Since the beginning of film, minorities have been whitewashed by Hollywood. White actors caricatured minority characters by wearing black face or yellow face, exaggerating the perceived behavior of minorities. Whitewashing is the practice of casting white Caucasian actors in roles originally meant to be characters of color.
The news that Scarlett Johansson was cast as the lead in the live-action adaptation of the manga and anime series "Ghost in the Shell" was announced back in January 2015. It did not necessarily come as a shock, but rather a disappointment to many. "Ghost in the Shell" isn't the first movie to cast a white actor in place of an Asian actor. Movies like "Breakfast at Tiffany's" with Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi, "Aloha" starring Emma Stone, and most recently Matt Damon in "The Great Wall" have all cast white actors in place of an Asian actor. When news broke that Disney might cast Jennifer Lawrence as Mulan, the Internet exploded. People took to Tumblr and Twitter to voice their opinions- most of which were not so positive.
The Chinese story about female warrior, Mulan, will hit theaters once again. This time around it will be as a live-action remake. The animated film was inspired by the true story of Hua Mulan, a young woman in China who disguised herself as a man to be a warrior. The story has been told through many adaptations by different Chinese writers throughout history. Though most are very excited, other people are worried that Disney will cast a white actress for the role. A petition made by Natalie Molnar has been signed by some 100,000 people to not cast a white actor. The petition exists to prevent a whitewashed version of Mulan.
Disney films are loved by many, and young children look up to the characters. Mulan served as a role model for everyone. Her bravery, selflessness, and determination has left a positive impact on children. Mulan challenges the gender roles of both men and woman, in a time where woman were treated as subordinate to men. She broke stereotypes and barriers as a Chinese woman. She is as "swift as a coursing river, had all the force of a great typhoon, the strength of a raging fire, and is mysterious as the dark side of the moon." That is why, to honor Mulan and the fierce Chinese warrior she is, she needs to be played correctly by a Chinese actress.
Take a stand against whitewashing in the media and sign the petition to tell Disney we won't settle for anything less than an Asian cast.
