Orientalism Meets Intersectionality: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
A predominately-Asian cast isn't enough to erase the MCU's racism.
*This post was originally an essay for a Race, Representation and Media class I took in Fall 2022. It has since been edited to post on Substack.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has had a controversial history in its representations of minorities. From its depictions of women, people of colour, and women of colour, along with its lack of LGBTQ+ representation until its most recent phase, there is much to critique regarding the MCU’s inclusivity. As the team behind the MCU makes conscious attempts to showcase positive representations of minorities in Phase 4, improvements have been made; however, there still seems to be a perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, even if it is not overtly apparent in a film’s first viewing.
There are varying opinions regarding the MCU’s representation of race in Phase 4. For example, Walter Chaw of The Washington Post calls the first Asian-led MCU movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (SCLTR) (2021), “an Orientalist fantasia,” while BBC.com’s Kesewaa Browne focusses on how it is “a turning point” for Asian representation in Hollywood cinema. The discussion of whether the film continues Hollywood’s tradition of ‘othering’ the East or is a stepping stone towards better Asian representation in mainstream cinema will be the focus of this essay.
To agree with Chaw, I find that SCLTR continues to subtly perpetuate the ‘othering’ of China through its embodiment of yellow peril and its representation of Shang-Chi as a model minority, despite the film’s attempts to move away from Orientalist stereotypes. Additionally, looking through the lens of intersectionality, the film maintains negative representations of Asian women with each of the female characters having traits that stem from old stereotypes.
Definitions of Concepts
Orientalism
Edward Said, in his book Orientalism, defines the titular term in multiple fashions: as semi-imaginative meanings and as academic tradition.
Orientalism as semi-imaginative meanings relate to how Europe positioned itself in relation to the East, what came to be considered the Orient (Said 1-2); here, Orientalism is “a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient’s special place in European Western experience” (Said 1).
In the academic tradition, besides it being the name for the study of the Orient, Orientalism “is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between ‘the Orient’ and (most of the time) ‘the Occident’” (Said 2). In other words, it is the study between the perceived historical differences between the Eastern and Western worlds.
Said (3) offers a third definition with the concept being a corporate institution: “Orientalism as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.” Here, the Orient is considered to be inferior to the West in its cultural ideologies and activities.
These last two definitions, the one of academic tradition and Orientalism as a corporate institution, are the lenses in which I will be analyzing SCLTR. The film’s depictions of Asian people and China reinforce the idea of the East as the inferior ‘Other,’ with assistance from the Western world necessary to defeat the Eastern world’s villain.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality, as defined by Mia Moody-Ramirez (296) in her essay “Gender and Black Feminist Theory: Examining Difference,” is a concept in feminist theory that “emphasizes the study of intersections between forms or systems of oppression, domination, and discrimination.” In other words, it is the examination of the different intersections between race, class, gender, culture, and sexuality, and how these intersections affect the portrayal and treatment of a person.
Moody-Ramirez (297) points out how female athletes of colour receive less media coverage than their white female counterparts—and, albeit not mentioned in her essay, white, female athletes receive less coverage than their male counterparts.
Intersectionality examines and attempts to challenge the hierarchy of society, with white, straight, cisgendered, rich, Western men at the top. In regards to SCLTR, intersectionality highlights the underlying stereotypes in its portrayal of Asian, female characters.
Yellow Peril vs. the Model Minority
Dweller-in-Darkness as Yellow Peril
One of the significant Orientalist representations in SCLTR is the transformed embodiment of yellow peril.
The yellow peril stereotype stemmed from the fear of Asian immigration to the United States (U.S.) around the early 20th century (Kawai 112). The underlying idea, or fear, was that Asia would dominate the West due to its large population, military, economic and imperial power, eventually overtaking the White race (Kawai 112). As Kawai (112) states, “the yellow peril referred to [a] cultural threat as well as economic, political, and military threats to the White race.”
The team behind SCLTR made a conscious effort to remove this idea of yellow peril by replacing its yellow peril embodiment, Fu Manchu, with the humanized Xu Wenwu. In the comics, Shang-Chi’s main enemy was Fu Manchu, a Chinese villain created by Sax Rhomer in 1913 for his mystery novel series that held offensive and racist descriptions of the character (Francisco). In 1973, Marvel obtained licensing to use Fu Manchu as Shang-Chi’s evil father (Francisco). For the making of SCLTR, the creators had a list of characteristics that they did not want Wenwu to have, stating “this needs to be a character not intent on destroying the world, not mysterious or sneaky, or a sorcerer whose magic Westerners cannot understand” (Callaham qtd. in Francisco). In humanizing Wenwu, however, the creators transferred the embodiment of yellow peril to that of the film’s other villain, the Dweller-in-Darkness.
The Dweller-in-Darkness is the main villain in SCLTR, manipulating different people throughout history to try and release it from its imprisonment in the dimension of Ta Lo. Within the film’s story, Wenwu is the person the Dweller tricks, calling to him using the voice of his late wife. Its goal is the destruction of Ta Lo and to go through the portal to eventually destroy the entire world.
To use the ‘Wenwu list’ from the creators of SCLTR (Francisco), the Dweller embodies yellow peril through its intent of the world’s destruction, its sneaky manipulation of Wenwu, and the mystery behind its ability to trick its voices. Although the Dweller is not a sorcerer, and its strength clearly comes from the souls of people, the source of the Dweller’s mysticism is left relatively vague—the history of the Dweller’s intent and the soul-sucking abilities of its minions are known, but not the origins of the Dweller nor its power.
Furthermore, due to Marvel centralizing ‘Earth’s mightiest heroes’ to the U.S., the Western country becomes the main focus of the MCU's depiction of the world; and, since the Dweller comes from a Chinese dimension, the threat is translated as a threat against America rather than Earth. This is amplified by the fact that China and America are the only set locations within the film, with little-to-no mention of other countries.
In the film, the world is set as the U.S. and China; and since the Dweller is coming from China, or rather the Chinese dimension of Ta Lo, it reads that the threat posed is against the U.S.. The Dweller’s goal of power, of world destruction, simply embodies yellow peril in a monstrous form rather than the human form of Fu Manchu, maintaining the idea of a threat from the East that is prevalent in Hollywood films.
Shang-Chi as the Model Minority
In defeating the Dweller-in-Darkness, Shang-Chi becomes representative of the model minority.
The model minority myth came circa 1966, with two different articles outlining the success of Japanese and Chinese Americans, praising them for being “model minority groups who had close family ties, were extremely serious about education, and were law-abiding” (Kawai 113). It emphasized a colour-blind ideology, where the success of Asian Americans was used to dismiss the existence of institutional racism in the U.S., and remains tied to the idea of yellow peril through the dichotomous nature of the two (Kawai 115). While yellow peril is regarded as the negative stereotype, embodying ‘foreignness’ and ‘masculinity’, the model minority is regarded as the positive counterpart, embodying ‘docility’ and ‘femininity’ (Kawai 115).
If the Dweller-in-Darkness is yellow peril, then Shang-Chi is the model minority that “[creates] a less threatening face of the yellow peril” (Kawai 115).
In becoming the model minority, Shang-Chi is forced to take on the additional stereotypes that come with it. He is seen as weak and asexual, in line with early representations of Asian men in media (Mok 191).
Before his ability to fight is showcased to other characters, Shang-Chi is believed to be unable to do so. In the scene where he is attacked on the bus for the pendant his mother gave him as a child, his best friend, Katy, exclaims “Does he look like he can fight?” (Shang-Chi 17:05-17:07), giving the impression that he is perceived to be weak even by those closest to him. Given their history of being best friends since high school, it does not make sense as to why Katy believes he cannot fight or lacks the strength to. Additionally, when Shang-Chi has to fight his sister, Xialing, in her underground fight club, Katy bets against him, despite seeing his prowess in the martial arts on the bus. While these moments are supposed to be comedic due to the audience’s awareness of his fighting abilities and the dynamics of the characters’ friendship, the underlying message is that he is seen as weak because he is an Asian man. No matter how strong he actually is, his race prevents him from being seen as such.
Furthermore, Shang-Chi is the only male superhero with a standalone film in the MCU without a love interest, perpetuating the idea that Asian men are undesirable. There is no hint at him being romantically or sexually involved with anybody throughout the entirety of the film. Given that every other male superhero in the MCU has been provided with a love interest, with even the extraterrestrial robots shown in Eternals (2021)—the film that immediately followed SCLTR in the Phase 4 releases—dealing with issues of love and sex, Shang-Chi stands out as a black sheep.
Shang-Chi’s perceived weakness and asexuality in the film only highlights the MCU’s Orientalist views, while continuing to enforce these stereotypes of Asian men.
Stereotypes in SCLTR’s Female Characters
Moving to view the female intersections of the film, it can be seen that the women of SCLTR also display stereotypical attributes that originate from early portrayals of Asian peoples in media.
Xialing as the Dragon Lady
One of the most famous stereotypes is that of the ‘Dragon Lady,’ who is another representation of yellow peril (Lee 1). She is cold and threatening, the opposite to the sensitive and submissive ‘China Doll’ (Lee 1; 3). She is overtly sexual in her depictions and she uses her desirability, as well as excessive violence and murder, to achieve her goals of power (Lee 3). The Dragon Lady’s connections to yellow peril place her as an opposition to the West, its power and its practices.
In SCLTR, the stereotype is humanized with a diluted version of the Dragon Lady. She is represented by Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing.
While Xialing is definitely not unfeeling, as the film highlights her feelings of betrayal over Shang-Chi running away and her compassion for her family and Ta Lo, she is certainly cold and violent. She does not show much outward emotion, and her penchant for violence is displayed heavily throughout the film—she runs an underground fight club, she breaks down the stone wall when they escape Wenwu’s prison by herself, and, when the opportunity comes to speak with her brother, she instead brutally fights him. Additionally, when Shang-Chi attempts to question one of the Ten Rings soldiers when they attack Xialing’s underground fight club, Xialing kicks the soldier to his death and asks Shang-Chi, “Did America make you soft?” (Shang-Chi 41:17-41:19). This line highlights her position as an opposing force to the West, as well as her violent nature, while also reinforcing the idea of the East being ruthless and unfeeling. While these traits may be a product of how she was brought up, this product is simply representative of the Dragon Lady stereotype and its dilution in contemporary media.
Ying Li as the War Bride
Xialing and Shang-Chi’s mother, Ying Li, is on a different end of the spectrum than her daughter, as she is more compassionate and less inclined to physical violence. While she could be a diluted form of the China Doll, with her sensitivity to emotion, I would say she shows more characteristics of the War Bride, as outlined by Aki Uchida in his essay “The Orientalization of Asian Women in America.”
The War Bride—or rather, the descriptions of Japanese women from World War II according to white, male soldiers—is a perfect wife. Her iterations are “‘domestic and excellent homemakers,’ with ‘wifely virtues and male-pleasing attributes’” (Uchida 166). There is little that she does besides make a perfect wife—and that is exactly how Li is portrayed in the film.
There is little known about Li, besides her origins being in Ta Lo. All the audience comes to learn about her is that she was a caring mother, a loving wife and protective over the ones she cares about. She was so desirable that Wenwu gave up his endless fight for power—she easily checked the box for “male-pleasing attributes” (Uchida 166). Additionally, her domesticity is one of the main features of her character, with flashbacks throughout the film showcasing her as the perfect mother; and, as evidenced by Wenwu’s vengeful reaction to her death, the perfect wife. Li fulfills the War Bride stereotype, only furthering the harmful representations of Asian women in Hollywood.
Ying Nan as the Magical Asian
Shifting away from the stereotype spectrum Xialing and Li find themselves on, the latter’s sister, Ying Nan, takes on a different stereotype: the ‘Magical Asian’.
The Magical Asian is similar to the Magical Negro or the Magical Native American in the sense that they all exist to serve white characters through the wisdom of their people (“Magical Asian”)—and by ‘their people’, I mean the ‘Other’ within a film’s Westernized context. The range of skills for the Magical Asian can vary from martial arts, medicine and supernatural intuition (“Magical Asian”). Usually, the Magical Asian is portrayed by a male character, like Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), Pai Mei in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) (“Magical Asian”), or Master Shifu in Kung Fu Panda (2008).
The Magical Asian’s pupil does not necessarily have to be white, however—Shang-Chi, after all, is SCLTR’s Magical Asian’s student and he is clearly a person of colour. Another example would be from the animated television show, Miraculous Ladybug. There, Master Wang Fu represents the Magical Asian as the Guardian of the Miraculous and he trains the main female lead, Marinette, who is half-Chinese. It seems that, for contemporary media that has a wider range of diversity, the ‘Magical [Insert Non-White Ethnicity Here]’ teaches another character about concepts that appear to be ‘exotic’ in a Westernized context.
This trope of the wise, Asian mentor, however, is attributed to a female character in SCLTR: Nan takes on the role of training Shang-Chi before the final battle. In doing so, the trope becomes feminized.
While the male counterpart “is not always nice to his… protégé” (“Magical Asian”), Nan is kind and nurturing throughout the process of training Shang-Chi. There are no education tactics disguised through other means, like with Mr. Miyagi, nor any punishment for possible wrongdoing, like with Pai Mei (“Magical Asian”). Instead, she guides him along in a caring manner. She exemplifies the Magical Asian, while maintaining the characteristics of femininity, highlighting the different intersections in stereotyping Asian peoples.
Katy as the Westernized Asian
The lead female character, Katy, brings in a different kind of stereotype, only recently being portrayed in the media. I call it the ‘Westernized Asian.’ (Another character in contemporary media that exemplifies this stereotype would be Eddie Huang from the television sitcom Fresh off the Boat.)
The Westernized Asian is extroverted, yet socially awkward, both rejecting and reinforcing the stereotype of the shy and quiet Asian. They are not sexualized—and if they are, it’s to the smallest capacity—instead relying on the character’s comedic value. They seem to reject the ideals their family places on them, yet end up falling in line with the model minority stereotype. Their academic success is a staple of the model minority, but the lack of attentiveness towards their achievements shows how they have become Westernized, moving away from the model minority stereotype of the immense care over the work they do. They also explicitly oppose the model minority, sometimes disregarding the attributes that make a model minority, aware they do not fall into that category. The Westernized Asian both rejects, but still maintains some attributes of, the model minority.
In SCLTR, there is no instance in which Katy is romanticized or sexualized throughout the film, instead taking the role of the outgoing, comedic side-kick. (While this is beneficial towards combating the male gaze, with a platonic male/female friendship being showcased without any fragmentation of a female character, this deviates from the typical formula the MCU uses—a close female companion most usually ends up with the male lead: Pepper Potts and Tony Stark, MJ and Peter Parker, Jane Foster and Thor; even Natasha Romanoff, with the surprising romance with Bruce Banner in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).). In terms of academic achievements, Katy is seemingly unconcerned about her career, yet is also an honors graduate from Berkeley. In addition to this, when Shang-Chi and Katy are on the bus before the first attack, she points out a representation of the model minority stereotype—a girl writing a research paper on a bus—and says, “That is exactly the daughter my mom wishes came out of her vagina” (Shang-Chi 16:31-16:34) in a disdainful manner.
With her lack of romantic involvement with Shang-Chi and her explicit dislike of model minority traits while continuing to perpetuate them, Katy fulfills the criteria of the Westernized Asian. She is just one of several Asian characters in contemporary media that have brought this trope further into collective consciousness.
Conclusion
Overall, despite its attempts to move away from harmful stereotypes, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings exemplifies a new embodiment of yellow peril and, in doing so, places the role of the model minority onto Shang-Chi. Although it is a monster representing yellow peril, and no longer the evil sorcerer Fu Manchu, the message of yellow peril is still detrimental to the perception of Asian people in America. Additionally, the model minority myth being placed on Shang-Chi only furthers the stereotype of Asian men being asexual and weak, despite him being a master of the martial arts. Finally, the representations of Asian women throughout the film only work to perpetuate new forms of old stereotypes, rather than diminishing them. The Dragon Lady, the War Bride, the Magical Asian, and the new Westernized Asian are not positive depictions of Asian women, instead creating caricatures of them.
It is not enough to have an almost all-Asian cast if the stereotypes are still present, no matter how diluted they may be. The stereotypes have to be disregarded completely in order for positive representations of Asian people to succeed in Hollywood.
Works Cited
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Chaw, Walter. “Perspective | 'Shang-Chi' Doesn't Resist Racist Tropes. It Just Repackages Them.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 15 Sept. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/09/15/shang-chi-orientalist-fantasy/.
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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Marvel Studios, 2021.
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