American Born Chinese

Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese, published by First Second beginning in 2006, weaves together three distinct narratives—a Chinese American teen struggling with his cultural identity, a visit from his cousin the Monkey King, and a racist stereotype come to life—into a single, groundbreaking graphic novel. Yang, serving as both writer and artist, crafts a layered story about assimilation, self-acceptance, and the power of myth, earning it a lasting place as a modern classic in the comics medium. Its innovative structure and heartfelt exploration of the immigrant experience helped redefine what a graphic novel could achieve, resonating far beyond the page.