We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

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 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, show more 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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

I Picked Up This Book Because: I love memoirs.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Library
Dates Read: 7/8/22 - 7/9/22
Stars: 4 Stars
Narrator(s): Simu Liu

Simu Liu seemingly came out of nowhere when Shang-Chi was released. Being someone who does not really follow the ins and outs of Hollywood I thought maybe he just wasn’t on my radar but after listening to his fascinating story I realized he really did come out of nowhere. After entering and leaving a completely different career Mr Liu was rather new to acting when he received this opportunity. Listening to him describe his upbringing in China then Canada I can’t think of someone whose life was so different yet we still experienced some show more of the same things growing up in the same time period… even if I am a bit older. This was a really interesting read. I felt it was open and honest and there were some heartbreaking moments but also moments of pure joy.

The Random Thoughts: show less

I fell in love with Simu Liu in "Kim's Convenience." I'm not a Marvel nerd so I haven't watched Shang-Chi. But with his boyish charm, Simu Liu captured my heart. So when I learned he had a memoir out, I wanted to read it.

Here's the thing. I don't think a 30 year old should necessarily be writing a memoir. You still have LOTS of life to live. BUT with the byline being an "origin" story, I truly got that. Simu didn't focus so much on the acting parts of his career; he focused more on the elements of his family and his culture that got him to becoming Marvel's first Asian superhero.

I'm curious what many will think while reading this book, especially those who have also immigrated the United States. I grew up here, I have white parents, I show more admittedly cannot relate to some of the things experienced. I also cannot relate to the HUGE pressure to perform, succeed, and be the absolute best that Simu did.....at the expense of his relationship with his mom and dad. However, I do think his experiences are very similar to others of Asian descent; I want to hear from them.

Simu could come off like an asshole. I mean, should all of those experiences and abuse have been documented? Especially since his family is, even now, evolving and getting better at exhibiting love and praise? That remains to be seen. However, I truly loved his insight into Simu's embracing of his culture. How he OWNS it and how he does not apologize for being an Asian American. I do think he will do big things in Hollywood.

I wanted Simu to go more in depth about Kim's Convenience--just because I loved the show AND I know he and the cast had struggles with Asian representation vs white production heads. I wanted to know more about Simu's amazing relationship with his grandparents (the ones who raised him for the first four years of his life. The ones who he felt truly loved him. The ones who apparently died while he was writing this book.) Hence why this book only gets a medium rating. But there is good. And I do recommend it. show less

Wow, Simu is a fantastic writer. He writes with humility and humor as he shares his life story including the not so flattering parts. I felt every emotion that Simu wrote, I laughed and I cried. I loved him in Kim's Convenience and I hope he has a long and healthy career because I want to see all his future projects.