Do You Know Your Cultural Superhero?

Heroes are an important part of a culture and have played a vital role in societies for centuries. They can teach us who we are as a group, who we should be, and who we shouldn't. They instill in us, at an early age, what we value as a society, what is right and wrong, and what traits and behaviors we should emulate. According to Scott LaBarge, ethics scholar at Santa Clara University, heroes symbolize the qualities we'd like to possess and the ambitions we'd like to satisfy.

“Heroes symbolize the qualities we'd like to possess and the ambitions we'd like to satisfy.”

Heroes come in many forms, such as whistleblowers, martyrs, activists, humanitarians, and entrepreneurs. Sometimes they are real, and sometimes they are imagined. Some heroes are created as a reflection of our society. Harriet Tubman, Steve Jobs, Jane Goodall, and Superman are all heroes...to someone. Superheroes tend to get most of the attention, because, in addition to having characteristics we look up to, they also allow us to imagine (just for a bit) that we can fly, be invisible, and have superhuman strength.

Here are some popular superheroes from around the world:

China - The Monkey King

The Monkey King (aka Sun Wukong) stands for justice, humor, and strength and fights against corruption. He is fallible, but there is good within him. Although he does good, he is an iconoclast, attacking cherished beliefs and rebelling against institutions. He can possesses immense strength, can transform himself into animals and objects, and can immobilize his enemies.

France - Miraculous - Les Aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir

Ladybug can create objects from thin air. Chat Noir can destroy whatever he touches. Together, they protect Paris from the mysterious Hawk Moth, a mysterious sorcerer who preys on people's weaknesses and converts them into villainous versions of themselves.

Japan - Ultraman

Ultraman is an alien peacekeeper who protects Earth from giant monsters and other aliens. Generally, he cannot survive on Earth for very long, so he inhabits a human body, transforming only when the time comes for him to fight evil. His skin possesses natural protection against extreme heat, electricity, and atomic bomb explosions. Ultraman's combat technique usually relies on brute strength, which goes by fighting his opponents in combat, then finishing them with his beam attacks.

Mexico - El Santo

Rodolfo Guzman Huerta, known by his ring name of El Santo (The Saint), was a popular Mexican luchador (masked wrestler) during the 1940s. The El Santo persona itself was so popular that artist Jose Guadalupe Cruz created a comic book series about him which began in 1952. El Santo is the only superhero on this list who was also a real person.

Pakistan - Burka Avenger

Jiya, a teacher at an all-girls' school, masquerades as a burka-clad vigilante. Using a fighting style employing books and pens, she protects the fictional city of Halwapur from evil. The series' creators commented that the burka was part of Jiya's disguise and was meant to offset the number of sexualized women characters in comics.

Saudi Arabia - Latifa

Latifa is said to be the first female superhero in Saudi Arabia. She fights for justice and is on a mission to help those struggling around her. The creator wants her to help women regain their identities which have been marred too long by oppression. Latifa is one of many protagonists found in New Arab Media's Saudi Girls Revolution universe. The goal of this brand is to create content with female leads that are not constrained by any religious or political status quo.

South Africa - Kwezi

Kwezi (Star) is a South African teenager obsessed with selfies and social media who later discovers his powers of flight, endurance, and super-strength. He ends up inducted by a group of African superheroes who tell him about his destiny and the responsibility his powers bring. A strong message of this comic is that young people have the power to change the world.

United States - Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a cultural icon of the US and first appeared in 1941. She is powerful and independent, has superhuman speed and reflexes, as well as superhuman smell, vision, and hearing. She is an Amazonian princess from a matriarchal culture without men and stands as a symbol of female empowerment.

Final Thoughts

Superheroes can give us a glimpse into the characteristics that people want to embody and who they strive to be. Some of these characteristics might be specific to a certain culture, but many are shared among people all over the world. One thing that most superheroes seem to have in common, no matter what culture they are from, is the courage to fight for their convictions and what they think is right.

While intercultural training often focuses on differences, superheroes can show us that we aren't so different after all.

Most of us have a hero or two we look up to. Who are your heroes?

Contact me at hello@nicolebarile.com to learn more about working across cultures, or visit me here. #futureofglobalwork