American Born Chinese

I know that graphic novels are a relatively new and popular genre for young adults. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is the first graphic novel that I have read. To be honest, I think it may be my last. Though an interesting and engaging story, I found the illustrations distracting. However, I would imagine that young students today might think differently.
I know that it all wrapped up in the end, but the disjointed stories were distracting. The monkey stories were especially confusing to me. I also didn’t care for some of the crude behaviors and violence that were portrayed.
The book would have merit if one was able to get through the form and understand the message. The ending was quite a surprise. It was clever how the different stories came together, imitating that in life no one person is an island onto themselves. We are all interconnected some way. Ultimately, the overall theme of staying true to oneself is threaded throughout.
I think the storyline that confused me the most was the one with the Chinese cousin Chin-Kee. For one, I couldn’t understand the family connection – then I thought perhaps that was the point; that families come in all shapes and sizes. I was also disturbed by the characterization of Chin-Kee. The outlandish stereotyping of the cartoon made me uncomfortable. But in the end wouldn’t it be great if people all felt uncomfortable when they stereotyped and made fun of others – perhaps then it would cease.
I’m glad the book ended the way it did by pulling all of the stories together. While I did not enjoy reading it from the beginning, it did make me think when I got to the ending. I would be concerned that students might get confused and give up, never making it to the end where the moral is unveiled. For American Born Chinese is a fable, teaching the reader the lesson of staying true to oneself. Perhaps if students told to look for the moral, they would successfully complete the story. While not my favorite genre, I can see how this book would have merit in a middle school classroom.