American Born Chinese Analysis

Chinese have been impertinently stereotyped for centuries. Although they are not being treated as wrongfully as they were during the 1900’s, Asian-Americans continue to be embarrassed by these damaging labels. Gene Luen Yang author of American Born Chinese, effectively demonstrates how powerful the burden of racial stereotypes are by the way he carries out the character, Chin-Kee. The graphic novel published in 2006 speaks of the endeavoring changes in identity both physical and cultural as well as how harmful labels are. The graphic novel is mostly intended for scholars and young adults. One of the three divisions in the graphic novel is based on a high school student by the name of Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee. Furthermore, the author portrays the character Chin-Kee with yellow skin, traditional Chinese attire, and his choice of cuisine is that of a stereotypical Chinese.
. In the graphic novel, Yang lawfully chooses to introduce Chin-Kee with all the stereotypes forced upon Chinese by the American culture. The primary feature that stands out in this division when reading the graphic novel is his yellow skin tone. One of the stereotypes used by many Americans is that Asians are perceived to have yellow skin. In portraying the character in this way Yang is demonstrating …show more content…
Yang chose to dress Chin-kee in traditional Chinese clothing. Chinese and American-Chinese do not wear traditional attire on their day to day lives. They may on certain occasions wear this attire although many Chinese-Americans don’t wear it at all. To assume all Chinese and their decedents dress in this manner is insolent and to picture them always in this form is indecorous. The reason why Yang chooses to dress his character this way is purely overstressing his perspective of stereotyping Asians. He wants to demonstrate to the reader that labeling Asians is a serious matter that needs to be ended (Yang,