Within your analysis, you need to incorporate material about the idea of stereotype threat from Whistling Vivaldi in at least two body paragraphs. Follow-up questions to start your thinking: What does “staying true to yourself” and “growth” look like in different circumstances within American Born Chinese? How do your explanations differ for various characters in the novel?
What kinds of pressure come from within a person, and what pressure comes from the outside? What specific aspects of stereotype threat—for instance, underperformance, mental drain, pressure to defy stereotypes, and so on—seem most relevant to certain characters in American Born Chinese?
Explain how the graphic novel “American Born Chinese” portrays two opposing values: the strength to stay true to yourself, and the willingness to change and grow. Does the graphic novel suggest that one is more important than the other?
