Rachel


 * 1. //American Born Chinese// is the first graphic novel to win the Printz Award and be a finalist for the National Book Award. Why do you think it was picked for these awards and honors? Would you have chosen it? Explain. **

In all honesty, for me, it does not matter if a book has won awards or not. That does not define the book as being good or bad. It means those able to choose found it to their needs. Each book should be taken by the reader and absorbed, it's true meaning and contents taken into thought, not a pretty little sticker on the front that says, "Hey, this book won an award". The true meaning behind it should be looked at, not if it won something. I do not know why they picked it, nor do I care. I only care for the story behind it.


 * 2. Graphic novels appeal to a variety of people. There are a variety of graphic novel genres such as fantasy, super-hero, non-fiction, etc. Have you read graphic novels in the past? How did //American Born Chinese// compare? Graphically speaking what appealed to you? What did not? **

I have read many graphic novels in the past. Most were just for games and fantasy stories. They had no real meaning behind them except to further the plot line and cause excitement. American Born Chinese, though, reminds me in a lot of ways of my favorite graphic novel, Maus. Both prove points and tell stories. Both show humans at their best and worse. Both appealed to me not only in their art style, but in the story itself. That is what, truely, touched me.


 * 3. Did you find the graphic novel an effective way for Yang to tell his story? **

Yes, I did. The way the graphic novel was laid out proved very effective. Not only that, but the art style was perfect to tell the story. It added an effect to it, the art style being more Asian than Caucasian. With this art style, it added an air of flavor to the story's words.


 * 4. Yang uses humor to make light of experiences that are not so humorous for the immigrants that experience them. Often when reading we laugh at painful experiences of the characters. Have you or anyone you've known had experiences that were funny to others, but very painful to you? If possible, explain. Do you think Yang used the technique of humor appropriately? **

I have, in truth, never experienced something where it's funny for others and painful for me. At least, not that I can remember. Yang may have used this technique correctly for others, but myself? I honestly did not laugh when reading the book. I took in the basic ideas and teachings, but I did not laugh. The "painful but funny" experiences just looked painful to me. Perhaps I am just cold in my views, but it's the truth.


 * 5. What can be learned from the Monkey King and //American Born Chinese//? **

What I learned was that you must accept who you are and not try to change it. Everyone was brought into the world for a reason, and born for that same reason. There is not point trying to change who you are, for if you do, you will never truely be happy.


 * 6. Yang uses a television show to tell Chin-Kee's story. Why do you think he does this? Was it effective? Why? **

At first, I didn't even notice the TV show effect. After looking back, though, I do. It might be because lots of shows tend to show the most negative stereotypes of certain races. It might be for some other reason. In truth, I'm not sure.


 * 7. The Monkey King chooses to be stuck in the mountain of rocks for 500 years, to escape he must return to his "true form." How do the other characters experience this in //American Born Chinese//? Have you experienced a similar situation in your life? **

Jin/Danny chooses the same path the monkey king did by changing himself. With that change, came Chin-Kee. He was imprisoned in the sense of being stuck and embarrassed by Chin-Kee every single year for a good portion of his childhood.


 * 8. Wei-Chen's transformer robot monkey symbolizes so much in the graphic novel. How do the characters in //American Born Chinese// "transform" themselves for American society? Do you "transform" yourselves? Why? **

Jin transformed himself, maybe as a lesson or through some kind of magics, into a Caucasian boy. He reverses these changes with the Monkey King's help. The Monkey King, like Danny, tried to change who he was because of others, wanting to be a human, not a monkey. Wei-chen even changes himself by going from who he is, into a cruel human because of the ways others treated him.