Racism and Racial Identity in the Graphic Novel American Born Chinese

Every leaf that ever falls from the tree is different and unique just like our identity. The difference is what makes everyone beautiful. Everyone is unique because of their values, religion, culture, thoughts, and beliefs. In Kenji Yoshino’s essay, Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights covering is described as a way of assimilation into the melting pot. It is also a threat to self-respect. Yoshino a Japanese American struggles to keep his identity as Japanese and as American. He eventually covered his Japanese identity to fit into American society. Even if the covering is relevant to American society it is not relevant for people who are buried under the opinion of others. 

In Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel, American Born Chinese Yang shows the stereotypes about Chinese people and their struggle to fit into American society. In his story, Yang uses three Characters: Monkey King, Jin Wang, and Danny. Monkey King was a King of the flower fruit mountain but was a monkey. Jin Wang was a Chinese American who started going to Mayflower Elementary school after moving out of San Francisco. Jin has a best friend, Wei Chen who was the son of Monkey King. After Jin saw the dream he wakes up and finds himself as Danny an all American boy. Danny was popular among the girls in his school. He was irritated by his cousin Chin-Kee a stereotypical Chinese who became the reason for Danny to change his school every year. These three characters are struggling to find their identity in the socially norm American society. While struggling between identities they accept their identity as Americans and felt the pressure to cover their other identities. The characters in ABC felt the pressure to cover because they faced racism for not being the same as others which made them desperate to fit in and were left isolated which resulted in the realization of accepting who they are is the best.

According to Yoshino, racism led to racial covering to avoid racism the characters Jin and Monkey King chose to cover their racial identity while Chin-Kee became an example of stereotypes. It doesn't matter what they think of themselves what matters the most is what people think about them. Due to racism any people “followed strategies of their own - Asian-American got eyelids surgery, African-Americans straighten their hair, Latinos planned the accents of their names”. People covered the parts of their body that are used to classify their racial identity. If Asians were made fun of because of their eyes, they get eye surgery. If one thinks that people don’t like anything about them they will change it. In ABC, Jin assumed that Amelia an all-white girl will never like him because of the way he looks. When he saw Amelia and Greg together he was Jealous. Greg is also an all-American boy. When Jin was thinking of ways to get Amelia to like him he thought of Greg's hair. If Amelia likes an all-American guy than probably she also likes their hairstyle. On thinking that Jin decided to change his hairstyle to something like Greg’s. Jin wants to cover his racial identity. People like to change themselves based on what other people like. In doing that they forget their identity. Similar to Jin, Monkey King also wanted to hide his identity as a monkey when he was not allowed to enter the party. To prevent Monkey King from entering, the guard at the entrance tells him that 'he does not have any shoes'. Monkey King still tries to convince the guard to let him in but he was sent was by stating that “he may be a King - he may even be a deity- but he is still a monkey”. Even though he was “the Monkey King of flower fruit mountain” he was insulted for not wearing shoes like others. Just because he didn’t look like others at the party he was not welcomed. 

People with superior race has a stereotypical image of minority set in their mind. Even if the minority looks a little like their imagination they were harassed for it. Yang portrays Chin-Kee as a stereotypical figure of a Chinese person. A guy with long teeth popping out, yellow skin, small eyes, braided long hairs and completely different types of clothes than others. People around Chin-Kee always made fun of him for not looking like them. In school, many students try to show their eyes as Chin-Kees and made fun of his small eyes. This may be the reason why many Asian-American get eyelid surgery. The only way for people to get away from the stereotypical figure is to cover their racial identity. Jin always tries to hide his identity as Chinese because he does not want people to make fun of him as they made fun of Chin-Kee. Even the Monkey King who felt embarrassed at the party wanted to change his identity as a monkey. Many people cover their racial identity because they want to stay away from getting racist comments on how they are.

Jin's desperation to fit in forced him to cover his identity which left him isolated. Jin wanted to do everything he can to fit in. Yoshino while growing up followed a mantra 'be one hundred percent American in America, and one hundred percent Japanese in Japan'. A similar idea is followed by Jin. On Wei Chen's first day of school, he tried to communicate with Jin in Chinese but Jin gives a look and asks Chen to 'speak English' because 'he was in America'. According to Jin, Wei Chen was supposed to talk in English as he was in America. Jin wanted to become 'one hundred percent American' if he speaks Chinese he will not be able to cover his identity as Chinese. Jin started covering everything that is not accepted as American. Gradually he was becoming more American. One day he saw Herbalist's wife in his dream and suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. When he turns on the light, he saw that he was transformed into a completely American boy. He was really happy because his wish of becoming 'one hundred percent American' became true. The transformation was still not enough for him so he decided to give himself a new name 'Danny' because 'a new face deserves a new name'. Jin didn't go with his look. Jin was a Chinese name but now he is white. A white boy needs a more American name. Now Jin fits in American society. This change resulted after he felt left out. When Greg asked Jin to keep his distance from Amelia Jin was not able to reply to him back. Suddenly everything changed for Jin. He did know what was happening around him. He was lost in his world of thoughts. Everything around him turned gray as if he did not care about anything else. Jin was unable to accept it because he tried to change everything he can to get accepted but in the end, he was left alone. His best friend Wei Chen also left him because he kissed Chen's Girlfriend. The feeling of being left out turned him into Danny who was accepted by everyone. Until one covers themselves fully they are not accepted and cannot become American completely. If they are not American they were at some point left isolated.

Monkey King wanted Jin to realize that being himself is the best way to find his identity rather than covering. Yoshino also realized that his parents had a wish in his name. They wished that 'he could live in an America that would not force him to surrender his ethnicity'. His parents wished that he will never forget his cultural roots and how he is. Yoshino and Monkey King both realized the importance of being themselves from their life experiences. Monkey King is explaining his experience to Jin 'he would have saved himself from five hundred years of imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock if he realized how good it is to be a monkey'. He found himself free when he realized that being himself was more important. After listening to Monkey King and from his own experience Jin realized that being himself is the best way to find his identity. There is no need to change himself for others to accept him.

Every leaf on a tree is different. In the same way, everyone is different. Jin and Monkey King covered their racial identity because they didn't want to face racism like Chin-Kee. They also wanted to get accepted. Jin wanted to get accepted by Amelia and Monkey King wanted to get accepted by the people who didn't let him enter the party because he was a monkey. They tried to become like someone who they are not but in the end, they were back to who they are. They wanted to fit in but were isolated. Just to get accepted they changed themselves a lot but still were left out. Being themselves was the most reliable way to get accepted and to find their identity. Once they accept themselves they will find their identity. Even though Jin covered his race to get accepted he was not accepted. If you are not getting accepted does it really matter if you cover or not? Even if you are getting accepted is it necessary to cover? Why can't people accept you the way you are?