INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2022

When the Disney film Mulan came out in 1998, I was 10 years old. I was thrilled she looked like me, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. In 2020, I eagerly awaited the live action remake. When it was released, I was shocked - and then livid - when several people told me they assumed the story of Mulan was created by Disney. Hua Mulan, the most famous female folk hero in Chinese history, was first mentioned between 386–535 AD. The idea sparked to create a series of work about Hua Mulan, a small act to fight against the cultural appropriation of my childhood heroine for Western consumption and capitalism.

 

At the same time, focus grew on Liu Yifei, the actress who plays Mulan, and her public support for Hong Kong police during pro-democracy protests. And then, amidst documented, horrendous human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims (including mass internment camps in Xinjiang), the 2020 filmmakers thanked eight Chinese government agencies in Xinjiang for their partnership.

 

For over a year the idea lingered to make pieces as a tribute to Hua Mulan. But it didn’t feel like enough. There are many real women who are fighting for democracy, justice, and freedom right now. I decided to spotlight a number of them, as a tribute to their bravery: not of the Disney sort, but the real-life leadership exemplified in the legend of Hua Mulan. These women include Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan-Canadian student leader; Jewher Ilham, a Uyghur activist and writer; Agnes Chow, at the forefront of the Hong Kong protests; and Li Maizi, of the Feminist 5, demanding rights for the Chinese LGBTQI community. These women deserve to be seen and known.