Return from exile:mythology and heritage in <i>American born Chinese</i> and its Disney adaptation

Abstract

Though American Born Chinese has received a significant degree of scholarly study, the prevalence of cultural exile in the text has not received sufficient attention. Said's theorization on exile provides a guide to examining the mindset of Jin, who willfully accepts exile from his Chinese-American heritage because of how he feels neither truly Chinese nor truly American. Only through a visceral encounter with Chinese mythology does he return from exile and embrace that heritage. The Disney adaptation, though significant from a “representation” standpoint, removes that threat of exile, diluting the narrative into a reassuring, palatable formula