American Born Chinese

Shows about high schoolers have been having a heyday, from Wednesday to Euphoria, Sex Education to Elite. Most of them are TV-MA, technically for the 17+ crowd, and none of them have been focused on Chinese Americans, who are increasingly facing discrimination.

Chinese Born American arrives just in time. It’s a story most of us can relate to, a teenager navigating universal coming-of-age challenges, trying to win the acceptance of his peers and his crush. But American Born Chinese takes the high school comedy up a few notches, weaving in Chinese folklore, Wuxia martial arts battles, and a deeper story about celebrating your identity and your cultural heritage.

Our protagonist, Jin Wang, is just trying to make the soccer team when he is paired up with the new foreign exchange student, Wei, a confident newcomer who embraces Western culture without sacrificing his own. That’s not an easy line to walk, because Wei is the son of The Monkey King, a highly revered god from Chinese history and pop culture.

Despite this gulf between them, Jin and Wei both love manga, face strife at home, and are up against bullies. They just have some secret weapons on their side, including Wei’s aunt (Michelle Yeoh), who is actually the all-powerful Buddhist bodhisattva of Compassion. A wise, warm, butt-kicking protector, Yeoh is the one who can take on any threats. There’s also Feddy (Hu), a satire of the offensive caricatures of Asian characters dropped into movies and TV shows in the 80s and 90s, whose job was to provide “comedic relief.”  His screen time is limited, but Freddy plays an important role and sends a message.

In a sharp contrast to the 90s throwback, we are immersed into the visually rich mythical world where Wei hails from. Vibrant reds and oranges fill the screen, letting us know this is no place on earth, as the true identities of Wei’s father and aunt emerge in stunning costumes.

The best part, for martial arts fans, are the action scenes, which are Wuxia style — the artfully orchestrated form of Kung fu many will recognize from movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The fighting choreography is perfectly crafted and pulse-pounding, especially the scenes with Michelle Yeoh (at 60, no less), which many martial arts fans will appreciate.

I am far from the target audience of American Born Chinese, but I related to the series. Like most of us, I struggled with identity in high school. But like Jin and Wei in the series, you figure out that if you stay true to yourself and find people who care, that’s all that matters. Everything else is a popularity contest that doesn’t last long.