Simu Liu Got Real About Racism In Canada & Says He's Been Told To 'Go Back To China'

His book "We Were Dreamers" is out now.

Simu Liu with his book. Right: Simu Liu smiling.

Simu Liu with his book. Right: Simu Liu smiling.

Senior Writer

This article contains content that may be upsetting to some of our readers.

Simu Liu has just released an autobiography and he did not sugarcoat some of the harsher things that have happened in his life.

Although he of course talks about his success, his path to becoming a regular on Kim's Convenience and the star of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the journey definitely wasn't easy.

In his book We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, Liu talked about his strained relationship with his parents as a teen and young adult where verbal and physical abuse were common in his household.

As well, he documented some of the "subtle prejudice" his family faced when they moved to Canada so his dad could attend Queen's University, like when people would sigh or roll their eyes when his dad would stumble over his words.

He went on to explain his mixed feelings.

"Now, don't get me wrong, I love Canada, and I believe that it is a tolerant place," Liu shared. "I've loved the range of people and the diversity of experiences that I've come to know in my home country."

"But at the same time, I have been called a ch***, and I have been told to go back to China," he continued.

"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 truths with a veneer of tolerance and inclusion," he said.

He also talked about "the total mindf*ck" about growing up as Asian and male in a society plagued by derogatory stereotypes.

"Asian men were frequently depicted in Western media as awkward, nerdy, and completely undateable — pretty much exactly what my parents were trying to mould me into," he said of his younger years.

"I know this is a lot of really heavy stuff to put into the psyche of a twelve-year-old, but it definitely affected me, and it definitely affected every Asian boy that grew up in a Western country."

"The double whammy of being teased on the playground with ching-chong noises and then seeing ourselves ridiculed on the screen robbed us of our natural confidence," he explained.

  • Senior Writer

    Sarah Rohoman (she/her) was a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. She has worked at BuzzFeed Canada, Yahoo Canada, and CBC Radio in news, lifestyle, ecommerce, and social media. She has an MA in Journalism from Western University and a BA from McGill. She loves libraries, alpacas, and all things witchy.

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