For 75 years, Superman has been an enduring and versatile embodiment of truth, justice, and the American Way.
The Superman symbol is one of the most recognizable icons in the world and has come to be associated as an unmistakably American image.
Given that Superman is a distinctly American creation, it is only fitting that immigration is woven into the fabric of the Superman story.
As the story goes, Jor-el, a brilliant scientist named of the doomed planet Krypton, sends his son, Kal-el, to Earth in a desperate attempt to save his life. He lands in Smallville, Kansas and is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who raise him to use his powers for good. He disguises himself behind a pair of glasses and becomes Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter for The Daily Planet.
Of course, the rest of the world knows him as Superman.
Superman and Immigration
Raised right in the heart of the United States, but born somewhere else, the story of Superman is a story of immigration. Though he is a US citizen, he proudly and boldly displays his heritage by donning himself in the wardrobe customs of his homeland.
The red cape that he wears is part of the traditional wardrobe on Krypton. The “S” on his chest does not actually stand for “super,” but is a family crest and the Kryptonian symbol for the word, “hope," which is mentioned during an exchange with Lois Lane in “Man of Steel.”
In many ways, the "S" on his chest stands for both Superman and immigration.
As we all know the story of a fictional individual traveling a great distance through great difficulty is the real experience of many people who have come to the United States. In many ways he embodies the collective stories of the countless individuals who have used their collective skills, talents, or “powers” to fulfill the promise of the United States, that out of many we are one.
Born in a distant land and raised on foreign soil, Superman has gone from the page to the screen and everywhere in between. Along the way and throughout the world he has become an iconic American symbol, and in many ways the most fitting.
And for 75 years countless children have been reading comic books about Superman and immigration.