American Born Chinese on Disney+, created by Kelvin Yu, follows a 10th grader named Jin Wang (Ben Wang) who wants what most teenagers want — to fit in. But he struggles, especially when he is asked by the principal to be a guide for Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), an awkward new student from Taiwan. Jin’s world becomes even more complicated when he becomes entangled in a heavenly war among Chinese celestial figures. As an Asian American mom raising a child whose teenage years will be here before I know it, I’m immensely grateful for content like this. Telling our stories in the mainstream is one way to Stop Asian Hate, to ensure future AAPI generations are not marginalized as we have been historically, to ensure our kids continue to feel seen.
This series, based on the pivotal 2006 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, encapsulates much of the modern Chinese American experience — intimate portrayals of the immigrant parent/child relationship, racism and microaggressions, repressed anger, and all — while weaving in Chinese mythology and traditions. As a child immigrant, I was raised on the story of the Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and its many screen adaptations, before Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin entered into my psyche. In this series, Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh stars as Guanyin, the goddess of Mercy. Every time I see her character on screen, I can picture the Guanyin statue in my grandparents’ home, with offerings of fruit and incense. It is absolutely surreal to watch these quintessentially Chinese figures from my upbringing brought to life in American Born Chinese from Disney — the iconic maker of American pop culture — by highly-talented Asian American creators.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a Disney animator,” says author and former high school teacher Gene Luen Yang, who never dreamed his work would be adapted by Disney nearly 20 years after its initial publication. “That was my…
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