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The Shadow Hero engages many Asian stereotypes which include having small eyes, parents having high expectations for their children, being emotionally indifferent and distant, having a good work ethic. Detective Lawful refers to the Chinese gang members as “sneaky, slant-eyed bastards,” which shows the derogatory language people use about Asians when they think they are not around (118). Hua is the typical Asian parent. She sets incredibly high expectations for her son, like becoming a superhero, and pushes her son to pursue her dream even when he doesn’t want to. Like another stereotype, Hua does everything that she can to help her son become a superhero (28-29). The mother also shows her emotional indifference in the beginning of the graphic novel when she tries to avoid being in Chinatown with her husband and son as much as she can (7). The hard working stereotype can be seen in the father as he runs his shop and in Hank as he trains with Uncle Wun Too. Learning to fight reveals another Asian stereotype in which Asians are good fighters, but this story also challenges the stereotype that all Asians know kung fu because Wun Too expresses that he is not teaching him kung fu (32).

This graphic novel challenges many other Asian stereotypes which include submissiveness, intelligence, and cowardice. Many believe that Asian women are submissive, but this novel shows strong female characters with authoritative roles. For example, Hua calls the robber out on eyeing her chest while pointing a gun to her head (13). Asians are said to be smart, intelligent people, but this story shows Hank’s stupidity and thoughtlessness throughout the novel. In media, Asians are not usually portrayed as the hero, but The Shadow Hero redefines that stereotype.

The story about Hank’s father being a successful fighter when drunk is actually based on a well known Chinese legend known as the Drunken Master.

American perception of the Chinese fuels many stereotypes that have become widespread. So common are these stereotypes that one simply begins to assume that they reflect the truth. The popularity of these stereotypes has influenced Chinese authors and illustrators to either play on their absurdity or challenge their validity. In The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew, one can see the authors both engaging and challenging stereotypes regarding Asian Americans.

Hank’s mother plays a significant role in the book because she reinforces and challenges many stereotypes that Americans have of Chinese American women. Hank’s mother is depicted as a physically short, judgemental, “mouthy ching-chong”, “AIYA!” saying woman, who agrees to a loveless marriage and ruthlessly forces her son to pursue her ambitions. At the same time, the audience sees Hank’s mother beyond the callous facade that is presented in American stereotypes of Chinese American women. By the end of the book, the audience sees that Hank’s mother cares for him enough to look for him all night and to cheer him on in his endeavors. At the end of the book, Hank’s mother is an understanding, accepting, encouraging and happy woman.

The authors also depict American stereotypes surrounding the Chinese through the physical depiction of other characters in the book and the structure of the criminal underworld dynasty. Take for example the crooked Moe who is shown disguised as a Chinese man with unrealistically bright yellow skin, slanted eyes, crooked teeth, exaggerated arched brows and a long, thin mustache. In all, Moe is presented as one of the “the sneaky slant-eyed bastards” that Detective Lawful explicitly describes. In addition, the Chinese traditions regarding rightful power are shown through the leadership of Ten Grand. Ten Grand refuses to choose a female heir and hosts a fight to find a rightful male heir. When Ten Grand dies and fails to choose a male heir, his daughters take power. However, Red Center and her sisters are shown having trouble leading the criminal empire. The authors show that it is not common in the Chinese tradition for women to take such powerful leadership roles.

After presenting all the stereotypes and traditions, the authors subtly challenge them. The authors show that many of these stereotypes and traditions that many Chinese Americans are bound to can be abandoned for a new start. This becomes clear when the turtle and dragon spirit converse. Dragon, the eldest brother, hangs on to the idea of creating a dynasty and ruling it; meanwhile, turtle, the youngest brother, strives for something new. In the end, turtle triumphs over the dragon. This shows the acceptance of Chinese Americans for new ideas and a new start. More importantly, through the 19-year-old Hank and his role as a Chinese superhero, Yang and Liew break the stereotype that a superhero is a Gwailo (white). Hank succeeds in being a superhero and in protecting his people with the help of the turtle spirit. Together Hank and the spirit represent the new and Americanized generation, unrestricted to stereotypes.

Hank aspired to be like his father, running the store when he gets older. But with his mother overhearing the greatness that comes out of being a superhero, she questions why her own child cannot do the same? Eventually, he does just that, but when he puts on his mask, his identity isn’t the only thing that gets covered. Rather, the evident physical traits of his ethnicity get hidden as well. This opens the door to what people say when they think they aren’t being listened to. This is especially evident with the detective. When he brings an actor playing the role of emperor to his precinct, he is immediately taken as a fool. And to add more wood to the fire, the detective makes it a point to call the enemy “sneaky slanty-eyed bastards.” The detective then realizes the superhero standing before him is of Chinese decent as well and becomes awestruck. Hank, in retaliation, pulls the skin near his eyes back and mocks the detective’s words. By doing so, he informs the detective that what he said was insulting.

This event comes up later in the plot, after Hank apprehends Mock Beak and hands him over to the police. The detective reminisces on what he said in front of Hank. Hank states that what he said isn’t representative of who he is, but the detective counters by saying it is who he is, but not who he wants to be.

In the end, Hank comes to terms with himself as a superhero, striking down the offer that Red, the daughter of the emperor, had approached him with. When he is approached by Anchor of Justice, a physically caucasian superhero, he is asked to join him in recruiting men to fight for his country. Just before Anchor of Justice leaves, he keys Hank in on a secret he’s never told anyone: that he too is not classified as the majority group, and is from somewhere far away as well.

In The Shadow Hero, Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew engage and challenge many Asian American stereotypes that are prominent in today’s society. From the beginning of the comic, we learn that Hank’s parents had gotten an arranged marriage. Hank’s mother had to oblige to her parents and her husband which enforces the stereotype that Asian women are submissive. Later on, the mother assumes a different role when she is rescued by the American superhero, the Anchor of Justice. She forces her son to become a superhero against his will and goes as far to use chemicals to gain some sort of superpower. The stereotype that Asian parents will make their child do anything if they think it’s going to make them successful in the future is seen here. Especially in this situation, the mother looked up to an American superhero and wanted Hank to be as close as possible to a white man. Many of the white American’s in the book use racist words to describe the Chinese. For instance, When Mock Beak wins in a game of billiards against a white man, another rich looking American remarks how the loser, “didn’t have a Chinaman’s chance” (59). Another example is when Detective Lawful calls the Chinese, “sneaky slant-eyed bastards” (118). Leun bolds these words in the comic to emphasize how the Chinese were really seen by many people.

However, the stereotypes are also challenged in the novel. Despite not wanting to at first, Hank actually does become a successful superhero. He recreates the presupposed image of the white superhero by becoming what was the first Asian superhero. Hank overcomes the stereotype that Asians are weak and scrawny by training hard and bulking up and actually taking down criminals. In the book, many people thought that every superhero was by default a Caucasian man. When Detective Lawful mistakes him for a white man, Hank proudly emphasizes that he is Asian and is doing just as much good as a white superhero which gains respect from the detective. When given the chance to kill Mock Beak, Hank decides to do the just thing and bring him to court instead. He does this to break the stereotype that all of the Chinese in Chinatown followed their own laws and not the American ones. Going on, Red Center is not just a damsel in distress figure in the comic. She is a woman who saves herself and overcomes the stereotype that Asian women are weak.

In the end, Hank becomes a superhero that everyone can look up to, even the Anchor of Justice. He doesn’t just save people for acceptance from the other people of America, but he does this to feel good about himself.

Sonny Liew both defies and engages many stereotypes about Asian Americans in The Shadow Hero. The mother in the story is the stereotypical tiger mom. She decides what she wants her son to be like and tries to create a life for him as a super hero. By forcing this new lifestyle, upon Hank, she exemplifies the overbearing Asian mother stereotype. However, towards the end of the story, she begins to develop as a character. She is proud of her son and let’s him fight without interrupting him again. Liew also portrays Americans in the United States as xenophobic towards the Chinese immigrants. He shows Hank being called a chink. Additionally the superhero before Green Turtle was caucasian.

There are some stereotypes that Liew does challenge in his book. He portrays Red Center, daughter of Ten Grand as a strong female. Normally, Chinese women and girls are deemed shy, quiet, and submissive. Red is nothing to that image. She defies her father and follows her gut by forcing Hank to fight. Not only does she rely on no one but herself, but she is very resourceful and has a will of her own. Similarly, the stereotype of the scrawny and nerdy Asian was challenged in the story through Hank’s character. After training and working to become a super hero, Hank overcame this stereotype. He became a superhero, just like Anchor Man. His heritage did not stop him. 

The tradition of killing others to qualify to be the new leader was broken by Hank. Rather than killing his opponent, Hank arrested him and put him on trial. He broken the old culture and perhaps this symbolizes breaking connections with one’s home country after immigration. However there wasn’t a negative connotation behind this; I took it to mean that sometimes reform can be good.

I believe that Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew’s graphic novel, The Shadow Hero, is an attempt to challenge Asian American stereotypes. Some Asian stereotypes that this novel addresses include: that Asians insist children get perfect grades and continue their education to be doctors or engineers, Asian women are quiet and passive, and more.

One example of this is Hank’s ultimate desire. Hank does not want ultimate power, riches, and prestige. He is content working in his father’s shop. He is not in school with straight A’s studying to become a doctor or an engineer. He tells his father “I want to be here, working in the store. With you” (26). When he is offered the opportunity to become a leader of the Tongs by Red Center, he declines (150). He is not focused on wealth and power, but rather what makes him happy. He enjoys his father’s shop, so that is where he stays.

Red Center also strays from the stereotype that Asian women are passive and peaceful. When she is threatening she successfully fights back (44). She proves time and time again that she is strong and powerful herself and not passive nor submissive. On page 114 she tells Hank that she and her sisters took down some of their best, most powerful men. Red Center is a force to be reckoned with.

Another thing to notice is that when the Green Turtle is wearing his mask, people don’t know he is Asian. It is a stereotype that American superheroes are white. When the Green Turtle brings the Ten Grand imposter to Detective Lawful, the officer begins to criticize and stereotype all Asians until he realizes Hank is Asian too. He says: “I just assumed… with the costume…” (118). Another time something like this happens is when Ten Grand assumes the Green Turtle is Caucasian. “That gwai lo (Cantonese term for white person) superhero invaded my home… So then he’s a… Chinese Superhero?” (114).

While the book works to contradict many Asian stereotypes, it also makes sure the reader knows they exist. Throughout the book, Asian Americans are referred to as “Dumb chink(s)” (62), “sneaky slant-eyed bastards” (118), etc. The Shadow Hero addresses just a few of the Asian American stereotypes that are present in many people’s minds.

For me The Shadow Hero was the story of a boy who becomes a hero to defeat the stereotypes that surround the Asian American community. From the beginning, Hank’s life is depicted in a stereotypical manner. The first stereotype I noticed was that he has an American name, Hank, and he is the only one with such a normal name, he seems to be assimilated into American culture. Another stereotype is that his parents had an arranged marriage and were unhappy with each other. Hank’s mother also assumes the role of the stereotypical “tiger mom” who pushes her son to do what she thinks will make him a good man and successful. Later on in the story we see the stereotype that only a man can continue a dynasty that women aren’t fit to rule. And perhaps the most prominent stereotype in the story is that of corrupt Chinese rulers trying to control Chinatown as it’s own government.

Hank as a hero fights against all these racial stereotypes. When he chooses a name he doesn’t pick a common hero name which makes him seem strong and powerful, instead he picks the name Green Turtle which has meaning to him because it is named after his father’s store. In the beginning when his mom forces him to be a superhero he listens to her and tries to make her happy but  when she no longer approves of being a superhero he actually goes against his “tiger mom” showing that he wants to go fulfill his own dreams. When he meets Red Center he seems to fall in love with her and he goes out with her even though he doesn’t have his mother’s approval. He clearly doesn’t admire the miserable marriage his parent’s had because they were arranged. As the Green Turtle the most important stereotype he defeated was that of the unjust corruption the Chinese apparently had. They are stereotypically depicted as men who are trying to rule their own community their way despite being in America. The Green Turtle however doesn’t believe in it. When he has the chance to kill Mock Beak and become the leader of a dynasty that rules Chinatown, he does the just thing instead. Instead of killing Mock as a way to avenge his father’s death he arrests him and turns him over to the police showing that justice doesn’t have to be served through bloodshed. The Green Turtle isn’t a hero to his people just because he saves them the bad guys, he is a hero to his people because he shows them in a different light one that is clear of all the racial stereotypes.

Shadow Hero-Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew

The Shadow Hero is about immigration, stereotypes and so much more but it reminded me a lot of Tan’s Arrival for many reasons. Both stories show a family’s long journey and struggles as they learned to assimilate into a completely new world However, this novel was about so much more like heritage, race, and courage. Hank was not really sure what he wanted to do when his mom introduced him to fighting and pushed him to be more courageous than his father. This was the first and one of the the most prominent stereotypes that was enforced. It was always up to the man to be stronger, wealthier, and more capable in all aspects. Hank’s father was never appreciated by his wife even though he worked hard for his grocery shop to be able to help support his family. There is also the stereotype of the grocery store, the mom pushing her child to do more, learning Kung Fu, working extra hard and other little things. The Shadow Hero really challenges many Asian American stereotypes in this book.

Another example of this stereotyping is when the detective used chauvinistic terms to describe Asians. However, I think it is important to note that Hank did not just play along and showed his true self and race without hiding under a mask. Hank showed much pride in where he was from and always embraced where he came from and I felt this was a reoccurring theme in the book. I felt that the culture and heritage of the characters was sacred and this was present with many of the characters.  For example, the mother did this with the costume she created, the Asians in the underground bar did this with their battles and designs in the bar, and also the spirits contributed to this. The Spirits in the story were ensuring that the culture that they brought with them remained present. Even though the Spirits disagreed about who should be the emperor, they wanted to preserve some part of who they were. However, I do not think this book was about embracing stereotypes as much as as it was about breaking out of stereotypes. We see that the mom transforms from this uptight stereotypical Asian mom into a more complex character by the end of the novel. She begins in the novel by pushing Hank around and telling him what to do and what not to do but at the ned, she lets Hank do what he feels he needs to do without interfering.

The Shadow Hero engages Asian stereotypes in an effective manner that exploits an underlying xenophobic American society. This is most poignant when Hank, in disguise as the Green Turtle, brings the criminal in place of Ten Grand to Detective Lawful. Moe Bender is literally painted yellow and has the buck teeth, slanted eyes and thin mustache of American’s Asian stereotype. But it’s when Detective Lawful refers to Chinese as “sneaky, slant-eyed bastards” that it becomes clear that this costume of sorts is truly how American society views the Asian community (118). Hank as an Asian superhero is not only challenging Chinese stereotypes but more importantly the American male stereotype as the sole macho, all-around good provider.

Stereotypes as a burden upon foreigners are demonstrated in The Shadow Hero to be obstacles in the way of integration into American society. Hank is attempting to be this superhero—“a good guy”—but it’s not his place as an Asian. This is reminiscent of Reitano’s mentioning of Chinatown as an isolated community as opposed to other culturally amalgamated immigrant hubs like The Five Points, for example. The Chinese community appears exclusive even in Yang’s graphic novel where the position of superhero for Hank is only a vicarious aspiration for his mother and a laughable fate to the rest of the Asian community. Although the text does engage and challenge stereotypes to illustrate Hank’s breach into American society, in a sense, it is important to note that Yang does reveal legitimate Chinese practices like familial piety and values in patriarchy as well.