3 minute read
The Impact of Ms. Marvel
THE IMPACT OF
Exploring the South Asian representation in the new television series “Ms.Marvel”
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SHAONA DAS writer
In the western world of supernatural fantasy, South Asian characters are a rare sight. Producers of Marvel Studios’ latest show, Ms. Marvel, take a step to challenge this stigma. The Disney+ show centers on a Muslim Pakistani-American teenage girl whose ability to pull light has pulled on the heartstrings of many young women of similar heritage.
The protagonist, Kamala Khan, experiences identity struggles that parallel the feeling of not fitting in many youth today experience. Khan encounters everyday problems – she fails her driver’s test, loses touch with an old friend and often argues with her over-protective parents. Khan wrestles with feeling inapposite at school, repeatedly diving into the Marvel Universe to escape her otherwise ordinary life. The writers of Ms. Marvel scripted Khan with ambitions, goals and passions without resorting to stereotypes seen in brown characters. Ms. Marvel showcases a fresh take on South Asian characters, providing the community with the accurate representation they deserve.
Khan’s grandmother gifts Khan a box of Pakistani jewelry that contains a bangle (rigid bracelet), later discovered to be a key to polymorphous abilities. Khan learns that the bangle can also be used as a gateway to the Noor dimension, a region inspired by the Islamic word for light. The bangle’s power traces back to the Partition of India, a pivotal moment in Pakistan’s history. The smooth intertwinement of Khan’s culture with the storyline displays the show writers’ care and attention to incorporating her background into the story, spotlighting major and minor aspects of her heritage.
Sonali Gupta, a Cupertino High School Indian-American alumna, discusses the depiction of Khan’s family. Said Gupta, “I think [the Khans] are a very good example of most immigrant families in the U.S. There was music playing- like, old Pakistani songs playing in the background while the parents were doing work or eating dinner, and the mom, and the jewelry, and the little words of Urdu that were sprinkled into conversation… [The creators] did it very well, and I guess the takeaway is that they did it very seamlessly.”
Khan may be a superheroine who can control light, but she is
a woman of color and, therefore, a target of racism. While Ms. Marvel’s television series highlights the prejudice she experiences in small ways, the show’s creators neglected a significant aspect of her comic-book character: the Islamophobia she faces from her classmate, Zoe Zimmer. Zimmer runs away from Khan at a party because she “smells like curry” and insinuates that Khan’s friend only wears a hijab because she would be honor killed if she did not. After attempting to distance herself from her culture and battling insecurities about her race, Khan takes a stand against Zimmer. This plot point is incredibly significant as it portrays an occurrence most South Asians have experienced. In addition, it spurred a real-life political movement where activists covered xenophobic propaganda with posters of Ms. Marvel. The decision to neglect this incident in the show was a missed opportunity to shed light on casual Islamophobia and inspire South Asian viewers to defend themselves against the prejudice they face.
Although Ms. Marvel has its flaws, the show has undoubtedly paved the way for aspiring South Asian actors and actresses in the film industry. It has created a space for brown individuals to see themselves on-screen and in the face of superheroes.
In an interview with Brown Girl Magazine, said Iman Vellani, actress of Khan, “Hollywood is slowly getting into true inclusivity and really representing people the way we want to be seen […] It’s important to voice how you feel because as soon as you start generalizing ‘brown people,’ you’re not representing anyone. We can be used as a resource in telling our own stories. There are people who will listen”
