I have recently made a video of my Drag performance to the song “Reflection” from the Disney film Mulan. Which will debut Monday, April 5th at Opalessence: Digital Drag Show. More information on this event is in my previous posts!
There are so many layers of why Mulan is so important to me on a personal level. It was a film that represented me at a young age. I never had much to see on the screen when it came to people looking like me. Although Mulan is a Chinese story, I still saw someone who resembled me on my television screen.
This film holds such a sentimental value in my heart, and it always shows up in my life whenever I need it. It is definitely my go-to film when I am in the mood for something nostalgic in my life.
It was a film that was constantly on repeat on my portable DVD player. I would listen to the soundtrack non-stop and reenact the song “Reflection” in front of my bathroom mirror. I was fully convinced that I had a full face of makeup and was wiping it all away in front of my own eyes.
Another important reason I love Mulan is for the singer Lea Salonga. I have mentioned her here before, but I sincerely believe her to be a fairy godmother to me. A Filipina singer and actress, Salonga was the singer voice for Mulan AND Jasmine from Aladdin.
The song “Reflection” holds a deeper meaning in today’s current political landscape. In the extended version of the song, this line strikes such an overwhelming amount of feelings within me:
Must there be a secret me I’m forced to hide?
There is a level of nuance and significance as a gay Filipino-American in society today. We are hiding behind masks literally and figuratively. With the uprising of anti-Asian hate, the AAPI community is forced to hide into a safety net.
But I am not hiding; I can not do any more of that in my life. I am standing out and being unapologetically Filipino. It is a scary world out there full of hate and ignorance. But I choose to stand for my community.