Even before I read this blog, I was familiar with who Gene Yang was. This semester I am taking ETS 182, which is Asian American Literature. On one of the first days my professor showed us one of Gene Yang's graphic novels call "American Born Chinese" (pictured on right). I loved reading the graphic novel in class because everyone in the class got to act out a different character, but at the same time we were learning about outright as well as subliminal racism.
"American Born Chinese" is about a Euro-American boy named Danny who has his Chinese cousin come to live with him. The story is very funny, incorporating Chinese stereotypes like knowledge of kung-foo, cat eating, and incorrect usage of l's and r's cover every page. In my opinion, Yang incorporated these stereotypes to draw direct attention to the problems and misconceptions many Americans have about Asians. I think he accomplishes his goal very well because he addresses a pressing issue in a fun and educational way that can be read by all ages
1 comment:
Stephanie...it would be a great idea to act out age-appropriate graphic novels in your elementary classroom! I loved "American Born Chinese" too.
12 points
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