American Born

Chinese
American Born Chinese
By Gene Luen Yang

Digital copy
Get a copy of American
Born Chinese and
write your name in it.
● Create an ABC Folder
● Create an ABC Notes doc (or
use a notebook)
● Let’s learn about the author.
About the author
Brief Biography of Gene Luen Yang
Yang’s parents, like Jin’s in the novel, emigrated to the United States as college students and met in the San Jose
State University library during their time in graduate school (though Yang draws on details like this from his own
family history, American Born Chinese isn’t autobiographical).

His parents encouraged him to get a college degree in something practical, despite Yang’s intense love of comics
and his desire to be an animator for Disney. He received a degree in computer science from the University of
California, Berkeley. Though Yang worked as a computer engineer for several years, he ultimately decided that
teaching was his calling and began teaching computer science to high school students.

In the mid-1990s, he began self-publishing his own comics, all of which were well-received. Though American Born
Chinese is his most famous work, he also wrote the series Avatar: The Last Airbender for Dark Horse Comics, as well
as a Chinese character featured in DC Comics’ New Superman.

Yang is vocal about the educational value of comics and graphic novels. During his master’s degree, he created an
online comic to teach students math. American Born Chinese is also influenced greatly by Yang’s Christian beliefs,
which manifest as the very Christian God-like figure of Tze-Yo-Tzuh.
Historical Context of American Born Chinese
American Born Chinese draws from the long history of racism and discrimination against Chinese immigrants in the
United States.

The first major influx of Chinese immigrants occurred during the California Gold Rush beginning in 1848. As the U.S.
entered an economic recession in the years after, racial animosity increased. After several massacres of Chinese miners,
which were incited in part by the perception that Chinese immigrants had jobs when white Americans didn’t, the U.S.
passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned Chinese immigration almost entirely. Feeding this was the rise
of “Yellow Peril,” or the fear of white westerners that Asian people were an existential threat to Western culture. The
imagery of political cartoons from this time period is the basis for the character Chin-Kee in American Born Chinese—
many 19th-century anti-Asian cartoons featured Chinese characters in traditional Chinese dress, with exaggerated
features and a long queue like Chin-Kee’s.

This racist image persists today, especially in American popular culture. There are several more recent pop culture
happenings in the novel, and commentators and analysts insist that this has embodied negative stereotypes against
Asian people.
Writing: Food for thought

1. We will take a look together at these slides and pose some

questions for discussion.

2. After discussing each of the statements, choose one to write a

free write entry.
Structure: The three stories of the novel
In 2006, Yang published American Born Chinese, a graphic
narrative comprised of three storylines that eventually unite.
● The Story of the Monkey King: The Monkey King, or Sūn Wùkōng, is a character in an
extremely important Chinese novel, The Journey to the West. The Monkey King presents the most cunning in battle and
the most weaponry, including the ability to transform himself 72 ways.

● The Story of Jin Wang: Jin’s status as an ABC, or American Born Chinese, refers to the fact
that his parents are immigrants. Jin lives in San Francisco’s Chinatown. However, when his parents are able to
afford a home in the suburbs, Jin is ill-prepared for the identity crisis that will ensue. In addition to struggling with
others’ prejudice, he has to struggle with his own insecurities.

● The Story of Chin-Kee: Sitcom-like structure, as popular, where “normal” Danny contends with
the annual visits of his Chinese cousin Chin-kee. Chin-kee is the embodiment of every stereotype that many Americans
hold regarding persons of Chinese nationality or descent.
3-Part Structure
• Monkey King, a character from
Chinese folk tales
• Jin Wang, an Asian American
student at a predominantly
white school
• Chin-Kee, a caricature of Asian
stereotypes
About the Novel
• National Book Awards finalist (2006)
• Michael L. Printz Award Winner (2007)
• Eisner Award for Best Graphic Novel
(2007)
• First Graphic Novel Recognized by the
National Book Foundation
Are Graphics Novels comic books?
Graphic novel conventions
Can you name
conventions you already
know which are specific
to Graphic novels?
 Chapter 1

Instructions:
1. We will read the first chapter
together.
2. You will then get in groups of
three or four students.
3. You will divide and conquer
the questions, but all the
answers must be entered in
your notes.
Chapter 2- Socratic seminar style discussion
1. Get in groups of three

2. Take turns reading the chapter to each other out loud. Make sure you use
sounds too!

3. As you read, use post it notes to mark specific comments:

A Question you might have

A comment/observation

A quote which is important

We will get into Socratic Seminar style circle and have a session.
 Listening Practice
Watch the brief clip from Never Have I
Ever (25:20)
● Context
● What do her friends say to her to encourage
her?
● What do you notice about the ethnicities of
the characters?
● How does this fit in to your understanding of
students in an American high school?
 American Born Chinese Ch 3
Everyone Ruvs Chin-kee 43
43 Racist stereotypes
45 Sexual innuendo
46-7 Cousin--not close relative
Symbol: Chinese-American
48 Ridicule, stereotype, out of place
Sit-com scenario. Audience
49 “Asia” references in language. What a simile!
50 Threat, repulsive. How are all narratives connected?
 Chapters 3
I will read chapter 3 and you will write using some sentence starters in three post it
notes

I see…

I wonder….

I think…..

Now that we have read the three first chapters (each of the three stories in the novel),
let’s think about the CONFLICT. Write a journal response.
American Born Graphic Novel Terms Review

Chinese 1. What is a panel?

2. What is a caption?
3. What is the space between
panels called?
4. What it is a larger panel called?
5. What is another way to say a
thought bubble?
6. What is graphic weight?
 Chapter 4
You read independently, make a copy and the complete this chart

Chapters 3 and 4 activity

Choice
Choose six difficult questions.

1. Work with me to answer the questions.

2. Work in partners. Divide up the questions.
3. Work in a group of four. Divide up the questions.
Chapter 5: Reading
What did you notice about how meaning is being
created?
● Theme
● Humor
● Character development
● Plot
● Images

Choose one of these concepts and write for 10 minutes straight

about it in your journal.
American Born Chinese Ch 5

IOA Practice on Flipgrid

● Make a two-minute video on Flipgrid
where you discuss one element: plot,
characters, theme, humor or image.

● IOA Criteria.
American Born Chinese
● What is the reason that Yang was mean
to another kid at camp?
● Can you think of a similar occurrence on
the novel?
 Chapter 6

Read the chapter in your group

Take a look at the questions and discuss them

Prepare for a circle time session. Try to bring new ideas to discuss.
Journal entry: Themes and Course themes
Let’s create a list together, of at least three most relevant topics in the novel.

1. Friendship
2. Identity
3. Transformation
4. Discrimination/stereotyping
5. Youth issues: coming of age

Then, complete the following statements: “The author believes

That…” and then think of examples in the novel.

What course themes can you relate them to?

1.Identity 3. Social Organization

2. Experiences
Ideas to tie themes to: Journal entry

● Identities: How do others influence our identity?

● Experiences: How does our culture affect our worldview?

● Social Organization: How does one’s status influence their

relationships with others?
Can you recognize the themes mentioned in this video?
We will answer the Questions as we watch.
Chapter 7: the parable
1. Imagine you get this page from

Your teachers: What could you say?

Get in groups of three and annotate the

Panel.

2. What is the parable of the Monkey

King trying to convey to the readers?

What is the message?

 Characterization
Stock characters (flat) Say
Caricatures Think
Round characters Effect
Dynamic
Action
Looks
Static characters
 Character--How can we understand each
character?
S
STEAL
Say. What does the character’s words tell us about the character?

T Think. What does the character’s thoughts tell us about the character?

E Effect on others. What is the effect the character has on other

characters?

A Action. What do the character’s actions tell us about the character?

L Looks. What does the character’s appearance tell us about the

character?
Let’s try with this
Character: The
teacher
Chapter
8
Caricature characters

Chin-Kee: She Bangs! (chapter 9)

What other types of characters can you identify in the Graphic

Novel?
 Controversy: How appropriate is this?

⚫ In addition to
winning the
Printz award for
Young Adult
Literature,
American Born
Chinese has
garnered both
praise and
controversy.
⚫She bangs
Quotes from the author…
⚫ "I do get some reactions to the Cousin Chin-Kee that worry me a little bit.
There's some people that come up and tell me, 'He's so cute, so funny,
endearing.' That's definitely not what I was going for"
⚫ Yang believes that most people understood the purpose of a character like
Chin-Kee — acting as the juxtaposition against his popular, assimilated
cousin.

⚫ "I think the vast majority of the responses are positive, but I have had some
Asian-Americans and come up and tell me I was perpetuating the
stereotype by explicitly showing it"

So, Let’s see your take on it once you read the novel…
Chapter 9
questions
Make your own character chart and how they all
relate
characters
Plot
 Imagery, metaphor, irony?
Thick smell of monkey fur Laugh, clap

The take out Chinese food boxes Little turtle

Teacher comments introducing Jin Hair as broccoli

The sound of the abacus Jin’s dad’s thick glasses

Symbols and motif
And of course… Disney!

https://tvline.com/2022/09/10/american-born-chinese-trailer-disne
y-plus-michelle-yeoh/