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Representation in Disney films
In 1998 Disney released an animated feature film that adapted the story of Hu Mulan. The film has received a positive reception in the United States and was followed by one direct to video sequel in 2004. A live-action remake is slated to release in July 2020.

The Disney films have received criticism for how the character of Mulan portrays Chinese culture. Critics have stated that it is a form of cultural deformation, as various aspects of Chinese culture were left out in order to focus on aspects that were more easy for international audiences to understand, leading to these aspects being left out and ignored by international audiences. They further state that although this can make it more receptive globally, it still can misinform the audience. Some examples given by critics have included whitewashing of the voice cast, perpetuation of stereotypes, and misrepresentation of cultural norms. The film also received criticism in China, with Xinhua stating that the character was too "foreign-looking" and that her mannerisms were so different from her portrayal in Chinese folklore that she was unrecognizable. In contrast, some Asian-Americans have expressed that they felt joy in seeing a Disney Princess that looked like them and stated that they enjoyed the film.

In 2010 Disney announced that they wanted to create a live-action adaptation of Mulan. Production on this film did not commence until 2016 and some elements from the 1998 film, such as the character of Mushu, were removed due to their negative reception in China. New Zealand writer and director Niki Caro was signed to direct the film, a decision that was met with criticism by individuals who believe that this continues Disney's whitewashing history and that there was a lack of representation in directing positions. Petitions were created over concerns that Disney would hire white actors to portray major characters, particularly that of Mulan.

Caro has spoken about concerns of historical and cultural accuracy, stating that she has consulted multiple scholarly experts on Chinese culture and will use this knowledge when directing the film. The media noted that the film's cast contained more actors of Asian descent such as Liu Yifei and Donnie Yen and that the cast was largely Asian, decreasing concerns over whitewashing. The choice of Yifei as Mulan received particular praise from fans of the original animated movie.

Original
In the past, there has been some controversy about the way Mulan portrays Chinese culture. This controversy is something called cultural deformation, where certain aspects of a culture that are more able to be understood by an international audience are then used, but what is deemed unfit is left out. This leads to many parts of a culture to be left out and ignored by international audiences. Although this can make it more receptive globally, it still can misinform the audience about the culture in question.

In the original Mulan film, there are many aspects of Chinese culture that Disney misrepresents. Whether it be whitewashing in the cast, or misrepresenting cultural norms, the movie continued to display stereotypes. Although the film tries to represent people from China and the area of East Asia, it erases parts of the culture that defines China. Although it doesn't fully represent Chinese culture in an accurate way, it does represent an identity that is rarely portrayed in Hollywood.

Many Asian-Americans loved that there was finally a Disney Princess that looked like them when Mulan came out. Although this group of people for the most part enjoyed the film, many people in China did not.

In the new live action take of Mulan, the director (Niki Caro) has told many sources that she has consulted multiple scholarly experts on Chinese culture and will use the knowledge she gained in the upcoming film. This seems small, but for many Chinese-Americans as well as people of Chinese descent globally, this is a big step towards true representation. Compared to the previous casting in the 1998 version, the casting for the 2020 version has significantly less whitewashing. Actors like Liu Yifei and Donnie Yen are just two of the actors/actresses of Asian descent in their largely asian cast. The choice to make the actor for Mulan a person of Asian descent has been well received. Prior to the casting, there were even petitions like the one displayed in the citation. The main issue people have with the film is the lack of representation in the directing positions.

The director, as mentioned above, is Niki Caro. Caro is a writer and director from New Zealand. This has upset many people as they believe that this continues Disney's whitewashing history. This and some other reasons have led to the #WashTheHate movement.