The Shadow Hero has a lot of references to Asian American stereotypes. Hank is a typical child of immigrants who follows in his father’s footsteps. He is obedient and studious. His only life goal is to one day own a grocery store just as his father did. This is apparent in many immigrant families who own a business. Asian immigrants have been known to be small business owners throughout the history of their presence in America. Hank’s mother, on the other hand, is bored by this life. She makes an effort to escape Chinatown through her job. After her encounter with the Anchor of Justice she begins to dream about the possibilities for her son. Before this point she had just settled for the minimum her entire life. After being enlightened by this Caucasian superman figure she is inspired to create the same destiny for her son. This determination and strength of character in Asian mothers is a common stereotype. The “Tiger Mom” idea can be applied to this situation but instead of her pressuring her son to study or get a job she wants him to be a superhero. Even though at first her idea seems completely unreasonable it turns out to actually work. He does not just instantly become a superhero like many other stories. He gets it through hard work and dedication. This is a quality in many immigrants. At first no one takes him seriously because he is Chinese. Even his own kind are surprised to see a Chinese superhero but he eventually proves them wrong. Both Hank and his Mother are not your typical Asian Americans. They both challenge the norm in order to do something that they want.
