Sifu IS about CULTURAL APPROPRIATION. Maybe.

In this video, I attempt to walk my audience toward an understanding of why Sifu has been criticized for Orientalism, how to observe cultural appropriation, and why these conversations are important. While I'd be lying if I said there weren't plenty of reasons to like this game, I also hope that people can come to realize why OUR enjoyment isn't the only priority. It's unjust to create an artistic industry where white imagination dominates the discourse.

Academic Sources:
Li, S.L. (2001). Kung-fu: Negotiating nationalism and modernity. Cultural Studies, 15 (3/4), 515-542. DOI: 10.1080/095023800110046687

Shu, Y. (2003). Reading the kung-fu film in an American context: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 31 (2), 50-59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0195605030960...

Tang, A. (2012). The case of Ip Man: Postcolonialism, nationalism, and soft power currency in twenty-first century Chinese martial arts cinema. http://hdl.handle.net/10066/14786