If you haven’t been following pop culture lately, Disney has a new film: “Raya and The Last Dragon”. The story follows a warrior princess as she fights to find the last dragon to save the world! Not only does this movie take inspiration from South East Asian Cultures the cast is filled with Asian presentations from production to casting. Kelly Marie Tran is the first Vietnamese actress (in this case voice actress) to take a leading role in a Disney film.

To say that I am “over the moon” would be an absolute understatement.

First, if you haven’t seen it already, pictures are all over the internet and Kelly Tran KILLED IT at Disney’s Virtual Premiere for the film. She beautifully represented the Vietnamese culture wearing an Áo Dài (Vietnamese cultural dress) and Khăn Đống (formal headpiece worn for special occasions) designed by Thai Nguyen (Host of Netflix’s “Say I Do”).

Designer: @ThaiNguyenAtelier | Image: @goldhouseco

The Younger Me is Crying

Here’s why this is such a big deal, representation. Vietnamese Representation. As a child, I was very fortunate to be able to go to Disney World. My parents had to sacrifice a lot for my siblings and me to go on that trip (thank you mom and dad) and those are memories we cherish to this day. One of my fondest memories? Meeting Mulan. She was so beautiful in her Hanfu Chinese traditional gown, or from my understanding that is. I remember meeting her and how amazing it felt that amongst all the European Princesses there was an Asian Princess. She had the same eye color as me, the same hair color, the same skin, and the same features. Young me could not have been more thrilled. I loved Mulan. She was literally the only Asian (woman) representation I had as a child but she was still Chinese. Bruce Lee, Jet Lee, and Jackie Chan were also Asian representations that I grew up with, again still not Vietnamese.

Today as a “more mature” young woman—yes, I am far from old at this point — my heart is overwhelmed with pride. Kelly represented us, our culture, our heritage so proudly and beautifully at this premiere. This. This is such a big deal and so much more. This means SO. Much. More. Okay, I know that Raya “Warrior Princess“ is not Vietnamese but broadly of southeast Asian descent but Kelly’s bold representation at the premiere has me in all my feels. I can’t help but think back and reimagining that same childhood memory not meeting Mulan but instead a Vietnamese Princess wearing an Áo Dài and Khăn Đống. Or even now, as a grown woman to be able to witness a Vietnamese Disney Princess, this is what the younger me needed. I can feel the younger version of myself swelling with pride and don’t get me started on what this means for all the young Vietnamese girls growing up now.

Representation of our people and of our cultures is so important. Representation is important, period, no matter the culture, nationality, sexual orientation, belief, etc.

Representation of our people and of our cultures is so important. Representation is important, period, no matter the culture, nationality, sexual orientation, belief, etc. In a time when everything around us seems to be going to crap, l genuinely believe that as a people—even if it’s a small number of us—we are evolving to be a more loving and inclusive people. A people that are more willing to not only stand up for equality and what is right but also a people that are willing to learn, accept, and be more understanding. Just as much as I see hate and despair in this world I also see the counteract of love, kindness, and the people fighting for it. This fight and eagerness bring me so much hope for our future.

I haven’t even watched this movie yet, but thank you Disney for this movie. Thank you to the cast, producers, and everyone involved in making this movie. Most importantly thank you Kelly Tran and Thai Nguyen for being the spearheads in representing our people in your fields. This means everything and so much more.

This is me,

AsMyself