Stereotypes of the Orient in American Born Chinese

In the book Orientalism by Edward W. Said, he says in the introduction, "Orientalism expresses and represents that part culturally and even ideologically as a mode of discourse with supporting institutions,  vocabulary, scholarship, imagery, doctrines, even colonial bureaucracies and colonial styles." The graphic novel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang has many stereotypes in it that depict the American ideology of what Chinese people are like. The novel is divided into three parts, and in each part there is some aspect of those stereotypes that can be found.

Jin, a young boy who has moved around a lot to different schools, is one such character who has this stigma of the orient attached to him. In the first part of Jin's story, he was eating dumplings (32), and was made fun of. The stereotype that Chinese eat dogs was applied to him when a kid said, "Stay away from my dog," (33). Because of these stereotypes, Jin was isolated and alone. He could only find friends when he abandoned his Chinese heritage in favor of an American one. Upon meeting Wei-Chen, Jin tells him to "You're in America. Speak English," (37) another instance where he completely denounces his Chinese heritage.

Another instance of an overly dramatized Chinese stereotype can be found in the character of Chinkee. Introduced on page 48, Chinkee exclaims, "Harro Amellica!" His diction is very stereotypical. His physical appearance is also extremely different from the American kids in the school. He has braids in his hair, his head is very large and his eyes are squinted, and his clothes resemble what Americans would associate with the traditional Chinese apparel. His appearance is one that no doubt Americans would find humorous and widely acceptable to their notions of the Orient.

The characters in American Born Chinese reinforce what Americans believe about Chinese people. Through Yang's depiction of Jin on his first days at a new school and through Chinkee's actions and appearance, the Orient stereotype remains much the same to readers as their preconceived notions. Orientalism by Edward Said goes more into depth about the representation of the Orient to Americans, and how there are archetypes created by people in the West, which is evident in American Born Chinese.

Works Cited

Said, Edward. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 1978. Print.

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. First Second, 2006. Print.