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Gene Luen Yang

ジーン・ルーエン・ヤン

Gene Luen Yang

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1973-08-09 （Fremont, California, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Catholicism
Residence History
San Francisco Bay Area (raised) → Oakland, California (worked)

Career

Occupations
cartoonist, author, teacher, computer science teacher
Active Years
1995-2025
Affiliations
Bishop O'Dowd High School (former teacher, Director of Information Services), Hamline University (faculty, MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program), Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (board member)
Memberships
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (board member)
Influenced By
Walt Disney (early interest in animation), The Monkey King from Journey to the West (Chinese classic)
Nominations
National Book Award for Young People's Literature finalist (2006), National Book Award finalist (2013)

Education

University of California, Berkeley
Computer Science (minor: Creative Writing)
Degree: B.S.
Period: 1991–1995
Year of Graduation: 1995
Country: United States
Initially wanted to major in art but majored in computer science for practical reasons.

Awards

MacArthur Fellowship
2016
Organization: MacArthur Foundation
Result: 受賞
Michael L. Printz Award
2007
Work: American Born Chinese
Category: Young Adult Literature
Organization: American Library Association (YALSA)
Result: 受賞
Eisner Award (Best New Graphic Album)
2007
Work: American Born Chinese
Category: Best New Graphic Album
Organization: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Result: 受賞
Eisner Award (Best Short Story)
2009
Work: The Eternal Smile (collaboration)
Category: Best Short Story
Organization: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Result: 受賞
Harvey Award (Book of the Year)
2020
Work: Dragon Hoops
Category: Book of the Year
Organization: Harvey Awards
Result: 受賞
NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature
2023
Category: Children's and Young Adult Literature
Organization: Neustadt Prizes
Result: 受賞
John Steinbeck Award
2024
Organization: John Steinbeck Award committee
Result: 受賞
Eisner Awards (multiple categories)
2021
Work: Superman Smashes the Klan / Dragon Hoops
Category: Best Publication for Kids; Best Adaptation; Best Publication for Teens
Organization: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Result: 受賞（複数）
Eisner Awards (2025)
2025
Work: Lunar New Year Love Story
Category: Best Publication for Teens; Best Graphic Album; Best Writer
Organization: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Result: 受賞（複数）
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (Young Adult Literature)
2013
Work: Boxers & Saints
Category: Young Adult Literature
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: 受賞
Southern Miss Medallion
2023
Organization: University of Southern Mississippi-related
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

American Born Chinese

2006 Graphic novel 160 pages

A story about a Chinese-American boy grappling with cultural identity. Incorporates elements of the Monkey King myth and addresses race and stereotypes.

identityimmigrant experiencerace and prejudice
Adaptations
  • [TV series] American Born Chinese (TV series) (2023)
Translations
  • American Born Chinese

Boxers & Saints

2013 Historical graphic novel 368 pages

A two-part work set during the Boxer Uprising. Tells stories from the perspectives of Boxers and Christians, exploring faith, identity, and historical upheaval.

faithcultural conflicthistory and memory

Superman Smashes the Klan

2019 Children/YA graphic novel 176 pages

Loosely adapted from a famous 1946 radio serial. An Asian-American family confronts threats from the Ku Klux Klan; Superman protects the children.

resistance to racismfamilyheroism

Dragon Hoops

2020 Nonfiction / Graphic novel 224 pages

Follows a high school basketball team's season; a nonfiction account interweaving the coach, players, and Yang's personal reflections on sport and life.

sportscommunitygrowth

Lunar New Year Love Story

2024 Children's graphic work 40 pages

A short work set around Lunar New Year, exploring family, tradition, and love in a picture-book-like graphic format.

familytraditioncelebration

Bibliography

  • The Rosary Comic Book (2003)
  • Animal Crackers (2004)
  • American Born Chinese (2006)
  • The Eternal Smile (2009)
  • Prime Baby (2010)
  • Level Up (2011)
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender (2012–2017)
  • Boxers & Saints (2013)
  • The Shadow Hero (2014)
  • Secret Coders (2015–)
  • New Super-Man (2016–2018)
  • Superman Smashes the Klan (2019–2020)
  • Dragon Hoops (2020)
  • Shang-Chi series (2020–2023)
  • Lunar New Year Love Story (2024)

Adaptations

  • American Born Chinese (TV adaptation, Disney+)

Translations of Works

  • American Born Chinese (Japanese translation)
  • Boxers & Saints (Japanese edition)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
graphic novel formatfusion of humor and mythologyeducational and dialogic narrative
Recurring Motifs
search for identityimmigration and cultural conflictfaith and morality

Legacy

Yang has been a key figure in popularizing graphic novels as a legitimate medium for youth literature and education, amplifying Asian-American voices. Through awards and public work he has elevated the academic and pedagogical value of comics.

Museums

  • Bay Area Walls San Francisco, California Opened in 2024

Academic Societies

  • American Library Association (YALSA-related)

Archives

  • Library of Congress (catalog records)

In Popular Culture

  • Disney+ adaptation of American Born Chinese and its cultural reach
  • Contributions to superhero comics at DC and Marvel

Quotes

  • Comics can be a powerful educational tool in the classroom — visual, motivating, and supportive of learning.
    Source: TED Talk (Comics Belong in the Classroom) (2016)

Trivia

  • American Born Chinese was one of the first graphic novels to be a National Book Award finalist.
  • Taught at Bishop O'Dowd High School from 1998 to 2015 (17 years).
  • Received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2016 (often called the 'Genius Grant').