Art is all around us. So are artists. People tell their stories through movies, music, books, and more. May is a time to celebrate the stories of the AAPI community. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made hit films and written smash songs.
Mulan became the first Asian Disney princess in 1998. The film was based on a Chinese legend. A live-action remake hit the big screen in 2020. In 2002, Lilo and Stitch told the tale of a young Hawaiian girl. The movie showed off Native Hawaiian culture. For example, traditional hula dancing plays a part in the film. The filmmakers behind Lilo and Stitch studied footage of a real hula performance. The animators then drew the hula to match the movements.
Moana swam into theaters in 2016. The animated movie celebrates Pacific Islanders. Moana lives on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Her story is based off Polynesian . Moana takes to the sea to save her home!
Many AAPI actors have broken through barriers. Anna May Wong, for example, was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood! Wong lived from 1905 to 1961. She was in more than 60 movies. George Takei played Hikaru Sulu on the TV show Star Trek. He was born in 1937. His parents were Japanese American. The Takeis were one of thousands of families that were forced into Japanese in the 1940s. In 2019, Takei wrote a graphic novel about his experience.
Other books have told of AAPI . For example, Gene Luen Yang wrote a graphic novel called American Born Chinese in 2006. The story explores harmful Chinese stereotypes and racism. The book is becoming a show as well! It is set to premiere on Disney Plus on May 24.
Author Andrea Wang wrote a children’s book called Watercress in 2021. The story follows a young Chinese girl who learns about her heritage through eating. Jason Chin drew the pictures for the book. It won the Caldecott Medal in 2022! Then there’s Tae Keller’s When You Trap a Tiger. It follows a girl named Lily. Lily is part Korean and part white. A tiger from her grandma’s Korean folktales shows up in the story! Keller’s book won the Newbery Medal in 2021.
People in the AAPI community have made their mark in music as well. Cello player Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents. The musician has impressed the world with his string work. Musician George Helm Jr. lived from 1950 until 1977. He was dedicated to his Hawaiian roots. He spent his life protecting the land and its people.
Olivia Rodrigo is one of the biggest stars today. The singer-songwriter wrote on every track from her 2021 album, Sour. She has also written songs for the Disney show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
In 2017, Rodrigo spoke about her background on Disney. “My heritage is a part of who I am,” she said. “I’m part Filipina on my dad’s side of the family. My Filipino heritage comes from my great-grandfather,” Rodrigo went on. “He came on a boat from the Philippines when he was just a teenager.”
Rodrigo said proudly: “I am an Asian Pacific Islander.”
Updated May 9, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
