Superman is one of the most iconic characters of all time, however, there are many great arguments for why there should be a Latin American Superman. What is meant is not to take the main universe Superman and make him a Latin American, rather than to create a character that is similar to Superman and make that one Latin American. There are a few reasons one would do this. Superman was a character that was written to be an immigrant, however, this is one of the more obscure parts of his character.
Humanity’s Capacity for Goodness
Superman, in general, stands in as a representative of humanity’s capacity for good. Yet, at the same time, there should be characters that explore the nuances and complexities of being an immigrant within superhero media. Alongside this, superman, despite being non-human, is white-passing, so the complexities of racialization simply don’t apply to Superman. This is fine for Superman’s stories because the complexities of racialization are not a core part of the character anymore. However, with a Latin American Superman, it could be. Finally, there simply isn’t enough Latin American representation in comic books.
The Kryptonian Immigrant
Superman is one of the best-written superheroes of all time. Yet, his immigrant status only really comes up when Lex Luthor calls him out for it. A deeper exploration of what it means to travel from one place to another to seek a better life is a theme that deserves attention. However, Superman, as a character, has enough on his plate. While exploring Superman’s immigrant status could make for an interesting story, that story would be held back by one factor.
Superman Is Not a White Human Being
Superman is a white-passing Kryptonian. “Kal- EL,” for all intents and purposes, is not a white human being. He simply happens to have the facial features and the skin tone of a white human being. This means that as a white-passing Kryptonian, he benefits from white privilege. Much like white immigrants seeking refuge in America, he is treated differently due to his skin color. Superman himself is a great person regardless, however, the reaction to Superman from humanity would be a lot different if he were a person of color. There are many different Superman character clones in comic book media like Hyperion and Sentry. Maybe there could be a Latin American Superman clone that explores this theme.
Clones That Matter
Throughout superhero media, “Superman” has been copied over and over again. The first was Billy Batson also known as Shazam. However, what could set this theoretical Latin American apart is that instead of making a new “Superman” clone for no reason, it would be to explore themes of immigration, refuge, and oppression. At times, comic book writers create “Superman” clones simply to make money or to see how overpowered they can make that character. This results in many overpowered characters with hollow shells. Instead, how about a character that inspires the poor and downtrodden like “Superman” did in the 1940s? “In ‘Action Comics 3’ (August 1938) “Superman” causes a mine collapse while a greedy mine owner is inside to teach him the importance of mine safety and respect for the workers, ” according to Portside.
Lack of Brown Representation
Unfortunately, there is a fundamental lack of Latino representation in superhero media. While this problem is currently being fixed with films like “Blue Beetle,” the problem requires a consistent effort to portray nuanced and complex stories for the Latin American community. There are popular characters like “Kyle Rayner,” “Jessica Cruz,” and “Blue Beetle.” However, when compared to the number of white characters and to a lesser extent black characters, there is no comparison. Unfortunately, this means that the stories that matter aren’t being created. “Viewers who saw the immigration storyline had more inclusive attitudes toward immigrants than those who did not, including greater comfort meeting undocumented people and opposition to criminalizing undocumented immigrants,” according to the University of Southern California.
‘Hernan Guerra’ Is a Latin ‘Superman’
All in all, this has simply been a long argument for why DC should use the Latin American “Superman” they have. His name is “Hernan Guerra” and he was born and raised by Mexican American immigrant farmers. This character was introduced in the DC film “Gods and Monsters.” This character has all the ingredients to tell the story that has been described here. If one doesn’t want to use Hernan Guerra, that’s fine, one can create their own character. The point is that Latin American representation in superhero media needs to be taken seriously.
Written by Kenneth Mazerat
Sources:
Annenberg USCEDU: New study examines how TV portrayals of immigrants affect real-life actions and attitudes
The Nerds Of Color: Being Latinx in Comics: Ignorance, Erasure, Whitewashing, Oh My! by Desiree Rodriguez
Portside: From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism Out of Superman? by Hank Kennedy
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Rennett Stowe’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Helgi Halldórsson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of joey zanotti’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
