Food as a Source of Control

Food is a source of control in the world of The Hunger Games. A part of the prize given to the winner of the Hunger Games is a gift of food to the winner's district. Katniss tells us, "All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation". The reader most likely considers grain, oil, and sugar to be commonplace and boring, certainly not something worth fighting to the death over. However to the hunger-stricken districts of Panem it is a coveted prize.

It is interesting to consider why food is so scarce in this world. The specialization of district 11 is agriculture, so one would think they would have plenty of food for themselves. Presumably provide food for the rest of Panem. In actuality they are just as poor and hunger-stricken as district 12. Katniss is surprised that they are able to send her a single loaf of bread during the games. The Capitol on the other hand has an abundance of food and enjoys fine delicacies. We must conclude then that the food scarcity in the poorer districts is not due to a physical lack of food, but rather due to the Capitol intentionally limit the supply of food in order to maintain control.

The United States has a similar disparity of food scarcity and food abundance. According to an article from mississippitoday.org, "Mississippi still the hungriest state", approximately 20 percent of the state's population deals with food insecurity. Meanwhile, food waste is common in other parts of the United States, and most Americans have abundant access to food. This disparity is most likely not part of a tyrannical plan of the government, as it is in the world of The Hunger Games. But it is an important issue and more should be done to end this food scarcity. In a Guardian article from 4/6/20, “In the poorest county in America’s poorest state, a virus hits home: ‘Hunger is rampant’”, a Mississippi resident explains that emergency plans implemented by the state resulted in her receiving just $6 more a week in food benefits to help feed her family after losing her job due to the pandemic.

The Hunger Games: Manipulating Death into a Show

When reading The Hunger Games, it is easy for readers to identify the horror and tragedy that is taking place. We see each of the characters as people opposed to pawns in the games and identify with each one of them. However, it is easy to forget that for those in Panem, specifically District 1, this separation of fiction and reality within the Hunger Games is one that does not come easy due to the deliberate organization of the Games by the government. 

The spectators, specifically those in the Capitol, are bombarded with skewed perceptions of the Games and the Tributes, making it easy for them to ignore the inhumanity of what is occurring. They see this sacrifice of children's lives as a "show" used exclusively for entertainment, opposed to the true horror that it is. This is evident from the beginning of the novel. Effie Trinket greets District 12 at the reaping with enthusiasm and excitement for the events to come, blind to the fact that she is forcing a family to potentially sentence one of their children to death. She greets the District by exclaiming "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" (Collins 20). Effie, with the Capital's perspective, sees the Hunger Games as a spectacle. She does not see it for the death and horror it represents to the rest of Panem outside of the Capitol. 

Additionally, the Tributes themselves understand that they must play into the "show" for the Capitol in order to ultimately survive. The gifts and sponsors they receive through gaining the favor of the Capitol can ultimately decide life or death for the Tributes. Therefore, in the midst of a fight for their lives, the tributes must worry about appealing to the Capitol and becoming likable and engaging characters. It is for this reason that in an attempt to save Peeta's life, Katniss understands she must play the role of a lovestruck girl in order to have a chance at winning. Katniss realizes this when the Playmakers announce there can be two winners from one District. She thinks to herself, "If I want to keep Peeta alive, I've got to give the audience something more to care about. Star-crossed lovers  desperate to get home together...Romance" (Collins 251). Katniss understands that appealing to the Capitol and creating an entertaining "story" for them is necessary for survival, as she knows that they see The Hunger Games as nothing more than a show.

The Dangers of Conformity

In the graphic novel, American Born Chinese, the two main characters are at a turning point with their identities. Both characters try to “fix” themselves and do so by conforming to the dominant culture. At the beginning of the novel, the Chinese herbalist’s wife issues a warning to the young Jin Wang, as she says “it’s easy to become anything you wish… So long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul” (Yang, 29). This warning becomes the moral of the story as The Monkey King and Jin Wang search to find themselves. 

            The Monkey King, when denied entrance to the dinner party because of his appearance, chooses to transform into a more human version of himself. In doing so, he wears shoes and makes himself significantly taller. Unfortunately, none of these changes makes the Monkey King happy, and he spends most of his life trying to prove himself to others, rather than enjoying himself. Jin Wang, after a lot of bullying and racism from his classmates, chooses to turn himself into a white American and calls himself Danny. This act of conforming to the dominant culture and appearance furthers his denial of his Chinese American identity. Even after Jin Wang becomes Danny, his true self still haunts him in the form of his annoying cousin Chin-Kee. Lai-Tsao tells the Monkey King, “return to your true form and you shall be freed,” and both characters return to their original shape and sizes (Yang, 145). Neither of the characters reaches happiness until they return to their true forms and accept themselves for who they are. 

    In the concluding pages of the novel, it becomes clear to both the characters and readers that conforming to be something else will not bring happiness. The only way the characters become happy in the novel is through accepting their identity, whether as a monkey or a Chinese American boy.

Embracing One's Identity

The stories in American Born Chinese follow the perspectives of the Monkey King and Jin Wang. The Monkey King’s tale starts when he tries to enter a party where all the gods and goddesses are invited only to find out that he isn’t on the list. The bouncer turns him away because he’s a monkey and he’s not wearing shoes. This prompts the Monkey King to order all monkeys to wear shoes in an attempt to be like the gods and goddesses. He also believes that his natural smell as a monkey is disgusting, “When he entered his royal chamber, the thick smell of monkey fur greeted him. He’d never noticed it before. He stayed awake for the rest of the night thinking of ways to get rid of it” (Yang 79).

His humiliation has manifested in an oppression against his own kind, to emulate the species that he wants to be like most. The Monkey King then spends 80 days training to be stronger and appear more human. He uses his new powers to intimidate and hurt others. The creator, Tze-Yo-Tzuh, attempts to convince The Monkey King to embrace his monkey identity but his words of wisdom will not reach his brain until 500 years later. The Monkey King betrays himself by trying to be someone else.

Jin’s tale starts when he moves to the suburbs where he can’t find any other Chinese Americans other than Suzy Nakamura, a girl that he doesn’t want to associate with. The kids bully him based on stereotypes like eating dogs and being called a chink, a racist Chinese term. Even Jin’s teachers don’t stop the racism, ““My momma says Chinese people eat dogs.’ ‘Now be nice, Timmy! I’m sure Jin doesn’t do that! In fact, Jin’s family probably stopped that sort of thing as soon as they came to the United States!’” (Yang 31) 

The truth is that Jin didn’t have anyone to fall back on: he was completely isolated from the community. Because of this, he started to internalize their taunts and wanted to be white because white people were accepted and Chinese Americans were tormented. This thought process is what pushed him to want to be Danny, a blonde and white guy. In the end, Jin realizes that it is unfulfilling to be anyone other than himself. In each of these sections, Yang explores the power of self-acceptance and the ability to cherish one’s heritage. 

Color in American Born Chinese

Gene Luen Yang utilizes color in his graphic novel American Born Chinese to emphasize the characters' connections to Chinese culture.

The story of the Monkey King is drawn using ornate details and rich colors, especially gold and red. The brighter colors make the heavens seem more ethereal, at least at face value (Yang 7). By reading the text bubbles, we can see that these gods and goddesses talk very similarly to mortals and do not act as humbly as Tze-Yo-Tzuh would have them act. By coloring these frames brightly, Yang adds an extra dimension to his writing by elevating the heavens' looks without elevating its residents' actions. Yang also uses the color green to signify that the character is an enemy of the Monkey King. When Tze-Yo-Tzuh and Wong Lai-Tsao are introduced, they are wearing red and brown respectively to show that they are not enemies of the Monkey King (77,143). The five pillars of gold are obviously colored gold, which color Yang commonly uses to foreshadow a transformation later in the novel (76ff). As predicted, the pillars are revealed to be Tze-Yo-Tzuh's fingers.

In the story of Jin Wang, Yang begins by using a muted color scheme of mainly pale blues and greens. He only uses gold and red to signify accepting Chinese culture. When Wei-Chen Sun is introduced, he is wearing a yellow shirt and plays with a gold transformer (36ff). The color gold also foreshadows that he will transform later in the novel. Additionally, Wei-Chen Sun eats out of a red bowl and chopsticks (89). Since he has already accepted his Chinese heritage, Wei-Chen is associated with similar colors to the heavens. The only instances that Yang uses the color red within Jin's story are to again draw a connection to Chinese culture. At the Chinese herbalist's shop, Yang colors the abacus and the Chinese-styled bench red (26ff). Jin's transformer is also red to foreshadow how Wei-Chen's and Chin-Kee's transformations are to reveal their true Chinese forms (27). To signify that Jin is becoming more comfortable with his Chinese identity as he enters high school, Yang uses brighter colors. Instead of a pale blue shirt, he wears a bright turquoise shirt, which shows that he is closer to accepting his being Chinese (87). 

In Danny's story, Yang plays with the color of gold. He contrasts the Chinese characters' black hair by coloring each white main character's hair blonde. This is to again show how the Americans see themselves as separate from the Chinese community. Yang again uses gold to show the connection to Chinese culture. Danny's hair is more gold than blonde, especially compared to the other white character's hair, to signify that he is actually Chinese (45). The other character that wears gold is Chin-Kee (48). Unlike the other Chinese characters, he wears gold to foreshadow his transformation and because he has a more direct connection to Chinese culture: he is a disciple of Tze-Yo-Tzuh. 

Transformation is Not All Bad

In Gene Luen Yang’s book, American Born Chinese, three parallel storylines take place. The first the legend of a Monkey King who is not satisfied with being a monkey. Second is about Jin Wang moving to a new school as the only Chinese-American student and his experiences trying to fit in. Lastly is the tale of the all-American boy, Danny, who detests his cousin Chinkee. Each tells a tale of a character who is not happy with who they are. They continue morph into the expectations of others in the hope that they will finally be accepted. However, in the end this fails.

The story of Jin Wang begins with a parable of a young boy whose mother continues to move.  Although seemingly meaningless reading it the first time through, her story attempts to demonstrate the desire of the little boy to assimilate to his environment. When at the market, the boy is bartering with sticks. At the cemetery, he burns incense to dead ancestors. It was not until the family moved to a university where the boy studied that she decided to stay in place (Yang, 23). It is natural for a person to adapt to their environment, but the parable emphasizes the importance of change. The story shows that changing oneself is not always bad, as long as it is for the right reason.

In attempts “to fit in” with those around them, the characters sacrifice their souls, as predicted by the herbalist (Yang, 29). The poor treatment that was so hurtful to them is then transferred onto others. They do not seem to acknowledge this evil until it is forced upon them by others. For instance, the Monkey King was stuck under the rock until he overcame his stubbornness to save his new discipler (Yang, 149). Jin was told by the same Monkey King of how his actions defiled humans so greatly in the eyes of Wei-Chen that he deserts his role and choses a life of greed and pleasure (Yang, 220). In attempts to fit in with those around them, the characters end up hurting those closest to them.

I think it is important for readers to realize that not all change is bad. In the end, Jin does become a transformer. Not only does he transform into Danny, but also back to himself. He has to lose sight of himself to find out who he truly is. If it were not for the characters working so hard to fit in, they may never have realized the value in who they are. Therefore, as the three characters evolve throughout the book, the changes that means the most are the ones at the end where they finally accept their true selves. The Monkey King says it best when he admits, “I would have saved myself from five hundred years of imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey” (Yang, 223).

The Magic of Interwoven Stories

American Born Chinese is told as three different stories that initially appear to not have anything in common between them. The first is portrayed as an old legend about the Monkey King who commits himself to becoming a deity. The second is a more grounded story following a boy named Jin as he struggles with racism (both hostile and seemingly innocent) in his everyday life. The third is framed as a sitcom centered on a white boy named Danny and his "cousin" Chin-Kee, an over-the-top spoof of racist Chinese stereotypes. Despite each of these stories having a premise that seems to be disconnected from the others, they eventually run together to convey a moral about appreciating and accepting oneself as one is. This narrative structure makes subsequent readings of the novel much more fulfilling as readers can more easily pick up on hints throughout the story once the ending is known.

One somewhat subtle hint is how Jin begins styling his hair to try to impress a girl named Amelia. Upon observing one of his classmates appearing it hit it off with Amelia, Jin decides to copy the classmate's haircut (Yang 97-98). While it is not identical, Jin's new hairstyle closely resembles the hairstyle of Danny. For first-time readers, this similarity may be lost or just seem like a coincidence. However, once it is revealed that Danny is just a transformed version of Jin, their haircuts seem less like a coincidence and more like a nod to those who have already read the story once.

Another hint presents itself even earlier in the novel. In the Monkey King's interaction with Tze-Yo-Tzuh, the Monkey King desperately tries to prove that he is more than just a simple monkey. Despite his best efforts, he is thwarted by Tze-Yo-Tzuh at every attempt. In the end, Tze-Yo-Tzuh tells the Monkey King, "A monkey I intended you to be, a monkey you are" (Yang 81). While there are other hints earlier about where the moral of the story is going, this is the clearest statement in support of self-acceptance there is up to this point. This point is further reinforced by the Monkey King himself at the end of the story. Once Danny turns back into Jin, he asks the Monkey King what he should do. The Monkey King responds, "You know, Jin, 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). While the foundation for this piece of wisdom is laid much earlier in the story, it takes a long time for the Monkey King to accept it, and he is able to pass it on to Jin as a result. Although it is clear that Tze-Yo-Tzuh's advice is wise, its overall ramifications aren't clear until the novel reaches its conclusion. In both of these instances, as well as in others, major clues are given about the direction of the story. However, these clues aren't readily apparent until the novel is reflected upon in its entirety.

Danny and Chin-Kee: Two Halves of a Whole

While American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang weaves three different stories, one of these tales particularly caught my attention: the sitcom/nightmare of Danny and Chin-Kee. In these chapters, Yang depicts the trials and tribulations Danny (a young, blonde, American male) faces as he is forced to bring his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee with him to high school. What does this add to the novel as a whole?

To me, the purpose of this relationship is clear: Danny is how Jin sees himself while Chin-Kee is how he believes other people perceive him. While Danny depicts the stereotypical American, Chin-Kee is an amalgamation of all of the stereotypes American people may think about the Chinese. Danny is blonde, white, male, athletic, and generally popular amongst his peers. Chin-Kee is buck-toothed, deeply yellow skinned, and has eyes so slanted they appear closed throughout the course of the novel. Beyond appearances, Chin-Kee also acts out some of these racist stereotypes, such as on pages 120-121 where he says “Me Chinese, me play joke! Me go pee-pee in his coke!” Not only is his accent written to the extreme, he also appears to enjoy playing nasty pranks because, as he says, he’s Chinese. Eventually Chin-Kee’s presence begins to affect Danny negatively as his peers start to avoid him, causing Danny to lash out violently and thus leading to the climax of the novel. In this climax, it's more clearly explained that Danny and Jin are one in the same, emphasizing that Jin believes himself to be the same as the rest of his classmates despite their subtle insistence that he isn't.

The most important aspect of Chin-Kee is that he never leaves Danny’s side, much like how Jin Wang will never be able to separate his Chinese heritage from himself. While Jin can see himself as a typical American, he knows most of his classmates will never be able to see past their racist prejudices, thus making him eternally “other” in their eyes. However, we see by the end of the novel that Jin has learned to stop trying to conform to a mold that he will simply never be able to fit and instead embrace himself. 

Yang's Representation of Internalized Racism

The subplots of the Monkey King and Jin Wang in Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese explore an underlying theme of internalized racism with the main characters rejecting aspects of their identities after facing rejection because of their race. Internalized racism is apparent in these narratives with characters seeing their race as inferior to another and unfounded resentment towards other individuals like them based on race. With all three of the convergent narratives, Yang explores how minority groups might develop an internal resentment toward their identity and how this becomes harmful to themselves and others.

The Monkey King and Jin Wang both experience rejection early in their respective subplots with Jin Wang being bullied based on Chinese stereotypes and the Monkey King being rejected from the heavenly dinner party for being a monkey. These two plots parallel each other with the similar responses of each of these characters to their experience of racial discrimination. The Monkey King projects this racial discrimination on the other monkeys he rules over by forcing them to wear shoes, while also rejecting the label of monkey by anthropomorphizing himself and proclaiming, “The ‘Monkey King’ it speaks of no longer exists” (60). Jin Wang responds similarly by projecting the racist bullying he received as a new student on the new student from Taiwan, Wei-Chen Sun, and internally vocalizing “something made me want to beat him up” (36) upon first seeing Wei-Chen Sun. Of course, in both cases the racism displayed by these characters is not a conscious action, but rather an unconscious response originating from each character’s own resentment towards their identity.

The Chin-Kee subplot is a representation of the internal struggles of Asian Americans, with Danny representing how Asian Americans wish to be perceived, no different than their peers, and Chin-Kee representing the prejudiced ways their peers may perceive them. Since Danny and Chin-Kee are the metaphorical representations of two aspects of an internal conflict, the internalized racism described above is displayed as purely external. Danny, who the reader discovers is a white-presenting Jin Wang, is continually embarrassed and ashamed by his cousin to such an extent that Danny describes how “by the end of the school year… I have to switch schools” (127). If we continue with the interpretation that Chin-Kee represents prejudiced perceptions of Asian Americans, then perhaps this revelation by Danny is a demonstration of how racial discrimination can follow Asian Americans and become so bad it forces them to constantly move. This interpretation provides an explanation of how characters like Jin Wang or the Monkey King become resentful towards their own race because it is misplaced hatred of the discrimination they face for being perceived as different.

Transformer: Lesson in Disguise

Always stay true to who you are. The worst thing you can be is someone other than yourself. That is the lesson that Yang teaches in “American Born Chinese.” The Monkey King helps Jin Wang learn this lesson by the end of the novel; however, Jin Wang was taught this lesson much earlier, he just didn’t know it yet. The herbalist’s wife taught this lesson to Jin Wang early in his story. The herbalist’s wife asked little Jin Wang what he wanted to be when he grew up. With a large grin, Jin Wang responded that he wanted to be a transformer. The herbalist’s wife paused and replied “Trans fo ma?” Her hesitation and the perplexed look on her face is suggestive of what is to come later (Yang 27).

Yang uses foreshadowing to help emphasize this lesson to the reader. Yang uses a lot of foreshadowing in the scene where Jin Wang meets the herbalist’s wife. By bolding certain words, Yang communicates the lesson and its importance to the reader. On page 27, Jin Wang tells the herbalist’s wife he wants to be a transformer when he grows up. Yang bolds “transformer” drawing the reader’s attention to it. On the next page as Jin Wang is describing his toy, Yang bolds the phrases “Robot in disguise” and “More than meets the eye.” Yang carefully designs the text layout and formatting to emphasize the transformer and the lessons behind. It is more than just a toy. The transformer carries an important lesson with it; therefore, Yang ensures the reader focuses on it. By bolding these phrases, Yang helps the reader build the connection between the transformer and the lesson the book is trying to teach.

Even without knowing the whole story, the reader understands the lesson Yang is teaching early on in the book. Throughout the novel, the reader watches Jin Wang come to the same realization when the Monkey King reveals the lesson to him. When Jin Wang learns the lesson, he is again reminded of the transformer. The transformer is an important symbol used to help the lesson be visualized. It also serves as a metaphor for how people change, but one should never stray too far from their true self.

Read Twice to See Just How Much Yang Foreshadows the End

Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese consists of three seemingly unrelated storylines. The first is about a monkey who is different from all the others, the second is about a young American Chinese boy named Jin, and the third is about a white blonde boy named Danny. While all of these stories had their own characters and plots, in the end they all tie together and on the second read, the book actually became more interesting because one could draw connections between the various storylines early on in the book.

The main character in the second storyline is Jin, who struggles with going to a predominantly white school. He only has two friends who are also Asian and is picked on by many of the white students. Jin is particularly aware of his differences from his peers when he develops a crush on a white girl named Amelia. Jin is worried that Amelia likes a white blonde boy named Greg, which makes Jin wish he had blonde hair too as shown in an illustration on page 101. 

While Jin is a Chinese boy with a desire to be more American, Danny, the main character of the third storyline, is an American boy with a desire to escape his Chinese cousin. Danny’s cousin Chin-Kee is portrayed as a stereotypical Chinese boy with buck teeth, long hair, traditional Chinese clothing, who is unable to speak proper English. Chin-Kee embarrasses Danny by eating fried cat, answering every question in class, and peeing in someone’s coke. Danny claims he doesn’t even understand how he is related to Chin-Kee, and the only apparent similarity is pointed out by Melanie when she tells him “[his] teeth kind of buck out a little” (Yang 127). 

For a majority of the novel, the storylines do not crossover with one another, however, on page 195 an illustration shows Jin morphing into Danny. The previous evidence of Jin wishing for blonde hair and Danny having bucked teeth foreshadows the fact that the two characters are actually the same person. This page is extremely important because there is finally some insight as to how the second and third storylines are related. When reading this novel for the first time, this came as quite a shock, however, after reading the novel a second time it is evident that there is a great amount of foreshadowing that shows the plots will all connect in the end.

Christianity in American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang emphasizes the importance of identity. There are many components that make up one’s identity including gender, race, religious affiliation, etc. Despite the fact that this novel tells the story of Chinese characters and is interwoven with aspects Chinese culture, it alludes very strongly to the religion of Christianity, which is not a commonly practiced religion in China. In this blogpost, I will analyze how the characters and storylines in this graphic novel mimic those of The Bible, the sacred book of Christianity and intertwine them with Chinese culture.

The allusions to Christianity are dispersed throughout the novel. A reader who was not raised in Christianity may not pick up on these references, which is why I feel it necessary to point it out. The first allusion to Christianity that I noticed was “after forty days he achieved the four major disciplines of invulnerability.” (Yang, 57). Forty is a famously sacred number in the bible, known for being a period of waiting and preparation. This number is intertwined with Chinese culture in that it takes the Monkey King 40 days to master different disciplines of Kung Fu, which is a Chinese martial art.
Yang’s use of Christianity as a backdrop for his story continues with the introduction of Tze-Yo-Tzuh, who serves as the God figure in this story. He is the ever-present and all-knowing creator– “I was, I am, and I shall for-ever be… I made you with awe and wonder for wonderful are all of my works” (Yang, 80). This passage is almost a direct quote from The Bible. Tze-Yo-Tzuh’s role is to enforce the Monkey King’s true identity on him.

In the second half of the graphic novel, the allusion to Christianity becomes much stronger once the true identity of each character is revealed. Chin-Kee is revealed to be the Monkey King. Danny is revealed to be Jin-Wang, and Wei-Chen is revealed to be the Monkey King’s son. Wei-Chen serves as the Jesus figure, in that he was “asked to live in the moral world for forty years” (Yang, 217) and his duty was to serve Tze-Yo-Tzuh (God). The story ends with Jin-Wang and Wei-Chen reuniting, with Jin-Wang finally accepting his true identity. Despite the frequent references to Christianity, I am unsure of how the ending of the story ties into the Christian themes that pervade the story. Does Jin-Wang accepting his identity in the presence of Wei-Chen represent that we should all accept our identity as the creator has made us? And what is the point of using Christianity in a novel featuring Chinese characters? Is Yang attempting to reconcile the differences between Chinese ethnicity and American nationality (which often includes association with the Christian religion)? These questions are addressed through the intertwined nature of the Christian and Chinese storylines I have mentioned above.

Revealing One's True Form

After reading American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, I became more aware of the struggles that Chinese-Americans endure in today’s society. I have always known the typical stereotypes about Chinese-Americans, but I never truly understood how emotionally challenging it is for them to feel accepted in America until I read this graphic novel. 

I realize now that most Chinese-Americans, especially young students, feel the need to shed their cultural backgrounds in order to fit in amongst their American peers. Yang portrays this attitude within the stories of the Monkey King, Jin Wang, and Chin-Kee. The Monkey King changes himself in order to be accepted by the deities, Jin Wang changes himself in order to be accepted by his classmates, and Danny tries to change Chin-Kee so that he won’t be embarrassed in front of his classmates. All three stories are based on the attitude of changing yourself to feel accepted by others, but they all eventually learn to feel comfortable with their true selves. 

I find the Monkey King’s statement, “you know, Jin, I would have saved myself from five hundred years of imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey,” to be the most illuminating statement within the novel, because it encompasses the main theme of the novel: be accepting of who you are (Yang, 223). The Monkey King alludes to his past mistakes to tell Jin how he will never lead an enjoyable life if he is constantly trying to be someone he is not. 

Yang creatively demonstrates the characters returning to who they really are by revealing their “true form” towards the end of the novel (213). Lai-Tsao tells the Monkey King, “return to your true form and you shall be freed,” the Monkey King reveals Danny’s true form as Jin Wang, and the Monkey King gives his son a transformer as a symbol for him to remember who he truly is (Yang, 145). Even before Jin met the Monkey King, the herbalist gave him some wise words of wisdom while he was playing with his own transformer: “it is easy to become anything you wish…so long as you’re willing to forfeit your soul” (Yang, 29). The herbalist’s lesson was one Jin learned the hard way.

The reoccurring theme of the characters coming into their true being is an important message throughout this graphic novel and has given me a better understanding of what Chinese-Americans go through on a daily basis. Yang is successful in giving his audience deeper insight into the lives of Chinese-Americans, and I can say that I really enjoyed reading American Born Chinese.  

Responding to Visual Racism Visually in "American Born Chinese"

I think choosing to write this particular story through the medium of the graphic novel was a very apt and successful decision, because the nature of racism against Chinese people in America is so utterly visual. We can see that just by looking at the PowerPoint on Canvas, but it’s fairly clear to identify outside of that; the number of racist slurs and ideas referencing “yellow skin” and “narrow eyes” are some of the first to come to mind. A lot of attention is focused on the appearance of Chinese people and how differently they look from white people, and certain icons (noodles, Chinese characters, traditional clothes, etc.) are recurrent in racist ideology against Asians as a whole.

This is why I think showing racism against Chinese people through the format of a graphic novel is especially effective; we’re forced to see and experience that racist imagery to a gratuitous and sometimes gruesome extent through the caricature of Chin-kee, and the ability to contrast that directly with Jin’s storyline and the normalcy of it is all the more hard-hitting when performed visually. It is rather jarring to go from Chin-kee—who is buck-toothed, has veritable slits for eyes, and dresses only in traditional Chinese clothing—to Jin, who looks like an average kid. I’m not sure that a fully written novel, for example, could have conveying this in the same way, or with the same effectiveness; a visual insult requires a visual response, and the conversation surrounding Chinese people in racist lexicon has been largely visual in nature. Reading a novel, we could have compared the difference in lives and, to some extent, appearance, but not in the same visceral, reactionary way possible through the graphic novel. I found myself, along with others I’ve spoken to, feeling genuinely uncomfortable during the Chin-kee segments, because they were so blatantly offensive, vulgar, and in bad taste; but that was the point. A description of this just would not have hit the same, because it wouldn’t have had the same immediate visual power and impact as the graphic novel’s portrayal did.

Aside from that, showcasing race relations/inner turmoil regarding race visually is (perhaps obviously) also more potent than doing so through other methods because race is, whether correctly or not, almost always associated with color. Showing Jin “transforming” into Danny is fundamentally visual even if it signifies something below the surface; people are judged racially based on their appearance, so a written account of this would, again, have lacked key notes that would to facilitate a reaction that would actually mean something to the reader (whether that be a change in perception, shock, etc.).  It just makes sense to do it through a visual medium, and Yang, in my opinion, made the right decision when he chose to follow that course.

As I said earlier, the prejudiced conversation related to Chinese people is a visual one; by following that mode, Yang was able to effectively enter into that conversation with legitimacy and accuracy, speaking a language that both matched and subverted that of the racist ideas he was engaging with.

In Disguise

American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, emphasizes transformation. Transformation is seen by the characters as the key to acceptance into American society. In the first section of the story of Jin Wang, Jin is asked by an herbalist’s wife about what he plans on being when he grows up. Jin replies that he wishes to be a “transformer”. The significance of this dream isn’t evident until the Monkey King, also in disguise, reveals the character of Danny is actually Jin. 

Before Jin becomes Danny, he continuously attempts to fit in with his American classmates, changing his hair and speech. He also tries to instill this conformity with another Asian American, Wei-Chen, telling him, “You’re in America. Speak English” (37). After Jin tells Wei-Chen he’s not worthy of Suzy and justifying his treatment of Wei-Chen, Jin finally becomes like the American children, effectively losing his soul. This allows him to transform into blonde-haired Danny. 

In the story of the Monkey King, he’s not accepted into Heaven. Embarrassed and upset, he works to be worthy of entry and proclaims himself, “The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven” (60). His transformation into different forms does not work, as he is seen only as a monkey and doesn’t accept this fact until he is buried under rocks. The only way out is to transform back to his original monkey form. Once the Monkey King accepts his “true identity”, he serves Tze-Yo-Tzuh and sends his son, Wei-Chen, to live with humans for a test of virtue. Earlier in the graphic novel, Jin talks to Wei-Chen while he is holding a robot that transforms into a monkey. This toy is a symbol of Wei-Chen’s true identity. This detail explains why Wei-Chen, even though there are little moments where he learns how to fit in as an American child, doesn’t place as much pressure on himself to push away his cultural identity. 

After Chin-Kee reveals himself as the Monkey King to Jin, he says he came to “serve as your conscience-a signpost to your soul” (221). The loss of Jin’s soul led to him becoming Danny, and now Jin is supposed to accept himself and change his actions, which he tries to do by speaking with Wei-Chen and visiting the Chinese café. The Monkey King and Jin come to realize changing themselves isn't going to solve their problems, they need to stay true to their souls. 

Fairy Tale or Reality?

Similar to Ragged Dick, American Born Chinese serves not only as a documentary of the subtle racism many Asian-Americans face in the United States, but also as a sort of fairy tale. The stories all have one central character who has a character flaw, or has something that holds them back in life that they must defeat. Throughout the novel there are three different story lines the reader follows: the Monkey King,  Danny, and Jin Wang. 

The Monkey King's story is most apparent to be a fairy tale. The Monkey King is not someone who can be found in the real world, but in the world Gene Yang created the Monkey King rules over his servants on his mountain. He initially is a very benevolent and kind ruler, but when he is denied entry into a party in the heavens for being a monkey, he sets out on a quest to become more powerful than any of the other deities in the heavens. "He locked himself deep down in the inner bowels of his royal chamber, where he studied kung-fu more fervently than ever" (Yang 56). To deal with his newfound insecurity over being a monkey, he sets himself on a path to master every element of kung-fu that he can. He believes that by doing this he will be able to change the way people see him, so they no longer see a monkey, but a great deity. This is very similar to Ragged Dick, in the sense that Dick completely transforms the way people see him throughout the novel. He transitioned from a lowly shoe cleaner on the street with no future to working in an office and owning nice suits at the end of the novel.

The same parallel is evident in Jin Wang's life. He is a Chinese student who moved to the United States and is trying to figure out the social setting but most of the other kids are very mean towards him. They make very rude and racist comments about the way he talks, the food he eats, and the way he dresses. "You're right. I'm getting gook bumps" (Yang 97). The other students did not see him as just another student, but rather as someone from China. This made him different, and thus an easy target to pick on. Jin does not transform himself, but rather tries to fade into the background and not stand out. In the end of the novel, there is no conclusion on if Jin determines a way to shift people's perception of him, but he does reconcile his friendship with Wei-Chin. I believe that him rekindling their relationship shows that he has transformed his views on being from China, and now is not ashamed but proud of where he comes from.

Biblical Messages in American Born Chinese

            While reading American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, I was reminded of Romans 12:2. In the English Standard Version of the Bible, this verse says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Given the clear Christian influences present in this graphic novel, I find that this verse conveys the message Yang hopes young people will get from reading his novel. Yang wants young people to follow the will of God, not the misguided will of oneself or the wills of others. Yang accomplishes this through the parallel storylines of the Monkey King and Jin Wang.

            Initially, both Jin Wang and the Monkey King want to be something they are not. Jin Wang wants to be an all-American-boy, and the Monkey King wants to be The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. In fact, both characters insist that they have achieved these goals and seek the acceptance of others. They create their own ideas of what is good and acceptable. Both characters are following goals they have set for themselves, are transformed into what they wish to be, and subsequently lose their souls.

The moment Jin Wang loses his soul is the moment he convinces himself that Wei-Chen is not “right” or “worthy” of Suzy because he is too attached to his heritage (191). In contrast, Jin Wang convinces himself he is worthy by refusing to speak Chinese and curling his hair: attempts at conforming to American culture. Similarly, the Monkey King turns his back on his people by insisting that they wear shoes after being rejected from dinner with the gods, and he continues to train himself (55). At these points, both characters give up their souls to be what they want to be, but not what Tze-Yo-Tzuh, the God figure, intends them to be. When Jin Wang and the Monkey King give up their souls, they are conforming to the world and losing sight of what God intends for them.

Later in the novel, the reader sees that the Monkey King recovers his soul after accepting Tze-Yo-Tzuh’s path for him and becoming a disciple to Wong-Lai-Tsao. Similarly, Jin Wang requires someone to help him discern the will of God. After being transformed into Danny and experiencing the embarrassment of Chin Kee for years, the Monkey King reveals himself to Jin Wang as his “conscience—a signpost to [his] soul” (221). Chin Kee is the culmination of the taunts and stereotypes thrown at Jin Wang throughout his life. He represents everything he hates about himself and his heritage as a result of other people’s prejudices and his lack of self-acceptance.

Because of the Monkey King’s guidance, Jin Wang realizes that being yourself, accepting yourself, and accepting others without judgement is the will of his creator. When trying to become who you want to be, you lose the very essence of yourself and transform into a terrible person, the kind of person your old self would simultaneously love and hate. The Monkey King could have saved himself from years of torture “had [he] only realized how good it is to be a monkey (223). The same goes for all who seek to be anyone but themselves.

The Use of Angle Brackets (< >) in American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, follows the plotlines of three distinct protagonists: The fable-like Monkey King, Chinese-American Jin Wang, and the all-American boy Danny. It becomes clear fairly early on that Jin Wang’s storyline is meant to be the most realistic and relatable, as this young boy navigates the way in which his heritage affects his life at school.  Something that can be noticed from the beginning of the book is the use of angle brackets, or “< >”.  As the reader becomes more familiar with the story, it becomes clear that these brackets are meant to denote when the speaker in Jin Wang’s story is speaking in Chinese, rather than in English. While a clever and quick way to denote this change in speech while still having the book be readable for non-Chinese speakers, the use of these brackets has several ways of adding dimension to the plot.

In the beginning of Jin’s story he is living in an apartment complex near San Francisco Chinatown, where most of the people in his building have Chinese heritage and don’t use a lot of English. At this point, Jin primarily speaks in Chinese, except when talking about his favorite American TV show, Transformers. As the story continues on and Jin begins to assimilate with American culture, he refuses to speak in Chinese at all, even when his Taiwanese classmate, Wei-Chen, seeks his friendship as another Asian-American student. When Wei-Chen approaches Jin speaking Chinese, Jin responds, “You’re in America. Speak English” (37). From then on, Wei-Chen only speaks in English, even though his grammar and word choices tend to be a bit off.

It’s not until near the end of the novel that Wei-Chen finally again speaks in Chinese, and only after Jin breaks his trust by kissing his girlfriend. His anger seems to break his resolve to make Jin feel comfortable, and his entire lecture is in the language that he knows Jin is embarrassed by (189-191). Even through this whole fight, Jin refuses to speak in Chinese. At this point, the reader has to wonder whether Jin only speaks in English out of pure stubbornness, or maybe because he doesn’t know it as well anymore from lack of use?

The latter seems to be true as the reader reaches the very end of the graphic novel. At this point, the Monkey King has given Jin a card for a restaurant where he will find Wei-Chen. Jin is approached by a waitress speaking in Chinese, asking what he wants to order. He points to something on the menu, to which she responds, “That’s not a dish. That says, ‘cash only’” (226). This interaction proves that, in a way, Jin got what he wanted; he has assimilated so fully that he barely remembers the language that he grew up speaking as a kid. This goes to show that while the angle brackets are a small piece of this novel, moments like these can provide additional elements that add a whole new dimension and meaning to the story.