Predictably, my parents didn't have much to offer on the subject of coolness or puberty, other than that it was a totally meaningless diversion from the true purpose of childhood: getting into Harvard.” Book Genre: Adult, Asian Literature, Autobiography, Biography, Biography Memoir, Canada, Cultural, Family, Literature, Memoir, Nonfiction On that day I became more than just a comic book character -- I became a part of an idea that everyone deserves to see themselves as superheroes, as the leads of their own stories, or simply, just as multifaceted beings with hopes and aspirations and flaws.”

We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu | CBC Books

of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly – he gets straight As, performs exceptionally in national math competitions and makes his parents proud. However, as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Without proper guidance from our parents, who were not terribly concerned with our self-confidence, most of us grew up feeling like we weren’t worthy to be loved or desired; like whatever we were was not enough.”Whether you like it or not, you're getting better at something every day... ...No matter what you choose to do with your day, you are either helping to create a new habit or solidifying old ones” Canada is not unilaterally friendly, nor is “friendly” even something that an entire country can be. Sometimes, it feels a bit like we try to cover up our uncomfortable I spoke about growing up in an immigrant household and butting heads with my parents, whose lives were so fundamentally different from mine that it made conflict almost inevitable” The star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime.

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents. With us, it's different because we grew up here. This is our home and we deserve to be here every bit as much as anybody else, you know? And so with all of the reverence in the world for everything that my parents went through, I demand more for myself. For us, in our generation, we do not deserve the prejudice. I mean, nor do our parents. But we do not deserve the prejudice and discrimination that's been levied upon us. We need to carve out a path for us. We need to build out a home. And we need to show the world that we belong. - Simu Liu on sharing his story to stardomI had become an expert at not doing any work; the more I got away with it, the more my behavior was enabled.”

Believe Lyrics by Josh Groban - The Polar Express Soundtrack Believe Lyrics by Josh Groban - The Polar Express Soundtrack

In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with wit and humour.

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Nobody forced us to come here,” he says. “We made a choice to immigrate. We knew that nothing was going to be handed to us, and we knew we were going to have to work twice as hard as everyone else.”

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story

Whether you like it or not, you're getting better at something every day... ...No matter what you choose to do with your day, you are either helping to create a new habit or solidifying old ones. (p155)” My parents were not interested in concepts like political activism or social equality; there was only work, and survival.” In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family's journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor. Witty, honest, inspiring and relatable, We Were Dreamers weaves together the narratives of two generations in a Chinese immigrant family who are inextricably tied to one another even as they are torn apart by deep cultural misunderstanding. Let's just say, it's really hard to be seen as cool amongst your peers when your parents assign you hours of extra homework every night. And it's similarly hard to admit to those parents, years later, not only that you've lost your respectable accounting job — the one they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in to prepare you for — but also that you kinda want to be an actor.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ To my dog Barkley, who came into my life at my most desperate time of need and held on until the moment he knew I would be okay: I hope you’re wagging your tail up there on the Rainbow Bridge. I miss you every day, my boy.” that our great-great-grandchildren will know their roots and, in the face of adversity, will remember that they are descended from wide-eyed dreamers who never gave up on their goal.”