Dear Disney,
As a little girl, I grew up watching Disney movies. I would watch everything from "The Lion King," "Mary Poppins" and "Dumbo." But as a little girl, it was almost mandatory that I watch the Disney princess movies. I grew up watching the stories of Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora and even Belle. However, the thing about the previously mentioned princesses is that they were all white. As an Asian-American, I didn't really have a princess that I felt that I could relate to. Even though I loved watching the movies, it was hard to feel a personal connection with the characters.
That is until I discovered "Mulan." What I loved about "Mulan" was that it was not really the story of a princess, it told a story about a common girl who took the place of her father in the military so that he wouldn't have to fight. The romance seems to take a seat on the back burner until the last few moments of the movie. More importantly than that, Mulan was Chinese. Finally, a Disney princess that represented my ethnicity. I fell in love with the movie and Mulan instantly become my favorite Disney princess. From that moment on, I wanted to become everything she embodied. To me, Mulan is more than just a girl, she is brave, smart and proves to young girls everywhere that they don't need the validation of a man to do amazing things.
As were many other people a few weeks ago, I was livid when I heard a rumor of a speculated script that was purchased by Disney that puts a white male as the lead in the story and Mulan as a co-lead. Now, I understand that popular stories get reimagined all the time, but "Mulan" is the only Disney movie I felt a personal connection to because she was Asian. It's not so much that it was being considered that the story be retold, but that it would've been told in a way that eliminates a major theme of the original movie, women empowerment.
Now, I know that you have promised to cast an all-Chinese cast for the live-action due to an uproar from the script, but I want you to understand why there was so much uproar, and that is why I am writing this. Mulan not only highlights Chinese culture, but she can also be considered a feminist icon. That is what makes her story so unique and special to fans of the original movie. So, thank you, Disney, for listening to us and promising a Chinese cast, but I also beg of you to not fall back on this promise. I trust that you will make the right decisions when making the movie, and I will be looking forward to when the movie is released.
Sincerely,
A proud Chinese/Filipino "Mulan" fan
