Why 'American Born Chinese' took 17 years to adapt, according to creator Gene Luen Yang

(Left) Michelle Yeoh in 'American Born Chinese', an adaptation of Gene Luen Yang's acllaimed graphic novel of the same name. — Photos: Disney+ Hotstar

It has been 17 years since American comics creator Gene Luen Yang released his acclaimed graphic novel American Born Chinese, and in that time, there had been interest in adapting it into either a movie or a television show.

However, Yang was always a little hesitant about doing so because he was afraid it would not be able to highlight the message of his book, which is to highlight the treatment and racial stereotypes of the American Chinese community.