As I excitedly reference some of these shows that defined my childhood, I realize how important it is to celebrate the moment that my all-time-faves are being represented on screen. I used to have to watch Hong Kong dramas and Korean Dramas to ever see my Asian side represented. My Canadian/Western side of my identity was encased in the sci-fi, superhero, and fantasy shows that I loved so much. Yet, I was neither. I wasn’t "HK" enough for the Hong Kong dramas while also never truly Canadian enough to see myself truly in some of these sci-fi, superhero, and fantasy scenes. Shang-Chi demonstrates the beginning of this journey where I can combine my love of the supernatural in fiction in a way that represented myself. Shang-Chi as a movie shows me a way of existing that doesn’t just show East Asian characters as sidekicks to be killed off (despite being lauded as the only representation in the show, allowing me to live off the fumes). I saw me. All of me. Without cutting myself into bits and pieces.
LUCY DAN
