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The comic book world has a new superhero! Marvel Entertainment writer and Editor-in-Chief of Darryl Makes Comics, Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez, introduces his latest Latina superhero, La La Liu, a Dominican Chinese LGBTQ+ character who transforms into Lúz.
La La Liu’s superhero persona appears in the third issue of the comic book series “La Borinqueña,” a graphic novel that integrates the history and indigenous traditions of Puerto Rico with modern-day topics.
La Borinqueña, is a Puerto Rican superhero whose real name is Marisol Rios De La Luz. In the comic books, she is portrayed as an Afro-Boricua woman fighting social injustices and the environmental impact alongside her best friend, Lúz. “She doesn’t fight crime, per se. She’s a symbol of hope,” Miranda-Rodríguez revealed.
The creator told NBC News about the strong connection between the Latinx and Asians, highlighting that Asians are “part of our people.” For Miranda-Rodríguez, Lúz, whose literal translation to English is “light,” greatly spotlights underrepresented Latin Americans with Asian heritage.
His character is inspired by the Chinese community who immigrated to the Dominican Republic. Being one of the largest in Latin America, Chinese people share their culture straight from the Barrio Chino (Chinatown), a popular area in Santo Domingo.
Miranda-Rodríguez also told the publication that making the superhero an LGBTQ+ Latina also sheds light on the community. “Oftentimes, when you’re a member of the LGBTQ community, you live in darkness — in your own family, in your own mind, in your own heart — before you have the comfortable space to come out,” he said.
“What I wanted to do with La La is literally make her a bright light — a representation of luminous love,” the novelist noted. “She is a reflection of her best friend, but she’s also going to go on to become her own hero in her own way.”
“I’ve always recognized the power that young people have, and continue to have, leading social justice movements internationally,” he added. “From Mexico to China, it’s always young people who are leading revolutions and I wanted to reflect that in the book.”