The representation of diverse people and experiences in comics is important to expand the thoughts and minds of readers. Yang and Wilson, the minds behind American Born Chinese and Ms. Marvel, use the medium of comic books and graphic novels to help bring a new sense of belonging and acceptance to marginalized people. They do this by applying a “millennial mindset” to their respective stories. What this means is that the characters they have created, whether they are based off real people or are fiction, address the problems of race, religion, or sexuality that we are facing today. These characters also act to threaten the current atmosphere of the comic book industry. Typical comic book characters and superheroes, before now, were mostly white and from a typical American background. Heroes that were women were generally over-sexualized and unrealistic. These two authors hope to challenge the current status quo of the comic book industry by creating characters whose background is much different than previous superheroes. Gene Luen Yang, the author who wrote American Born Chinese, hopes to create a sense of belonging for those who have been marginalized in American society by telling his story. During his lecture, he makes a point that “Comics [can] handle sophisticated material in sophisticated ways” which is why he chose to write American Born Chinese in a graphic novel format. American Born Chinese is about a character named Jin Wang and his experience growing up in
Gene Luen Yang’s writing style in his graphic novel, American Born Chinese, demonstrate great technique of suspense and foreshadowing. Yang grew up with two parents who were an electrical engineer from Taiwan and a programmer who grew up in Hong Kong and Taiwan, both of whom emigrated to the United States. His experiences follow this book’s plot and his writing style follows exactly how he may have felt during that part of his life. His parents helped give him a strong work ethic and reinforced their Asian culture to make sure he was never ashamed of where he came from.
Jin Wang was born in America but is also Chinese. He faces some difficulties with racism and stereotypes as he grows up. He just moved to a new school from San Francisco. The teacher introduces him to the class and says,” Class, I'd like us all to give a warm Mayflower Elementary welcome to your new friend and Classmate Jin Wang...He and his family recently moved to our neighborhood all the way from China!”(30). Jin has this look on his face of annoyance. Like, did she actually say this. She is too ignorant to ask so she just assumed that since he is Chinese, that he must be from China. He was born in America. This just shows how ignorant people are about other cultures. It makes it even harder to fit in if people don't even care where you're from and just make assumptions. Jin now experiences this first hand. He tries so hard to fit in and be normal. He goes as far as changing his hair to match the guys hair that Amelia likes. When he isn't noticed as much he wants to become someone else, someone who will fit in. He wakes up in the morning a new person, as he has transformed into someone he is not, he thinks to himself,”A new face deserved a new name. I decided to call myself...Danny”(198). He changed his race he didn't like his heritage and cultures so much
Superheroes can be defined in many ways by many experts. Clare Pitkethly’s academic background consists of comparative literature, culture and communication as she also speaks and writes comic books and superhero, defines a superhero to be different. In Pitkethly’s article “Straddling a Boundary: The Superhero and the Incorporation of Difference,” talks about
Many new arrivals still struggle to survive and often Chinese Americans still encounter suspicion and hostility. Chinese Americans have achieved great success and now, like so many others, they are stitching together a new American identity. As Michelle Ling, a young Chinese American, tells Bill Moyers in Program 3, “I get to compose my life one piece at a time, however I feel like it. Not to say that it’s not difficult and that there isn’t challenge all the time, but more than material wealth, you get to choose what you are, who you are.” (www.pbs.org)
Have you ever felt like nobody understand you and judge you because of how you look or where you from? That is what Jin and The Monkey King experience in American Born Chinese. This is a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yong about stereotypes, discrimination and trying to fit in. The Monkey King, a monkey came from a rock, and Jin, an Asian grew up in America, are the main characters in this novel. They both have experienced the unfair because of who they are. In American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yong, the development of the Monkey King and Jin is similar throughout the novel.
I have really not had the opportunity to read graphic narratives or novels, comic books or anime. It was really interesting to read this week’s chosen book which was a graphic novel titles American Born Chinese. I was really excited to actually see the story of the Monkey King because growing up as a child that was one of the favorite T.V shows that I truly enjoyed from the start to the end of each episode. After reading this book, I have really given much appreciation to the authors of graphic novels or narratives. The story in the book American Born Chinese, is mainly about Jin but has other stories as well within the book. It initially starts with story of the Monkey King, and then it switches to Jin’s story in the second chapter. The story then switches to Danny’s story with a repetition of the same pattern.
Superheroes such as Miles Morales, Kenan Kong, and Jaime Reyes taking the title of Spiderman, Super-Man, and Blue Beetle all have one thing in common; they epitomize an underrepresented ethnic and racial community. Axel Alonso, the creator of the half-Hispanic, half-black Spider-Man (Miles Morales), explains, “Miles is but one face in a diverse landscape of heroes that includes Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Sam Wilson (Captain America) and Amadeus Cho (the Hulk), and offers readers of all creeds and colors a chance to see their own reflection” (Moreno, 2016, para. 10). Just like the creation of Batwoman, Miles Morales’ creation is due to the fact that creators wanted to be able to reach every member of their audience. However, “often lost in the intersection between superheroes and science fiction is the place race occupies in the genre, and when it is addressed, the discussion frequently turns to framing the genre as racially biased,” (Nama, 2008, p. 134). For these reasons, many comic book creators refrain from addressing these issues, since it may lead to them being accused of conforming to a stereotype. Even so, “the audience for comics is a truly multicultural one; in fact, it is more ethnically diverse than are the heroes the young people read about” (Brown, 1999, p.
THESIS - When evaluating Arnold “Junior” Spirit from Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jin Wang from Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, similarities radiate in both characters as their disparity in race deem the two of them as outcasts in the entirety of society. In addition to their lack of social interactions, their uniformity in their impulsive decisions cost them each a dear friend. Although Junior and Jin are quite similar, they share differences in the way Junior tries bettering himself by fitting into both his Indian and Reardan culture whereas Jin changes himself in every possible way to become Americanized.
Throughout Washington Post Journalist David Betancourt’s article “He came to D.C. from Nigeria; created his own African comic book world,” Roye Okupe experiences, but eventually overcomes, adversity in making his dream a reality. In the status quo, when one forms a perception of a hero in his mind, rarely is that said image portrayed as a black figure. Dissatisfied with this stereotype, Okupe begins developing his own African American superhero character following his completion of education in computer science and animation. It was not an easy beginning because in today’s society full of constantly judging individuals and rhetorical fireballs, it is always difficult to be a leader with a new idea. The
To start, our society often focuses on the many significant strides in the area of women's rights and there is no denying the progress that has been made. However, there is merit in the observations of Sensoy and DiAngelo (2012) who find traces of long-standing male domination in nearly every aspect of our society. In fact, the authors conclude that this influence cannot easily be undone. The negative portrayal of women in superhero films is just one example of how this injustice continues to this day. It is critical that we not only acknowledge this issue as a society, but that we continue to
This book called American Born Chinese was actually one of the best comics I have ever read. I got confused by how many characters were introduced in the book, but by the end of the story all of them had some kind of connection. The first character introduced in the comic was called “The Monkey King of the Flower-Fruit Mountain.” He flourished an awful lot in this comic book. In the beginning he thought he was a very powerful deity just because of how many disciplines he had fulfilled and by the end when he completed his test of virtue he learned to help others and be caring. The first scene I want to talk about was when the monkey king went to a dinner party full of deities. He was denied entry because he had no shoes on his feet and he began to leave but then he
Throughout history marginalized groups have been represented indirectly through literature and film. The comic book industry is no different in that, the idea of the superhero being seen as an “other”, a different class of citizen is clearly evident. Until the first publication of the X-Men in the 1960’s, although superheroes were portrayed as “others” in society, they were not looked down upon, but rather put on a pedestal. The likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America to name a few were treated like royalty and seen as utterly superior to the human race. With the publication of the X-Men, this representation of the “other” as a superior entity to the human race changed in that the X-Men were seen and referred to as mutants, rather
I commend the authors who stick their neck out on the line to express themselves in a creative way. A way in which attracts and pulls the reader in, possess them to enjoy the book. A book that’s not only a comic and is a good read, but as a deep meaning to it. The comic books talks about controversial topics that nobody else dears to talk about or express their own opinion on. The most common superhero that stars in many comic books, Wonder Woman has a secret; and a deeper mean than what is perceived. She’s the iconic image of women’s suffrage and rights. “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of women who, I believe, should rule the world” (Lepore pg 2) Wonder Woman conveys the strength, courage and bravery women had to
Comics, since their conception, have been seen as an immature media that is strictly pop culture without the ability to pass substantive messages. However, the quantities of people who read and share comic books provide open pathway to idea sharing. The Legend of Chun Hyang I is an example of this cultural messaging through this medium. Written in 1992, as Asian cultures were joining the globalizing world, this manga represented cultural hybridity as a Korean folktale being represented by a Japanese company. The storyline is relatable for young girls who want to be independent no matter which country they are from. Chun Hyang as a character in the work is not close to the actual Korean storyline. However, she is closer to the ideal manga heroine who is pretty but brave, and independent but in love. Chun Hyang represents the move towards a more universal 'Asian ' feeling and closeness between the Japanese and Korean pop cultures.
In the entertainment world today, comic superheroines are conveying messages to women everywhere that their powers are not limited, and they all have the ability to choose their fate. Many movies, tv shows, and comics are coming out that involve strong, independent women. This recent rise in representation has gotten out to women everywhere, and this is influencing them throughout their lives. With the rise of female comic book characters in the media, women are changing the way they see themselves and the role they play in the world.