A love letter to Ms. Marvel
Simply Marvelous.
Let's take a second to marvel at Ms. Marvel. 19-year-old Canadian, Iman Vellani brings to life Kamala Khan, a desi Muslim superhero in this newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ms. Marvel is a masterpiece. A unique piece of television that wasn't written for a white audience, and it shows. Immigrant/BIPOC families have long worked to figure out references made on shows like Friends, Seinfeld, Full House, etc, - and it is so rare for a show to show up so unapologetically while still being accessible to a diverse audience (because remember South Asians, Indians, Muslims, Arabs, and immigrants are not a monolith).
Ms. Marvel is doing so much for representation, inclusion and our sense of belonging. It’s so much more than we could have expected, particularly for those of us who grew up watching movies like Bend it Like Beckham. We’ve come a long way from those mosquito bites in more ways than one (iykyk).
The show notably sheds a much-needed light on the British Partition of India. British colonizers spent years systemically dividing, destabilizing, and oppressing locals in India while stripping the country of its resources. This story is one that is all too familiar to so many of us whose ancestors experienced the wrath and violence of European colonizers.
Now, to be fair, Ms. Marvel isn’t perfect - but shows rarely are, particularly, a show that is the “first” of its kind.
For example, Ms. Marvel largely ignores the fact that Punjab, a region predominantly comprised of Sikh folk, was arbitrarily cut in half to make West Pakistan “for” Muslims, and as a result, Sikh folk bore a large part of the brunt of the violence which is ignored in this show.
On an overall though, Ms. Marvel has blown away our expectations. If you are wondering how they achieved this masterpiece of representation, then check the credits. Both the people in front of and behind the camera reflect the story and narrative being told. It's a fucking beauty to behold, and we are thirsty for more.
Coming Soon: On Canada Project writes about the British colonization of India & The Partition of India.
