We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

The newest member of Marvel reveals his own remarkable and surprising journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood.Simu Liu is an immigrant who fights against cultural prejudices and family expectations. He rises from the ashes of a failing accounting profession (yeah, you read that correctly) to become Shang-Chi.

As they attempt to establish a future for themselves in Canada, Simu's parents have left him in the care of his grandparents in the city of Harbin, where our narrative starts. Simu's father unexpectedly knocks on the door one day and takes him away from the only house he has ever known to the land of possibility and maple syrup.But life in the new world isn't all it's made up to be; instead of Simu's grandparents' tender touch, his new guardians' harsh words and bruised emotions ensue. However, despite their biological relationship, his parents find it difficult to connect to and emotionally distant from their new son because of differences in language, culture, and beliefs.As Simu gets older, he excels at playing the role of the devout son; he wins national maths contests, receives As and keeps his parents happy. However, as time passes, he becomes more and more frustrated with the demands made on him and finds it more difficult to maintain the façade.Just one year after graduating from college, he loses his first accounting job, which brings his life to a complete collapse. Simu, jobless, ashamed, and at the end of his ropes, stumbles onto an advertisement on Craigslist that would take him on a very surreal trip into the enigmatic realm of show business.Simu's will to forge his own path eventually helps him thrive as an actor and pave the way for his parents' reconciliation despite a wide range of setbacks and humorous mistakes. After all, he inherited his parents' bravery to follow his dreams no matter what from them, since they too overcame great obstacles to immigrate to Canada.We Were Dreamers is a narrative about discovering your family, growing up in two different cultures, and taking control of your unique situation rather than just a memoir written by a famous person.