to embrace his identity. When he is first unable to read the menu, he is...

You could go in any number of interesting directions with an analytical essay on American Born Chinese. Here are a few ideas to get you started, and don't forget to support your thesis statement...

Racial melancholia is a term used to explain the melancholy, or depression and self-rejection, that a person may feel when they do not fit into the mainstream American culture and the expectation...

These three questions are all very compelling. The issues they mention impact Jin as a character, as well as many readers who get to know Jin through the graphic novel. This response will address...

That the language and stereotypes in this graphic novel are too much to handle is debatable, as it is unclear what "too much to handle" actually means. The graphic novel is definitely direct about...