Simu Liu (1989–)

Simu Liu had me hooked from the first line of this book. He is charming and laugh-out-loud funny, and as someone who is only a few years older than him, I delighted in all the 1990s/early 2000s cultural discussion. At the same time, he lives up to his name, which means “introspective”, presenting the story of his parents and his own childhood with honesty and grace, even when the subject matter was hard to handle. He discusses the challenges of writing about some of the more difficult show more periods of his life and celebrates the successes of others. All I knew about him before reading this book was having seen Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I’d never even seen Kim’s Convenience. But I found this to be a great memoir, perfectly structured in three acts, and with not one but two photo spreads! If you’re already a fan, you’ll definitely want to read this. show less

In We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, Simu Liu tells the story of his life and that of his family, from the Japanese invasion of China during World War II through his own work in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He explains how his parents worked to achieve success – first in their birth country of China and then in their adopted country of Canada – and how that drive transferred into a hostile environment for him growing up in Canada where show more he felt the weight of the expectations coupled with feelings of being an outsider in a settler colonial nation. Liu never shies away from his struggles, but balances them with the moments he managed to find joy or a sense of belonging, eventually leading to his acting career after finance turned out to be too soul-crushing. He concludes, “From Harbin to Beijing, Tempe to Kingston, we had triumphed and persevered over impossible odds time after time. Maybe it was time for us to take Hollywood too” (pg. 282). Liu’s story will interest those struggling with their own family’s expectations, in particular those from immigrant families, but will also be an insightful read for those who just want to know more about one of the newest Avengers. show less

In his funny and relatable memoir, Simu Liu reflects on his bumpy road to success in the entertainment business and his difficult and sometimes toxic relationship with his parents. Liu, shares the challenges his parents faced growing up in communist China, emigrating to Canada and raising a son who straddled two cultures. Liu tackles difficult topics including parental neglect and anti-Asian discrimination with honesty and compassion. TW: contains descriptions of verbal & physical abuse.

I’m a big fan of Kim’s Convenience, Ryan Reynolds blurbed it, and I teared up during the prologue so I was pretty sure this was going to be five stars. Heartbreaking, uplifting and funny. Representation matters, and Simu fought for it, for himself and for others who may now find the courage to explore a life different that what their parents expected of them.

Being the child of immigrant parents brings a whole set of expectations, That alone would be a lot to handle but add in being show more separated from his parent for the crucial first years, the impact of historical events in China on his parents, on the impact of Canada’s (and US’s) racism towards Chinese people, and on the film industries’ stereotypical portrayal of Asian people and you have significant barriers to overcome.

Here is the letter that started it all, https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/a-chinese-canadian-to-his-parents-privately-i-ye... show less