Liew’s “The Shadow Hero” challenges and displays various Asian stereotypes throughout the story through its characters and events.
For one, the main idea challenged in the story is the idea that Asian American men are weaker or pejorative in comparison to white men or men of other ethnicities and backgrounds. The main character Hank challenges this stereotype by becoming a super hero and defeating the underground rulers of Chinatown.
The story also challenges the idea that Asian people are less emotional, or at least worse at showing emotion, than other ethnic groups. It is clear that in the story, while Hank’s mother has a rather stoic beginning, she develops a very headstrong and rather funny personality when she tries to force Hank to become a super hero.
Lastly, just the fact that the story’s main characters are Asian challenges the standards for writing and other art forms, in which the typical characters are usually white. Asians are often left to the roles of sidekicks or weak counterparts to the protagonist, and to have a strong asian protagonist exemplifies how The Shadow Hero breaks the traditional mold.
