BookReviewofAmericanBornChinese

__American Born Chinese__ and Perspectives of Racism The book, __American Born Chinese__, by Gene Yang, is an adventure fantasy graphic novel in which the subject of racism predominates. There are many racist references in the book that leave you occasionally unsettled. To further keep your interest in the story, the book changes stories every chapter. The narrative begins with the story of the Monkey King, then moves to the story of Jin, and finally to the story of Danny and Chin-kee. The Monkey King’s story develops as a tale of the struggles and self realization involved in racism. The main character, the Monkey King, starts out as a success in the monkey world and then encounters great disrespect from outside of his reign. It changes him, and not for the better. He bristles at not being allowed into a party because he’s not wearing shoes; monkeys do not wear shoes. He is not let in because he is a monkey. As a result, he becomes selfish and melancholy. The second story is of Jin, an Asian-American. His story is contemporary. Jin grows up in Chinatown and then moves out of his cultural area. When he is in sixth grade, he encounters blatant racism and reacts by becoming insecure about social relationships. Will he “be allowed” to date Caucasian girls? He wishes he could fit in better. The final story involves Chin-kee, who, from his name to his actions, is one big racial stereotype. It seems that on every other page there is some upsetting and shocking racist joke supplied by Chin-kee. What is upsetting to everyone around him is that it is his entire identity. I do believe that this is a good book to learn about racism in an entertaining yet strange way. The world isn’t perfect for every race and I do believe that this book shows that wonderfully without being too hard on “the world.” Every time a racist joke came up I learned more and more about the wretched thing. Racism is as inappropriate today as it has always been but it seems to be a part of us. I think most people who want to view racism from a variety of angles should read this book. I know it enlightened me.
 * //This is my book review of __American Born Chinese.__//**