I love Hikaru Sulu. Although the Enterprise pilot has never been as popular as the Holy Trinity (Kirk-Spock-Bones), I am one of those fans who have made Sulu her personal Chuck Norris. As one fellow admirer said, "Hikaru Sulu wakes up to Led Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' every damn morning. Just before drinking hot lava, slicing some redshirt in half, and driving his spaceship through the ravaged corpses of other lamer ships." Nevertheless, a Livejournal discussion amongst fans proves that not everyone is happy with JJ Abram's reinterpretation of the iconic character. For example:
FAN #1: I just hate how they were like, "Oh, you're Asian? Let's give you a sword! Phaser? Nonono. You're Asian, silly!"
FAN #2: Now is it because he's Asian, or because swords are the coolest weapon and he is the coolest dude?
I'd like to think Fan #2 won that argument. Nevertheless, Fan #1 brings up an interesting issue: does Hikaru Sulu perpetuate Asian stereotypes created by Hollywood, or does he defy them? As someone with Chinese ancestry, I understand Fan #1's feelings: the film industry has a dismal track record of casting Asians in roles that don't involve some form of chop suey, a weird accent, or in most cases, both. Still, I'm going to argue that the characterization of Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek XI is extremely positive, which fits perfectly with Star Trek's all-inclusive, utopian vision.
In Hollywood, there are two common stereotypes of Asians: "the strong, silent" Asian and the extremely voluble, "funny-man" Asian. The former is usually found in Westernized kung-fu movies; their conversational skills are limited to grunting and harrumphing in response to other people. In contrast, the "funny-man" Asian provides comic relief by babbling in his native language and broken English (Jackie Chan, I'm looking at you.)
How does Sulu in the reboot film measure up to these stereotypes? It's true that the pilot isn't a talkative character. When Spock calls Sulu out on his parking break whoospie, the latter's only response is to silently release the external inertial dampener and say, "Ready for warp, sir." However, is this reticence such a bad thing? I think not. I think it merely emphasizes Sulu's calm, professional exterior in spite of his embarrassment, which is a unique character trait and not a reinforcement of an Asian stereotype.
OK, but what about Sulu's sword? Isn't that just reinforcing the myth that all Asians know martial arts? In the original series, Sulu is shown as an 18th-century swashbuckler at heart with a love for fencing. Giving an Asian character a European hobby is a bold move that plays against stereotypes. Unfortunately, fencing foils don't translate into effective Romulan ass-kicking instruments. Hence the sword. As for the "funny-man" Asian, Sulu unquestionably has a sense of humor: his quip to Kirk about "fencing" proves that he's a witty mofo. However, we laugh at Sulu because of his deadpan humor. His race is a non-issue in the movie, and is never used as a launching pad for comic relief.
Having said all this, maybe I'm missing the point here. Perhaps what makes Sulu unique is that he embodies the most positive aspects of these stereotypes: a cool, unruffled exterior and an ability to kick ass. As a result of these traits, Sulu becomes a character defined by his personality and talents, not race. Fan #2 recognized that fact, and I think such characterization would have made Gene Roddenberry proud.
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