This graphic novel was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award and won the 2007 Printz Award. It has also been recognized by the National Book Foundation, a first for graphic novels.
Yang tells three stories that finally combine in the end. The text begins with the story of the Monkey King, a famous legend in China. The second story is that of Jin Wang, a second generation immigrant (an American born Chinese). The third story is of Chin-Kee, a Chinese cousin of Danny, an American. These three stories are told in turn until the point where they blend at the end.
In the beginning, Jin moves from Chinatown to the suburbs where the only other Asian is a Japanese girl. The elementary school students decide that Jin and Suzy Nakamura belong together, due to their ethnicity. Wei Chen moves in from Taiwan and Jin ironically finds himself wanting to beat him up. In the end, Wei and Jin become friends because they both like Transformer toys. As they grow up, Jin is told by a white male student that he can't date a white girl. The racism and transformations in this story can be subtle at times, but come ot a head in the end, when the three stories intertwine.
In the third story, Danny is living a seemingly average American life when Chin-Kee comes to visit. Chin-Kee is an often grotesque stereotype of a Chinese man (consider his name). He tests the tolerance of Danny and his classmates until, again, the three stories intertwine.
The ending of American Born Chinese is very interesting and I hope I haven't given too much away. The text is a very quick read and would be a great accompaniment to a unit on immigration or the like.
ISBN 1596431520. Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
