The importance of identity is so prevalent and relatable in today’s young adult and children’s stories. More importantly is the significance of being faithful to one’s own identity, and how at times one may betray that faith leading to deception as well. Yang’s American Born Chinese, Aesop’s Fables, “The Kites and the Swans”, and “The Crow and the Raven”, paint a message that one can easily deceive and betray their true identity, and although the path to redemption is difficult in some cases it is possible. In Yang’s American Born Chinese Jin who is a young boy from San Francisco, moves to another city and gets mocked by other children because he is Chinese. As a result of the racism that he faces, Jin forces himself to believe he is American
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In this young adult book, the theme of racism is quite prevalent, and Yang tries to put the readers in Jin’s shoes and make the audience understand that the choices he made were wrong and immoral, and they should learn from his negative actions. Yang tries to display the message that one should not try to pursue an artificial desire to be someone else and one should not betray their true identity to simply please others, or even have a false deception of them self. Aesop portrays a similar message in his fable “The Kites and The Swans” where animals portray human like instincts in which in this case the Swans don’t appreciate what they have and want something else, something better. For example, in the fable it states that, “ The kites of olden times, as well as the Swans, had the privilege But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted with the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to sing.”(Aesop, The Kites and The Swans) This fable portrays a similar message in the sense that the Swan’s true identity was the privilege to sing, but not happy with what they had, it betrayed its identity as …show more content…
In Jin’s eyes Win Chen an Asian guy dating an Asian girl Suzy was such a F.O.B. thing to do so naturally the girl he chose to like was American. It isn’t a coincidence Win Chen who is comfortable with who he is and his inner identity doesn’t mind dating an Asian girl unlike Jin who practically despises being an Asian likes am American girl. Just for her, he attempted to change his hairstyle like his American classmate Greg to attract the girl he liked, Amelia. He misled himself enough that if he was and acted like a F.O.B. like his friend Win Chen, then Amelia wouldn’t like him at all. He made an assumption that because she is American, she won’t like Asian people like him which on the other hand his other classmates carried that assumption through. For example his friend Win Chen and Suzy shocked at the change said, “Why is your hair-mmph." "Nothing nice perm!" "Be nice! He's your best friend!" "Why is his hair a broccoli?!” (Yang pg. 98) Jin choose the negative conformity of being American over being natural and proud like his friends. Jin truly transforms himself in his entirety when he so deeply believes that he is an American and at this point probably only an American, he actually becomes one in full body form. Jin thinks to himself that, “Each time I reached the same
In this young adult book, the theme of racism is quite prevalent, and Yang tries to put the readers in Jin’s shoes and make the audience understand that the choices he made were wrong and immoral, and they should learn from his negative actions. Yang tries to display the message that one should not try to pursue an artificial desire to be someone else and one should not betray their true identity to simply please others, or even have a false deception of them self. Aesop portrays a similar message in his fable “The Kites and The Swans” where animals portray human like instincts in which in this case the Swans don’t appreciate what they have and want something else, something better. For example, in the fable it states that, “ The kites of olden times, as well as the Swans, had the privilege But having heard the neigh of the horse, they were so enchanted with the sound, that they tried to imitate it; and, in trying to neigh, they forgot how to sing.”(Aesop, The Kites and The Swans) This fable portrays a similar message in the sense that the Swan’s true identity was the privilege to sing, but not happy with what they had, it betrayed its identity as …show more content…
In Jin’s eyes Win Chen an Asian guy dating an Asian girl Suzy was such a F.O.B. thing to do so naturally the girl he chose to like was American. It isn’t a coincidence Win Chen who is comfortable with who he is and his inner identity doesn’t mind dating an Asian girl unlike Jin who practically despises being an Asian likes am American girl. Just for her, he attempted to change his hairstyle like his American classmate Greg to attract the girl he liked, Amelia. He misled himself enough that if he was and acted like a F.O.B. like his friend Win Chen, then Amelia wouldn’t like him at all. He made an assumption that because she is American, she won’t like Asian people like him which on the other hand his other classmates carried that assumption through. For example his friend Win Chen and Suzy shocked at the change said, “Why is your hair-mmph." "Nothing nice perm!" "Be nice! He's your best friend!" "Why is his hair a broccoli?!” (Yang pg. 98) Jin choose the negative conformity of being American over being natural and proud like his friends. Jin truly transforms himself in his entirety when he so deeply believes that he is an American and at this point probably only an American, he actually becomes one in full body form. Jin thinks to himself that, “Each time I reached the same