American Born Chinese by Gene Luan Yang

American Born Chinese by Gene Luan Yang weaves together three tales: Jin Wang's troubles adapting to a new school, a re-telling of the Monkey King's adventures and Chin-kee's disruption of his cousin Danny's life. By the end of this graphic novel you discover how these three story lines relate and the implications of being Chinese in the American culture. Attractive full-color pictures aid in transporting this book from a simple story to a visual feast.

Moving to a new school is never easy and in this story is compounded by the blind bigotry of classmates. Jin Wang finds himself torn between two different stories of his heritage. From Chinese mythology we have the story of the Monkey King whose ego must be overcome to find out his true nature. From American mythology we have Chin-Kee the representative of the caricatured stereotypical Chinese man. These forceful narratives influence Jin Wang's life and find new meaning when reinterpreted through a boy's adjustment to a new culture.

These tales are also told graphically which throws another element into the storytelling stew. To see the faces of the characters limits my imagination but is compensated by receiving more of the author's vision. A different part of my brain is engaged and the visual elements force me to a more visceral level. I can sense Jin's confusion by the white splotches that frame the storyboard. I react to the incessant laughter of Chin-Kee that lines the bottom of the frames in which he appears. By telling this story graphically, Yang uses more tools to display different layers of meaning. His techniques allow for a certain amount of silence that propels the reader into reflecting upon the hardship of finding one's self amid the flurries of incessant myths.