Created in 1938,Supermanhas been a pop culture icon for almost a century. His story is timeless and has been told in a number of different ways that everyone knows it. The last survivor of a doomed planet, baby Kal-El arrives on Earth where he is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent and raised as Clark Kent in the small town of Smallville. He soon discovers his alien heritage and decides to embrace his powers as Superman, a hero of the people.
Superman’s story has been read a number of different ways, with many drawing onthe religious parables and allegoriesof figures like Moses or Jesus. Yet one of the most notable aspects of Superman, and one that makes him a uniquely American hero while also being a superhero for the world, is that his story is that of an immigrant. This is why Superman is a great immigrant story.
Superman Creators Were the Sons of Immigrants
Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both of whom were the child of Jewish immigrants. Joe Shuster’s father was an immigrant from Rotterdam and his mother from Kiyv in Ukraine, and when he was 10 years old Shuster and his family moved from Canada to Cleveland, Ohio.
Both Jerry Siegel’s parents were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York in 1900 after having fled anti-Semitism in Lithuania. As the son of Jewish immigrants, it certainly illuminates Superman’s origin story and why the two young men made it such a vital part of his origin story
Superman Comes From Another World
One need only read the Superman origin story and see how much it parallels the story of immigration. A citizen of one culture moving to another to make a new home. They are welcomed, but also sometimes met with a great deal of distrust just for being an outsider. Superman is a citizen of two worlds, his alien home world of Krytpon and also his adopted planet Earth and most specifically, the United States as he grew up on a farm in Kansas.
Related:Superman: 6 Actors Almost Chosen to Play the Role
Even Superman’s status as an alien drives the immigrant theme. Alien is often used to describe immigrants as a way of othering them in a country, making them feel like an invader to a nation. The term is a harmful one, and is still used in political discussion today. Superman is a literal alien, but anyone who has read a Superman comic or even knows the character knows he is not a force for harm, but someone looking to do good showing how the umbrella term “alien” and its negative connotations do more harm than good.
Heritage and What Defines Superman
While characters likeSupergirl and Martian Manhunterare also immigrant stories, they both arrive on Earth with memories of their home world and need to assimilate into their new life. Superman on the other hand is different, he has no recollection of Krypton, and the planet was destroyed shortly after his birth. Superman’s Kryptonian heritage is, for lack of a better word, alien to him. He has only ever known what it is like to grow up and live as a human.
Clark’s journey into Superman involves him reconnecting with his alien heritage. He discovers the Fortress of Solitude, a monument to Krypton and a way of keeping his people’s culture alive. Much like many people who immigrate to new countries as young kids, there is a struggle to blend their birth culture with their new adopted homeland. Yet one of Superman’s greatest strengths is his ability to merge the two aspects of his culture into his defining personality.
Related:The Superman Scandal: How George Reeves’ Death Rocked Hollywood
The origin of Superman’s suit tends to change depending on the interpretation, but the most common element various forms of the suit take is that it is to honor Clark’s Kryptonian heritage. In Richard Donner’sSuperman: The Moviefrom 1978, the blanket he is wrapped in becomes his signature cape; inMan of Steel,the suit is created by the Kryptonian scout ship as a traditional Kryptonian garmet; inSuperman & Lois,the suit is created by Clark’s mother Martha based on his culture’s design. The signature S is his family crest, The House of El.
Clark Kent and Kal-El become one and the same in Superman, where he wears his heritage proud for the world to see while using the lessons and morality his adopted parents in this new land taught him. Much like many immigrants, Superman does not need to choose between two parts of who he is and instead can combine both to be someone unique.
America Is a Country Built From Immigrants
For generations, Superman’s motto was “Never-ending fight for truth, justice, and the American way,” yet in recent years, “the American way” part was dropped for being too nationalistic and not reflective of Superman being a hero of the entire world. Now the motto is “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow,” yet in many ways, Superman is still a quintessential American hero; not for any traditional patriotic views some may have, but the fact that his story is linked to many in the United States.
One of the most iconic landmarks in America is The Statue of Liberty, which features the sonnet “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus on a plaque on the statue. The Statue has been welcoming immigrants into the United States for over two centuries. The sonnet’s most famous line, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” has been to many the unofficial motto of the United States. It’s a country that prides itself as a melting pot, one with a variety of different cultures mixing together which makes the country stronger.
Superman represents that original dream, that anybody can come to the United States and achieve greatness and can become as much a citizen as anyone born here. If America really wants to have a hero that represents itself, or the best ideal of what it wants to be, a character like Superman which embodies the immigrant experience is the perfect fit.
