Discussion & Reflection

Asian American Stereotypes in The Shadow Hero

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.

Asian Stereotypes in The Shadow Hero

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.

Superhero Stereotypes

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.

How Hank and Red Fight Asian American Stereotypes

Gene Leun Yang’s and Sonny Liew’s The Shadow Hero describes how a 19-year-old Asian American man becomes a superhero by the name of “The Green Turtle.” Throughout the graphic novel, Asian American stereotypes are challenged especially when it comes to the portrayals of Hank and Red.

In the beginning of The Shadow Hero, Hank is drawn as scrawny and thin, but once his mother convinces him to start training with Uncle Wun Too, his physique soon changes to being a more muscular one. Generally, through the media’s inaccurate and stereotyped perception, Asian men tend to be shown as intelligent but also gawky and feeble. In The Shadow Hero, Yang and Liew diverge from this physical stereotype, but, to some extent, make Hank a bit awkward. However, this awkwardness is not meant to reflect the Asian American stereotype, but instead, it is meant to reflect Hank’s age since he is only 19 years old. Through Hank’s toned physique and his awkwardness, Yang and Liew try to diminish the Asian American stereotype in order to show that Asian American men can be relatable and can also be superheroes.

Liew and Yang also challenge the stereotypes of Asian American women through the portrayal of Red. The reader first meets Red when Hank attempts to rescue her from two older men who want to assault her. Soon, it becomes evident that Red is not a damsel in distress but rather can fend for herself, especially since she rescues Hank from the men and urges him to go to the hospital. Though Red is the daughter of Ten Grand, she does let this stop her from spending time with Hank. She also relies on her own abilities rather than just her family name to save herself. In the media, Asian American women tend to be portrayed as submissive and quiet. However, Yeng and Liew portray Red as the opposite –a woman who can fight for herself and does not need to be rescued.

The Shadow Hero fights many Asian American stereotypes through Hank and Red. Through this fight against these stereotypes, Yang and Liew prove that Asian American characters are multi-dimensional and can relate the audience. Also, Yang and Liew show how incorrect media is when it comes to Asian Americans since it tends to focus solely on stereotypes. Essentially, by diverting from stereotypes, Yang and Liew show how being a superhero does not need to be limited to a White American male and also how every love interest or female character in a comic book does not need to be a damsel in distress.

Stereotyping in The Shadow Hero

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-Breaking Out Of 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 Role of Stereotyping in The Shadow Hero

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.

The “New” New York Summary

Chapter 10 discusses how from the twentieth century to the twenty-first, New York refined and reevaluated.  Because of the 1965 immigration reform, New York became even more a “city of immigrants” than ever, welcoming hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the Caribbean, East and Central Asia, and Russia, among other places. Politically, Rudolph Giuliani made significant changes to New York as a Republican in a Democratic city. Because of his policies regarding the working class and education, he stirred up conflicts in regards to race, although he was commended for his handling of the September 11th tragedy.

One of the most prominent groups of new immigrants Reitano describes are Asians. The Chinese, who had been in America in groups since the 1800’s, were the first ethnicity to experience legal exclusion, forcing them to remain outside of the American political sphere until the policy’s end in 1943. After 1965, Chinatown was able to  expand its numbers, and New York welcomed in Chinese immigrants from Southern China who entered sweatshops, and even more from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai, speaking Mandarin instead of Cantonese. After 1943, Chinese Americans were able to organize politically, electing the first Chinese American citywide official (John Liu), among several others. The increase in economic prosperity in this community led to several stereotypes of asians being the “model minority” which leads to parents putting excessive pressure on their children.

Another Asian community, Koreans, helped regenerate their communities, establishing small businesses, causing some inter-community conflicts with other ethnic communities.

The next major immigrant group Reitano mentions are Latinos. The first major wave were the Puerto Ricans. Able to travel back and forth between America and Puerto Rico, this community created a multifaceted identity as well as the term to describe this identity, “Nuyorican”. Puerto Ricans contributed a lot to the cultural landscape of the city through things like music, language and longstanding family traditions. Politically, they were influential in the 1960s, electing Puerto Rican legislators and congressmen. Unfortunately, Puerto Ricans characteristically experienced economic disparity throughout their time in New York City.

After Puerto Ricans came Dominicans who had a lot of the same experiences and impacts in the city. Dominicans were also able to travel back and forth, many of them becoming transnational dual citizens, which caused some of them to limit their involvement with American politics. Currently, Latino groups have found ways to prosper in tandem with other ethnic groups, especially through women in the communities.

Reitano closes the chapter by describing The Social Contract. This is the idea that since cities are places where people live and work together, they also form issues of general and personal interest among themselves that the government must respond to. In these passages, she details the changes made to the City through Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Giuliani believed that the welfare system allowed the poor to be “lazy” and waste the money of the hard-working middle class. Consequently, he pulled more than 600,000 people from welfare rolls, and established systems where the homeless had to work daily for their food and shelter. In addition to this, Giuliani  transferred money into private institutions and established tax breaks for corporations, among other things. Giuliani also rebuilt the public school system, buffing up security and reducing bureaucracy, while also battling the teacher’s union and cutting aid for many public schools. These are but some of the positive and negative changes he created while altering the city’s social contract. Despite the many conflicts and controversial ideas, he is remembered best for his stoic and intelligent handling of the tragedy of September 11th.

Reitano Ch 10

This chapter is basically a review of all the immigrant groups who came to New York and their impact on the city; economically, socially, and politically. The relationship that immigrants have had with this city is give and take. They contribute their skills to the labor force while gaining a better life than the one they left behind in their home country. They arrived waves and tend to stick together. This created a city that I extremely diverse. Immigrants inevitably bring their cultures and traditions with them when they come a new place.

Reitano begins with the Asian immigrants and their experiences. Each groups role in the ever changing society of the city changes along with the current condition of the city. In the case of the Asians, they were initially extremely isolated from the rest of the city. Chinatown was its own separate entity. They were even “prohibited from becoming citizens” and for a long time were unable to participate in politics at all. There were also stereotypes that developed regarding the Asians. These were not necessarily negative stereotypes in their eyes though. They were seen as very smart hard workers. They embraced this a put much pressure on their children. Many were entrepreneurs and small business owners. The two main Asian immigrant groups were Chinese and Korean. Although they did not share national ties they still grouped themselves together somewhat in Chinatown.

Next are the Latinos. One of the main groups that initially came were the Puerto Ricans. They contributed a lot culture through music and language. Other characteristic of their culture was strong family traditions. One thing that set he Latinos apart from other immigrant groups was that they maintained strong ties with their homeland. Because of the US’ proximity to South America they were actually able to travel back and forth. Soon after the wave of immigrants to Puerto Rico the Dominicans followed. They were also very traditional and were strongly tied to their country. This actually tended to cause internal conflict for many. Their identity was complicated and they did not know where to place their loyalty. Many Latinos work in industrial jobs after WWII. Even though they generally took more low paying job there was still the possibility of upward social mobility.

Lastly, is The Social Contract. This part discusses the political environment of the city and how it has adjusted to the needs of the city as a whole as well as the individuals. These include policies for working conditions, taxes, and the pubic school system. Reitano discusses the policies of the various mayors that have lead the city, including Giuliani, LaGuardia and Badillo. Another component of the social contract is the First Amendment. People right of assembly as been an integral part of New York City’s social and political environment. The section finished with 9/11 and Giuliani’s admirable leadership in handling the situation. I think what Reitano is trying to convey is how strong and resilient this city is even with its immensely diverse patchwork of a population.

Reitano Chapter 10 Summary

Living in New York City means interacting with a vast array of cultures because of the ubiquity of variety. Whether it be in food, music, dress, languages or religions, the youth absorb diversity and topple ethnic barriers. This interaction occurs at schools and within neighborhoods, developing a multifaceted, multicultural youth with a “cosmopolitan identity.” The removal of national origin quotas that limited immigration from 1920-1965 led to unprecedented diversity in New York’s population. Established populations, such as the Italians and Eastern European Jews, were moving out or up, and often being replaced by Asians, Russians, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans.

Asians long suffered exclusion from immigration waves. However, the massive reform in 1965 increased the 105-person annual quota to 20,000, increasing Chinatown’s population drastically. Under new laws, families could reunify. Immigrants from Southern China joined their Cantonese relatives in New York, and earned jobs in sweatshops to satisfy the demand for labor in the garment industry. These jobs were acquired through family networks and bosses who demanded compliance and hard work. Wealthier Chinese moved in uptown, and often looked down on the Cantonese who lived downtown. These “Uptown Chinese” bought real estate, raised rents, and financed small businesses. The arrival of banks in Chinatown signaled a movement to develop the area, and led to a gentrification that moved many Chinese into Brooklyn. Asian immigrants embraced the positive images of their stereotypes as smart, ambitious and industrious, emphasizing the importance of education. Among Korean immigrants, 67 percent of adults had college educations and 40 percent had professional or technical backgrounds. Poor English, however, limited their ambitions, leading them to transfer their hopes to their children. Koreans moved into midtown, replacing Jewish and Italian immigrants, and set up thriving business and restaurants.

“Nuyorican”, a term for a Puerto Rican in New York City, demonstrates the ambivalence of identity among Puerto Ricans in an ethnically diverse city. Music, language, and strong family traditions in Puerto Rican culture contributed to the urban environment. Economically, Puerto Ricans provided much of the labor force during the United States’ post-WWII growth. Involving themselves politically, Puerto Ricans were elected to congress, state senate, and borough councils. Puerto Rican migration declined in the 1960s, after a peak in the 1950s. Dominicans moved into the city at extraordinary rates, and by 2000 Dominicans outnumbered Puerto Ricans. Dominicans are transnational, and can hold dual citizenships. For this reason, Michael Bloomberg campaigned for mayor in the Dominican Republic to earn the vote of New York Dominicans abroad. Like Puerto Ricans, Dominicans elected many city and state legislators and officials. As old Jewish and Italian workers moved up and out, Dominican women replaced them in the factories; however, they often earned lower wages than their predecessors. Lack of unity and English speakers made it difficult to form union ties. Low rates of high school and college graduation tie Dominicans to the industrial sector, and have suffered economically as this sector continues to shrink. In non-Manhattan communities, such as Corona, Queens, Dominicans coexist with many other Latino groups, African Americans, and white ethnics. In serving in community positions, women from these groups often interact and form cultural bridges, transcending their traditional home-maker roles.

A city is a localization of the social contract, where people further individual interests in a collective society, intertwining the two through public policy. Rudy Giuliani’s mayoralty in the 1990’s contrasted with the agendas of previous mayors. Giuliani led an overhaul of New York’s liberal social policies, cracked down on crime, and decreased education funding, but not without controversy. Despite the conflicts under his mayoralty, Giuliani was championed for his reduction of crime and his response to the collapse of the Twin Towers. Giuliani’s conservative views reflected in his moves to reduce funding for welfare, Medicaid programs, and public education funding. He eliminated over 600,000 people from welfare rolls, but 90 percent of people who appealed their rejections were deemed eligible for aid. Giuliani’s scaling back of welfare programs increased the homeless population, suggesting that decreased welfare did not immediately transition to a rise from poverty. Giuliani used a private company to start job centers, and those who didn’t find jobs had to work in the public sector for 20 hours a week. Giuliani cut taxes, benefitting business, and often enacted policies that hurt departments where both workers and clients were minorities. These choices led many people to feel that Giuliani made his policies based on race. Giuliani regularized and controlled schools, disbanding the Board of Education and instituting citywide testing and standards. Giuliani often clashed with the teacher’s union and cut school’s operating and construction budgets. He was also the first mayor that supported a reduction in state aid for schools. Giuliani’s appointee to the position of special education monitor Herman Badillo became a chairperson of CUNY’s Board of Trustees, dismantling open admissions. Giuliani opposed the public display of a painting of the Virgin Mary that many deemed “offensive art”, cutting the public funds and lease to the Brooklyn Museum. Thus, in economic, educational, and social policies, Giuliani increased the presence of accountability in the social contract.