To celebrate the film’s upcoming release, here’s an illustration I created of Mulan! For those who haven’t seen the original, it’s basically about a girl who disguises herself as a man in order to serve in the Chinese military, thereby protecting her ailing father from being drafted. Much like the eponymous character, there is a dichotomy to the way the story can be read - from a Western perspective, it’s about breaking free of society’s expectations, from an Eastern perspective, it’s about fulfilling one’s filial duty to your family and community. Much has been written about the westernisation of the original 1998 animation. I’m glad Disney decided to be more faithful to the original folktale in the new film but strangely there were elements in the original that spoke to those of us in the Asian diaspora (particularly those of us growing up in the West). Caught in a cultural tug of war, we understood the confusion of not feeling we belonged on either side of the divide, as well as the need to moderate ourselves in order to fit in. We also understood the idea of balancing individualism, one of the bedrocks of western culture, with the idea of eastern filial piety. The hair-cutting scene, which (understandably) doesn’t appear in the new film, was particularly symbolic. In order to fulfil her filial duties, Mulan must go against her parent’s wishes (all the more poignant when you consider hair cutting was seen a mark of great disrespect to your parents in Ancient China). Asians who grew up in the West understand this paradox innately - in order for us to obey our parents, namely by becoming independent, by making a better life for ourselves than the one our parents grew up in and to navigate our way in the world and be counted as an equal in the western world, some of the cultural traditions, rightly or wrongly, must be severed in order for us to forge ahead. The reviews for the new Mulan have been glowing so far and I can’t wait to learn more about how it’s been updated!
I think what a lot of white people genuinely do not understand is that all kinds of racism is bad. There isn’t a ladder marked with “acceptable” and “unacceptable” racism.
- The person purposefully joking about your native name even after you’ve explained its spelling and pronunciation to them and begged them to use it correctly? Racist
- The person who is “okay with” racial minorities existing but doesn’t want to see that portrayed on tv / doesn’t feel like representation is necessary? Racist
-And I know. I know how hard it is when you are in a privileged position and you’re being asked to care about things you don’t know much about. But after someone has pointed it out to you, you better try to change.
- “but these mindsets don’t hurt anyone” news flash, they do. Just because someone isn’t throwing tear gas at protesters doesn’t mean their bigotry isn’t harmful!
- Put yourself in our shoes for a moment. How would you feel if someone told you they don’t want to see anyone like you in the media they consume? That your identity is too complicated for them and they want to water it down to make it easier?
- Again, this is not targeted towards anybody or a callout post. I’m just asking you to take a very hard look at these little things because they GROW. No one comes out the womb being a white supremacist. These things start small and keep adding up.
- This is just a word vomit because I was Angry and you are absolutely not required to rb this or anything! Have a nice day.
EVERYONE WATCH SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE 10 RINGS and support our new super hero SIMU LIU!!!
He has been trying so hard along with the cast to get more media attention! Appreciate their success and for being one of the first Marvel movies representing the Asian community!!
They are amazing people and deserve love and support! Watch Shang-chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings!!
I got to design the Raya Production Management crew shirt! I wanted the segmented sword to represent the animation pipeline and all the teams involved!
conradricamora: This guy @ihatejoelkim wrote an incredibly funny film, that employed hundreds of people, during a time when employment is super precarious, and today is the last day of filming. Congrats to this entire amazing crew, cast, producers, everyone at Fox Searchlight and especially our unwavering leader, our director @andrewahnfilms - truly cannot wait to collaborate again.
And to Joel - so much &❤️- because being a man in Hollywood, who just also happens to be Asian and gay, is really fucking difficult sometimes. Historically, comedic material has especially not been super kind. But he managed to write (and executive produce and star in) a hilarious, raunchy, sometimes shocking movie that also has THE BIGGEST HEART. I’m sure the effort it took to make this almost killed him, but I’m so happy I was a part of it, made a new group of friends, and I can’t wait for the world to see it. Spring/summer 2022! ❤️ #fireislandmovie
This title (feast day November 22nd) stems from a Marian apparition in 1798, a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. On June 19th, 1998, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the importance of Our Lady of La Vang and expressed desire to rebuild the La Vang Basilica in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first vision. －Archdiocese of Chicago
I grew up seeing myself in Musa as a young Asian girl. The fact that Fate the Winx saga didn’t get an Asian actress still goes to show that Hollywood continues to ignore Asian rep in some ways still. I applauded movies like Shang ChiandCrazy Rich Asians since they did it the right way. Netflix has some good diverse shows so I don’t understand why this one is not as up to date
I am a webseries creator, I studied and worked in animation films. I aim to give more representation to Asians in France and worlwide. Asians are diverse, have different lifestyles and hobbies, Asian actors have few opportunities in France so in my latest project, the webseries ‘Un Sens à la Vie’ (which will be subtitled in English, the trailer is already available) there are several Asian actors.
Roxy Shih is back on our blog as the Festival Director of the Taiwanese American Film Festival. See her interview below -
In the Field with Roxy Shih (Festival Director, Taiwanese American Film Festival)
Interviewed by Lara Santos, Field Reporter
LS: When’d you start your work doing the work that you do?
RS:I started making films and digital content in 2011 when I received the AWC grant from Visual Communications to make my film PLAY TIME. I had a brief career in post-production as an editor before I transitioned to producing full time. During that time I would still exercise my creative muscle by writing and directing a short film every year. Eventually, with the help and encouragement of my friends and family, I directed my first feature, THE TRIBE. Since then I’ve been steadily directing and producing - directing stories I’m empowered to tell, and supporting talented, emerging voices I see potential in.
LS:What were the influences in making your work come to life? Are there businesses, people, orgs, celebrities you admire or want to work alongside?
RS: In terms of making the work come into fruition I would say I learn a lot from people who lead by example. My mentors, directors I have worked for - they have all taught me the process by showing me what works and doesn’t work when it comes to making a project come to life. As a writer and creator I’m endlessly imaginative, but in terms of making the work itself come to life it’s all from doing the work itself. Constantly failing, constantly learning, constantly growing. As for who I dream of working alongside, I would have to say Tom Hardy (because duh), Meryl Streep (more duh) and Tony Leung (super duh!). I would also love to watch Ang Lee work or if time travel were possible, go back in time to watch Hitchcock direct PSYCHO or Kubrick direct THE SHINING.
LS: Where do you see your relationship to AAPI communities in the years to come?
RS: I want my relationship with the AAPI community to continue to flourish since it’s where I got my start! It will always feel like home to me. So I hope that as I continue to grow in my craft and network that I continue to give back. I still remember that feeling when I had dreams to make films but felt that all the odds were against me. The AAPI film community was essential in helping me carve my path and provide opportunities for me to explore my voice. I hope to do the same with TAFF and hope to empower more storytellers and young filmmakers of the future. We can only move forward if we continue to support each other!
LS:What do you hope the impact of your work to be?
RS: It’s an exciting time in Hollywood right now with so much discussion on the topic of diversity and inclusion. I’ve come to realize that impact doesn’t have to be so “big picture,” but impact can happen when you make the smallest of decisions as well. Personally, I look to hire diversity both in front and behind the camera, as well as fight for gender balanced sets. Even though it’s small, the more it happens the more we normalize the idea of a female director, gaffer, or POC as the lead in an American story. Practice mindfulness and be conscious of your decisions, and then in the future our sons and daughters will have better opportunities to pursue their dreams. As for impact of content, I hope to tell stories that allow the world to realize how connected we are. That despite coming from different backgrounds and experiences, that our stories are quite universal. We are responsible for the stories we tell and I hope that with the work I leave on this earth I can open up more minds to discussion, open more hearts to one another without judgement.
LS: Anything you want to add?
RS:Come to our film festival! :) And don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.
Although I majored in Sequential Art (comics) in college, I also took acting classes as electives because—like many—it was a childhood dream. But what a professor said to me was a wake-up call.
Obviously, it wasn’t just one moment or individual that deterred me from pursuing acting. It ultimately wasn’t my calling—comics were. But I highlight this moment because it’s a symptom of how Asians are viewed and portrayed on a larger societal and institutional level.
SCAD was majority-white, so there were few Asians and other POC on campus. I remember being shocked seeing a Filipino guy perform in the play HAIR, and at the time, a lot of Hollywood productions were being filmed in Savannah. So this environment inspired me to try out acting.
For the most part, I realized breaking in required two things: knowing martial arts, and serving up Asianness for laughs. This isn’t to knock martial arts because it’s part of our culture and we should be proud of it. The problem is Asians are rarely depicted as full human beings.
In every kind of media, Asians have been and continue to be used as props for a non-Asian gaze, restricted from the full spectrum of the human experience. For Asian men, this means kung fu masters, nameless goons, or Ken Jeong-types whose sole purpose is to self-denigrate.
It says a lot that to this day, 42% of Americans can’t name a single famous Asian American. When asked to name one, the top response was “don’t know,” followed by actor Jackie Chan in 2nd—who is not a U.S. citizen—and deceased actor Bruce Lee in 3rd.
The worst part is Asians are blamed for our own oppression. We’re fed myths about how we lack personalities, marketability, good looks, etc. Usually, Asians are perceived as likeable only if there’s white heritage—which is why half-white Asians tend to get more opportunities.
Although I entered the comic book industry as a writer and artist, I ended up in Hollywood spaces anyway via the TV/film adaptation process. From there I learned it doesn’t matter if Asians are in front of or behind the camera—the stereotypes hold us back no matter where we are.
