We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

CONTENT WARNING: Physical, emotional, and psychological abuse of a child; racism in the media and in general. I will be discussing and providing excerpts about these topics.

I began listening to this audiobook in segments while sleeping and while working on graphic design projects, mostly because I quite enjoy the sound of Simu Liu's voice and couldn't get my podcast app to cooperate at the time. Thus, I have to admit I only paid half-attention to some bits in the first third or so. But I did catch a few gems, like my favourite quote from the memoir:

“Don't even get me started on the phonetic clusterfuck that is the word colonel.”

My mom came upstairs, forced her foot through the door, pried it open and delivered an MMA-style beatdown as I curled up into the fetal position to protect my head.

My father was no doormat, either. Over time, his docile, harmless personality had twisted into a sort of Jekyll and Hyde-like dynamic - he was gentle and even-tempered most of the time, but would redline in the blink of an eye. He didn't lose control often, but when he did, it always hurt. He would hit with his feet and his closed fists, all the while stringing together curses in Mandarin that would make a sailor blush.

Although he definitely hit harder than my mom, my father's physical violence paled in comparison to his skill in psychological warfare. He excelled at invading my privacy and thereby eliminating any shred of safety and security I still felt at home.

some

so many

A part of me really hoped that if I just made enough of a fuss, someone would step in and fix what was wrong with us. I was alone and desperate for help, while the two people I was supposed to count on were actually the cause of my suffering.

I know that my father was not evil, and I know that he didn't deliberately intend to inflict deep emotional scars. It must have been difficult empathizing with a child who he wholeheartedly believed had a far easier life than he did. I didn't really know what it was like to grow up constantly hungry because there wasn't enough food, or to have to uproot your entire life to travel halfway around the world to start from the bottom all over again; my biggest concern was figuring out why I wasn't more popular at school.

Maybe let's don't act like kicking and punching one's own child is a valid or understandable response to... frankly, anything...?

something

acknowledgments

I want to thank my parents, whose struggles and triumphs are the true heart and soul of this book. [...] Thank you for your willingness to revisit the bad memories with me, and for allowing me to tell our story honestly and openly in the hopes that families today could learn from us and steer themselves from the same mistakes. You continue to inspire me in all that you do, and I love you with all my heart.

surreal

Go! My Favorite Sports Team

But anyway.

and voice

As much as I want to go back in time and slap the shit out of my younger self, I think it's worth mentioning that, back then, nobody was having conversations about Asian representation in mainstream media - not even Asian people. As far as I was concerned, playing into stereotypes was an occupational necessity.
[...]
I was Chinese, approachably attractive and in shape, which made me a perfectly nondescript token Asian in a friend group. Ad agencies loved that kind of pseudo-diversity.

but still

Ever tried to get a table at a Korean barbecue joint on a Friday night in K-town? Good luck - without a hookup or a reservation, you'll be waiting hours! The same goes for hot pot, a delicious cook-it-yourself experience where slices of meat are dipped in broths like a fondue right in front of you. These restaurants are more than places to eat dinner; they are a way of life.

Watching television, though, you'd never even know that these places existed. It so perfectly exemlifies the racism that we continue to feel every day - not necessarily of outright hostility (although the COVID-19 pandemic certainly brought that out in people), but of invisibility and erasure.

It seems like such a paradox to me that human beings are both great adapters to change and terrified by it at the same time. So often we drift through life bound by the poor decisions we???ve made in the past, too afraid of the uncertainty that comes with challenging our status quo. We find ourselves stuck on a ship that is headed full speed to a place we???re pretty sure we don???t want to go, but we also don???t want to deal with the discomfort of jumping. So we say nothing, watching helplessly as we sail toward our doom like silent prisoners of our own past.

I'm a big fan of Simu and his work (and, his love for boba) but not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting this book to be this good... but it is! The story of his childhood is quite sad, yet the journey he took to get to where he is today is so inspiring.

If you get the chance, listen to the audiobook! Simu is a great story-teller (and actor), and it really shows in his audiobook.