The reason I related to the animated Mulan so much was I could see myself in her: a girl struggling to be respected for who she was, by a society and community that didn’t like who she was. On the other hand, I’ve suffered at the hands of my own culture.

On the one hand, I am inordinately proud of the legacy that has brought me the story of Hua Mulan, which speaks of values I hold dear: honouring one’s duty, living by one’s principles, and treasuring one’s family (though unlike the traditional Chinese understanding of this, I choose to see as family the people who choose me back). I have a complicated relationship with my Chinese roots.

While the animated movie heavily drew on cardboard cultural stereotypes, it nevertheless reflected (pun not intended) the struggles I felt I was facing (“I will never pass for…a perfect daughter.”) through the lens of a heroine I could both physically and emotionally identify with. Loyal, Brave, and True: A Tsinoy Daughter On Mulan, Hong Kong, and the Burden of Heritage

Mulan quotes loyal brave true