Hi friends! I’m delighted to share with you my stop on a tour of the world in 30 diverse books. This blog tour is hosted by Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den in support of her local public library’s Diverse Book Drive.
About the CCPL: The CCPL is a small, rural library in an area with a high poverty rate and a very homogeneous population, where people rarely have the means to travel or experience new perspectives. The library doesn’t believe that should stop people from learning more about the world around them, however, so they’re running a Diverse Book Drive through the month of September in an attempt to bring the rest of the world to the county instead. With a focus on MG and YA books, the CCPL aims to expose especially its young patrons to new and diverse perspectives and cultures.
For my post, I’m sharing about Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese. This book is near and dear to my heart because it captured many of my experiences growing up as an ABC. Afterwards, I will share ways that you can support the CCPL’s Diverse Book Drive.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Published by First Second on September 5, 2006
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Young Adult
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Jin Wang, Danny, and the Monkey King seem to live different lives. Jin Wang, the lone Chinese American student at his new school, only wants to fit in—and win the heart of an all-American girl. The Monkey King, the most powerful monkey on earth, wants to be more than a monkey; he wants to be hailed as a god. Danny, a popular kid at school, wants to escape the shame of his cousin, Chin-Kee, who embodies the ultimate negative Chinese stereotypes.
Jin, Danny, and the Monkey King seem to live different lives. What they have in common: each wants to fit into the dominant culture. As their stories come together, they learn to embrace their heritage.
American Born Chinese captures the struggles of children born into the Chinese diaspora. Like Jin, I was born to immigrant parents. Growing up in America, I felt like I lived two lives, one at school and one at home. None of the books I read featured people who looked like me. If I ever questioned it, I can’t remember; it’s hard to miss something that you don’t have. Looking back at the lack of works featuring Chinese characters and the lack of works written by Chinese authors made available to me, I feel invisible. (Even today, with the growing influx of works by Asian authors, various Eastern cultures are still grouped together under the larger umbrella of “Asian” because of the lack of sufficient representation. But the growing awareness of the need for diverse books gives me hope.)
The result: A disconnect with my relatives across the Pacific Ocean. A disinterest in my cultural heritage. A callous attitude towards my identity as an ABC.
My second-grade teacher instructed us weekly to write a story incorporating the week’s vocabulary. I wrote about animals or white people. Only one of my stories featured an Asian protagonist—and only because the assignment required me to write about a grandparent. Because the books available to me, through school and bookstores, featured white protagonists and Western values, I never thought to write stories about characters that looked like me. Such stories did not exist. In fact, a few years later, I would write a semi-autobiographical story about a white boy and his dog (because I was familiar with stories about white boys and their dogs, but none about a Chinese girl or her dog). It would take going-on twenty years after that story about my grandfather for me to write another a story with Asian characters. This time of my own volition.
American Born Chinese made me feel seen. In this book, Gene Luen Yang captures the American Born Chinese experience—the sense of having two separate lives, the one at home and the one at school, the feeling that one doesn’t entirely belong in either culture. And the struggle to build an identity that respects both cultures, both parts of oneself.
We need books like American Born Chinese because it normalizes the ABC experience. It confirms that the struggles of ABCs are real and that it’s okay. It’s okay to want to belong. It’s okay to reject being “too Chinese,” to want to assimilate to the dominant culture. It’s okay to feel like we need prove ourselves, to feel like everyone is judging us, expecting more of us, because we’re different. These are normal feelings that come with the growing-up experience. We’re not abnormal or unfilial for feeling this way.
The hope: We don’t have to live this way or feel this way; at least, not forever. We can be both American and Chinese.
Some Takeaways from American Born Chinese
- First and foremost, it’s an enjoyable coming-of-age story. The three storylines are interwoven beautifully and come together in an unexpected, yet natural way.
- Children of immigrant parents don’t have to reject one culture to elevate the other. As an ABC, I have the struggles of living in two worlds, but I also have the best of both worlds.
- The same goes for artists and creators. While I’m still working through what it means to be a POC writer, I know that anything I write will necessarily draw from a blended culture.
- While there are commonalities to the ABC experience, each person is a unique individual and should be valued as such.
- Our words and actions have a powerful effect on people—in good ways and in hurtful ways.
- When people feel seen and understood, they’ll be empowered to be themselves. (At least, they’ll be able to take a step in the right direction, as we see at the end of American Born Chinese.)
ABOUT THE BLOG TOUR
Tour the World in 30 Books is a blog tour focused on introducing readers to our favorite diverse books. It’s in conjunction with a Diverse Book Drive hosted by the CCPL—a small, rural library in an area with a high poverty rate and a very homogeneous population, where people rarely have the means to travel or experience new perspectives. However, the library doesn’t believe that should stop people from learning more about the world around them, so they’re running a Diverse Book Drive through the month of September in an attempt to bring the rest of the world to the county instead. With a focus on MG and YA books, the CCPL aims to expose especially its young patrons to new and diverse perspectives and cultures.
SUPPORT THE BOOK DRIVE
Blog Tour Wishlists
Hardbacks are preferred but not required. If you order something from the Book Shop wishlist, please DM @srbetler on Twitter or email sammie@thebookwyrmsden.com, because the site might not automatically remove books from the wish list.
More Ways to Donate
- Purchase a book off the CCPL’s general Amazon wish list.
- Send the CCPL a monetary donation via PayPal to orders@caseylibrary.org.
- Send donations of new or gently used books to:
Sammie Betler
Casey County Public Library
238 Middleburg St.
Liberty, KY 42539
Donations are used at the discretion of the library.
FOLLOW THE TOUR
September 1: Sammie @ The Bookwyrm’s Den – Introduction, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears || Leelynn @ Sometimes Leelynn Reads – Dating Makes Perfect
September 2: Lauren @ Always Me – The Epic Crush of Genie Lo
September 3: Toya @ The Reading Chemist – Felix Ever After
September 4: Michelle @ Carry A Big Book – Sharks in the Time of Saviors
September 5: Shenwei @ READING (AS)(I)AN (AM)ERICA – The Astonishing Color of After
September 6: Maria @ A Daughter of Parchment and Paper – Patron Saints of Nothing
September 7: Bri @ Bri’s Book Nook – True Friends (Carmen Browne)
September 8: Bec @ bec&books – Lobizona || Jorie @ Jorie Loves A Story – diverse TTT
September 9: Sienna @ Daydreaming Book Lover – Loveless
September 10: Kerri @ Kerri McBookNerd – Raybearer
September 11: Noly @ The Artsy Reader – The Name Jar
September 12: Jacob @ The Writer’s Alley – Forest of Souls
September 13: Keri @ Are You My Book – The Tea Dragon Society
September 14: Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight – The Space Between Worlds
September 15: Melissa @ Ramblings of a Jedi Librarian– Girl in Translation
September 16: Livy @ Shelves of Starlight – Clap When You Land
September 17: Crystal @ Lost in Storyland – American Born Chinese
September 18: Lili @ Lili’s Blissful Pages – A Wish in the Dark
September 19: Leslie @ Books Are The New Black – The Poppy War
September 20: Noura @ The Perks of Being Noura – Love From A to Z
September 21: Crini @ Crini’s – A Pale Light in the Black
September 22: Rachelle @ Rae’s Reads and Reviews – Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
September 23: Dini @ DiniPandaReads – Wicked As You Wish
September 24: Madeline @ Mad’s Books – Spin the Dawn
September 25: Tessa @ Narratess – Brace Yourself
September 26: Kimberly @ My Bookish Bliss – Truly Madly Royally
September 27: Rena @ Bookflirting 101 – Anna K: A Love Story
September 28: Susan @ Novel Lives – Burn the Dark
September 29: Arina @ The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy – A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
September 30: Maya @ http://mybookishbliss.com/ – Jackpot
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
I’m glad that this book resonated with you so deeply and that you were able to identify with the main character’s experience. I agree that this is the very reason that we need a whole array of diverse books!
Crystal (Kester) says
Yes, this is why we need an array of diverse books!