“Land vs. Sea” has always been a part of the Aquaman story, but to have a person who is also the literal representation of that kind of struggle is monumental to people who have a similar background. At Hapa Mag, we often discuss how Hapas connect different cultures, and opposing worlds, and how that is a superpower. To see this idea represented on the big screen—possibly the most public platform one can find—validates all of us externally.

In addition, the language of the movie highlights the prejudices facing mixed-race people. Throughout the film, Arthur gets called a number of derogatory names: half-breed abomination, tainted, mongrel, and unworthy. This sense of half-ness, of being less than, makes him a reluctant hero. The reluctant hero is a classic archetype, seen in everything from Harry Potter to Star Wars. To make the Hapa experience the root of a Hero’s Journey is something I haven’t seen in a major big-budget feature like this.

Then there’s Arthur’s family. His parents love each other but are ripped apart by their two worlds. When he’s with his father, you don’t blink an eye, but when you see him with platinum-blonde, porcelain-skinned mother, you see how he looks nothing like his mom, which reminded me of all my Hapa friends who don’t look exactly like both their parents. That’s right, for all the Hapas whose looks favor one parent and not the other, there’s a moment just for you. Bring tissues; there are lots of feels.

Not everyone is happy with Arthur’s breeding. Orm, Arthur’s half-brother, is obsessed with his personal “pureblood” and “purebred” pedigree. His status in the Kingdoms is sustained by his breeding. Like an underwater Nazi, he rules the sea with bleach-blonde hair and blue eyes. It’s hard not to draw that comparison when Jason Momoa is rocking tan skin and dark locks. The way Orm speaks of Arthur mimics the discrimination mixed-race people have faced for centuries. In the early 1900s, those opposed to interracial marriage upheld laws to keep people of different races apart, citing the burden it would be on their children. Of course, the biggest burden is explaining to “purebred” folks that being mixed is awesome. Also, mixed people get the best food, hands down.

