American Born Chinese

Most of the characters are Chinese Americans. While some of the second-generation Chinese immigrant storylines are familiar, they are textured and fully fleshed out. The show fully celebrates Chinese culture, and the fantasy element centers Chinese mythology and religion. There are White characters who are racist toward the Chinese characters; the show clearly explains how and why that's wrong. Sometimes it softens these episodes as careless microagressions that may not be understood as well by younger kids. The creative crew is mostly of Asian background. The show is also great on gender representation; both boys and girls defy gendered stereotypes.

The fantasy scenes often involve fight scenes. Much of the fighting is martial-arts based, but weapons like a long staff are used to hurt people (no blood or gore are shown). The fantasy scenes all have an element of peril, but you never really feel like the heroes will be harmed. Overall, the show is about people fighting for the fate of the universe, so there's a larger existential dread. In the realistic high-school scenes, there's some pushing, shoving, and verbal hostility, including some teenaged putdowns and discrimination based on characters' Chinese heritage.

Main character Jin has a crush on one of his classmates.

Mild/moderate profanity like "crap" and "ass" not used very frequently. Some insults like "dumb" and "turd."

Parents need to know that American Born Chinese is part high school drama and part fantasy. It's based on the popular graphic novel of the same name with an an all-star cast (including Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan). The fantasy element often involves fight scenes. The fighting is martial-arts based and features weapons, but no blood or gore. The fantasy scenes are a bit scary but always seem like they will end well. In the high school scenes, there is some pushing and shoving. Language wise, there's infrequent language like "crap" and "ass." There are some putdowns like "dumb" and "turd" as well as discrimination based on characters' Chinese heritage. The show tackles anti-Chinese racism head on, but some of the scenes are subtle enough that younger kids might not get the complete message without parental support. Overall, the show is a fun family-friendly watch.