Gene Luen Yang’s, American Born
Chinese, is a three-stories-in-one graphic novel that covers what it's like
to be an outcast in a society that is accustomed to a particular life style. The
pressures that each character face in the story (Monkey King, Jin Wang and
Danny) reflect a religious perspective
where one battles the acceptance of self and God’s creation of who they are.
Yang shows his influence of Christian views through the Monkey King’s meeting
with God himself, Wong Lai Tsao’s answer to the vagrants and Danny and Chin-Kee’s
confrontation.
(Yang 81)
The first story covers a Monkey
King who masters The Arts of Kung Fu to proclaim his throne of Deity. He
struggles to accept himself as a monkey, resulting in violent acts against
those who do not accept his title of “The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.” The
Monkey King is confronted by Tze-Yo-Tzuh (God) who refers to him as, “Silly
Little Monkey”. Yo-Tzuh goes into detail
about who he is and his purpose: “I am Tze-Yo-Tzuh. All that I have
created- All of Existence- forever remains with the reach of my hand. You I
have created. Therefore, you can never escaped my reach.” (Yang 70)
Tze Yo Tzuh’s introduction is
similar to Genesis 1:27 which says, “God created mankind in his own image.”
After going into more detail about who he is, Tzuh mentions that he knows everything
about the monkey, even the words that he has yet to speak. The speech is parallel
to Psalm 139 15-16 that reads, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was
made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in
your book before one of them came to be.” With the exception of God not quoting
the scripture, the two views focus on God’s creation of man in his own image
and our responsibility to accept who we are, including monkeys.
Wong Lai Tsao is a monk who helped
the vagrants living outside of his town. The vagrants treated him in a poor
manner, even slandering him for helping them. When one of the vagrants asks him
why he continues to help them, he replies with an answer that impresses them.
Suddenly, the vagrants transform into Emissaries of Tze-Yo-Tzuh, who were
testing him the entire time. Such acts as Wong Lai Tsao’s reflect Hebrews 13:2,
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained
angels unaware.” Though the vagrants did not respect him, Tsao faithfully
served them day after day, not knowing that God was testing him.
Jeremiah 13:23 asks, "Can the
Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” This question applies to
Jin’s story as he attempts to transform into a White American who is visited by
his irritating Chinese cousin, Chin-kee. Danny and Chin-kee get into a scuffle
over Chin-kee’s irritating acts at school. During the fight, Chin- Kee boasts
about visiting Danny “Evely Year forever” (Yang 211). The haunting chant symbolizes
the inability to escape from who we are, even if that means that God has to use
someone else to help one understand that.
In conclusion, Yang’s Christian
views helps the story deliver a message that reminds us to remember that God or
a higher power created us in a particular image that we must learn to accept.
When one accepts their image, one’s love of self will flourish, allowing one to
have the capability to accomplish wants and needs.
