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By Gene Luen Yang<\/strong> & Lark Pien<\/strong> (First Second – an imprint of Roaring Book Press) A wondrous breakthrough and colossal gamechanger on its debut, here’s a quick tip of the hat to a modern masterpiece to celebrate the rather unwieldy but long overdue Asian Pacific American Heritage month.<\/p>\n An allegorical exploration of growing up visibly foreign in an often ignorant and unforgiving culture, Yang’s opus (coloured by Lark Pien and available in paperback and digital editions) braids three apparently separate tales of American Asian’s adolescent experience into a tapestry of wonder and revelation.<\/p>\n It begins as a witty reimagining of stories about Sun Wukong<\/em>, the Monkey King of classical Eastern fiction and mythology. His bold exploits are flawlessly blended with two parallel storylines about Chinese Americans attempting to fit into the culture of what used to be called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The New World\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and apparently is still regarded as such by many other parts of the globe. The result of such attempts is, of course, always something new and different, but why does getting there always have to be such a titanic struggle?<\/p>\n Jin Jang<\/em> spent his formative years in the securely cosmopolitan enclave of San Francisco’s Chinatown before his family moved to the woefully provincial, inescapably European-descended suburbs. When his previously all-white High School offers an unofficial extracurricular course in sustained bullying and abuse, his miserable life changes with the late arrival of another kid like him – Taiwanese Wei-Chen Sun<\/em>: but not in a way you’d hope or expect\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Jin’s experiences growing in this environment form a counterpoint to bright, vibrant reinterpretations of Monkey’s greatest exploits while a third strand features the struggles of all-American White boy Danny<\/em> who is perpetually embarrassed by the grotesque living racial stereotype that is his obnoxious cousin Chin<\/em>–Kee<\/em> (sound it out\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 get it?)\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n How these three elements seamlessly blend into a modern fantasy with a spectacular climax is a marvel you must not miss.<\/p>\n Pitilessly probing the experience of growing up foreign in your own country makes for a singular reading experience, but one that can surprisingly be enjoyed by all ages, although you should be aware that racial issues are dealt with head-on, and some images might appear offensive unless you’re actually paying attention.<\/p>\n Fifteen years on, American Born Chinese<\/strong> is a lauded, multi award-winning classic and remains a totally captivating breakthrough tale of adversity, diversity, acceptance and assimilation. It’s also a thrilling, deeply moving, funny and engaging read you will be infinitely enriched by. By Gene Luen Yang & Lark Pien (First Second – an imprint of Roaring Book Press) ISBN: 978-1-59643-152-2 (TPB) 978-0-60614-484-1 (Turtleback Books PB) A wondrous breakthrough and colossal gamechanger on its debut, here’s a quick tip of the hat to a modern masterpiece to celebrate the rather unwieldy but long overdue Asian Pacific American Heritage … <\/p>\n
\nISBN: 978-1-59643-152-2 (TPB) 978-0-60614-484-1 (Turtleback Books PB)<\/p>\n
\n\u00c2\u00a9 2006 Gene Yang. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"