Stereotyping In American Born Chinese

Have you ever been a victim of racist stereotyping? Have you ever struggled to fit in to your peer group? That is where American Born Chinese lies. American Born Chinese highlights the effects and personal impact of stereotypes may have on a person. The novel also depicts a theme that reveals the importance of accepting and loving one’s identity. The themes are exemplified through the stories of the Monkey King, Jin, and Danny. Although the stories highlight how each life is different, if the reader digs deeper, they will notice the similarities outweigh the differences. The plots of the Monkey King’s Story, Danny’s story, and Jin’s story involve differences in character, the conflicts they go through, and learning an important lesson from their conflict. …show more content…
Danny is a popular jock who seems to have already been accepted into his peer group until Chin-Kee comes along. Chin-Kee, with his stereotypes clearly apparent, embarrasses Danny so frequently that Danny doesn’t want to be seen with him. A reader could define Danny as being, “full of himself”. Furthermore, The Monkey King seems to be the wisest of the three. Although he is a bit stubborn, he comes to accept the fact that he will always be a monkey. Jin, unlike Danny, starts his school as a “reject”. He is not liked by his peer group, and is even bullied by them. Jin is a shut-in who, although he tries his hardest, he seems unable to express himself properly. As a result Jin cannot get what he wants, and be friends with whom he