What is an
OBSTACLE?
How do you
overcome an
obstacle?
“That which does
not kill us
makes us
stronger.”
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Journaling…
Write about a time
when you faced
an obstacle.
Why do you
think Gene
Luen Yang
wrote
American
Born
Chinese?
From Gene Luen Yang’s
childhood notebook
“I was startled. I couldn't
remember where I'd heard the
joke, or if I understood that it
was directed at me. I
wondered if my second-grade
self identified more with the
Chinese caricature at the top
of the page or the blonde
character at the bottom.”
“What would possess a self-respecting
Asian-American cartoonist to draw a
character like that?”
“In order for us to defeat our enemy, he must
first be made visible.”
Brave New Voices
“Identity. Voice. Power. Imagination.”
• Annual Slam Poetry
competition in San
Francisco, put on by
“Youth Speaks.”
• Mission Statement:
“We challenge youth
to find, develop,
publicly present, and
apply their voices as
creators of societal
change.”
http://wits.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/brave-new-voices-2008-prop.jpg
Devin
performing
“Tourettes”
What is Tourette’s Syndrome?
An inherited disorder with onset in
childhood, characterized by the
presence of multiple physical tics
and at least one vocal tic
Devin
performing
“Tourettes”
A/B Pair Share
A: What is Devin’s obstacle and how does he
overcome it?
B: What connections can you make between
this poem and American Born Chinese?
Reminders!
• American Born Chinese test
on Monday.
• Projects due on Tuesday
• A word about checking out
books…
“Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan
What connections do you
see between Amy Tan’s
essay and Gene Luen
Yang’s novel?
Why did Amy Tan write
this essay?
Exit Slip
Why do you think Gene Luen Yang wrote
American Born Chinese? What was he
trying to accomplish by writing this story?