American Born Chinese Character Analysis

Words: 756
Pages: 4
Open Document
The graphic novel, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, explores many situations that immigrants and those who come from immigrant families face. From teachers in the novel automatically assuming that new students, Jin Wang and Wei-Chen Sun, are both from China, when in fact the former is from San Fransisco and the latter Taiwan, to the stereotypes placed on cousin Chin-Kee. In American Born Chinese, the aspects of being an immigrant or from a first generation family is shown through the characters Suzy Nakamura, Jin Wang, and Wei-Chen Sun. The graphic novel American Born Chinese shows the struggles of being someone who is an ethnic minority.
The character Suzy Nakamura provides the reader of the graphic novel with the insight into what …show more content…
Wei-Chen, much like Jin Wang, is presumed to be from China, when he is actually from Taiwan. Wei-Chen has broken English, and he tries to get away with not speaking English to Jin Wang, to which Jin replies by telling him, “You’re in America. Speak English.” (37). On page 40, Wei-Chen and Jin are seen siting at a long empty bench, again while the rest of their peers are playing in the school yard. Later on, Jin is talking about how he likes a girl, and Wei-Chen brings Taiwanese customs into the picture. Jin immediately reacts telling Wei-Chen not to act, “like such an F.O.B!” (89). Wei-Chen is an excellent example of how sometimes people expect immigrants to automatically except the culture of their new country, and leave the culture of their homes behind.
American Born Chinese allows readers to understand what immigrants, people who are first generation, and those who come from families that are not of the ethnic majority go through. This novel describes how it can be very hard for those who are not ethnic majority to fit in, and that they are sometimes left as outcasts and that the only people they can have as friends are the people who are ‘weird’ or the other outcasts. The concepts of these struggles and situations are shown through the characters Suzy Nakamura, Jin Wang, and Wei-Chen
Show More

Related Documents: American Born Chinese Character Analysis

Multicultural: United Kingdom and National Identity Essay

in archaeology and is quite interested in oriental history and culture, especially the Chinese culture. For this reason, she went to Beijing for further education within a certain period of time and now she is going to Yale University for her Doctor Degree. Thus it can be concluded that Dani is an oriental-style teacher to some extent. As for Dragana, like other foreign teachers from US, she is quite of American-style. That is to say, more freedom, class interactions, designed activities are expected…

Words 1017 - Pages 5

50 essays no name woman

you. Don’t humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be forgotten as if you had never been born. The villagers are watchful.” She is warning her daughter against promiscuity and against shaming her family. Now we hear the narrator’s voice. She explains that her mother usually invoked stories from her homeland of China to teach life lessons. The narrator and her generation, by contrast, were first-generation Chinese-Americans. They had to navigate two cultures in order to form a unique identity. Because the…

Words 1759 - Pages 8

Multicultural Literature Analysis Paper

Multicultural Literature Analysis Paper Maurice Young ENG/157 September 22, 2014 Kristine Geurts Multicultural Literature Analysis Paper "Keep your language. Love its sounds, its modulation, and its rhythm. But try to march together with men of different languages, remote from your own, who wish like you for a more just and human world (Camara, 2014). Multicultural literature is a tool used to carry the content and languages of a diverse world to increase cultural awareness. Through shared literature…

Words 1941 - Pages 8

Family: American Dream and Mother Essay example

Literary Analysis Living in Families- Mother’s Love Li Wang In the society today, many of daughters stay away from their mothers when they have to go into a better environment, and get higher education status as well in order to fulfill the social status. Most of the mothers always give their children what they were unable to have in their childhood. Being a mother is a great experience in a woman’s life. However, being a mother is also faced with lots difficult choices when it comes to raising…

Words 1699 - Pages 7

Global Business Cultural Analysis South Korea Essay

Global Business Cultural Analysis South Korea By: Erik Mays Liberty University BUSI 604 Dr. Romanoski May 9, 2014 Abstract In this research paper I will be analyzing the cultural perspectives of doing business in South Korea. In doing so, I will be answering the four major questions as it relates to the major Elements and Dimensions of culture in South Korea. Also, since the dimensions of culture in any nation are many, it is necessary to analyze each category that makes up the Dimensions…

Words 7913 - Pages 32

Essay on Confusion: Confucianism and Education

for the 21st century. May 2012 Don Starr Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies Durham University Former President of the British Association of Chinese Studies d.f.starr@durham.ac.uk 2 Contents page Executive Summary 4 Introduction 6 Confucius and education 8 The traditional Chinese education system 10 Contemporary education 12 The paradox of the Chinese learner 15 Chinese perceptions of the role of the teacher and student 19 International…

Words 8860 - Pages 36

The Chinese Fireworks Industry Essay

THE CHINESE FIREWORKS INDUSTRY - REVISED Ruihua Jiang wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Paul W. Beamish solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmission without its…

Words 6089 - Pages 25

media and migration Essay example

about how refugees create problems for Canada. Esses at al (2008) found that media create a state of panic within society when they describe the arrival of refugees as an “invasion” of Canada. Lacroix (2004) reports that when the number of Central American refugees in the 1980s increased and when a boatload of Sikhs arrived in Nova Scotia in 1987, these two cases, although unrelated were generalized in the media as a “refugee crisis” that led the public to believe that there was an overpopulation…

Words 7173 - Pages 29

An Introduction to Intercultural Communication Essay

An Introduction to Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication is of importance to international businesses as it examines how people from different cultures, beliefs and religions come together to work and communicate with each other. Demands for intercultural communication skills are increasing as more and more businesses go global or international. They realize that there are barriers and limitations when entering a foreign territory. Without the help of intercultural communication…

Words 29173 - Pages 117

Assignment: Southwest New Energy LLC Inflated Billing Scheme

Accounting 562 Creative Paper Assignments “Southwest New Energy LLC Inflated Billing Scheme” Fraud Plot: Inflated Billing Scheme Victim Company Name: Southwest New Energy LLC Fraud Company Name: Construction and Safety Supply Company Characters: Southwest New Energy LLC: Forensic Accountant ------------------- Dane Striker CFO --------------------------------------Tony Chen Controller ------------------------------George Smith AP Accountant ------------------------Mary Perez Procurement Manager…

Words 6292 - Pages 26