Here’s How I Experienced Asian American Culture at Disney

While some children listen to fairy tales about distant land, I grew up with stories about a magical place, which is on a five -hour drive from my California hometown in Disneyland: San Jose of my California. We had a children’s book about the ride of “It’s a Small World” and my mother always likes how “just so peaceful”, how attraction is like “heaven on heaven”.

As the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, I often thought that I was jumping rope between both sides of my Asian American identity. But our journey of Disney always felt like a prototype all-American experience. Maybe we may not be doing it externally at that time, but perhaps we felt a relationship because it was a place where we saw the characters that looked like us.

Decades later, we started a multi -layered family trip in the park in 2017 with our parents and two young nieces. The journey took place only a few days before the lunar New Year, and I was shocked to see an archway reading “lunar new year” near Disney California Adventure, which was taken out under the traditional red-gold lanterns and an Asian-inspired, Mickey-shaped logo in Talsals.

It turns out, it was part of the annual lunar New Year celebration of the park, initially began as a week’s program in 2012, but has been expanded to a month -long celebration since then. We watched the menu items of Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, and even Mickey and Minnie characters were ready in traditional organizations. To see a park that felt that “Americans” embrace Asian traditions, just went beyond the feeling, but as is actually being hugged and understood. This was particularly poignant during my first visit to my niece – knowing that he would grow up in more inclusive society.

It was not till last month that I was back back to a Disney, visited Walt Disney World at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to participate in the 5K run of the run Disney SpringTime Surprise Weekend. And II began to spot the Asian American influences throughout the park: the first Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s lobby, and I later saw the Asian -style fans of the Asian -style fans and the collectable pins of the characters on the Boba drinks.

Earlier this month, I visited Disneyland for my 70th anniversary ceremony. And instead of hunting for hidden Mickey, I went to a hunting for Asian American influences in the park.

I began my discovery in Disney California Adventure at San Francosco Square, which a hybrid from San Francisco and Tokyo “Big Hero 6.” Inspired by, this section was known as Pacific Ghats, and I was immediately blown up by prevention. There were indications written with Japanese and Chinese characters, and tons of traditional Asian motifs, such as gold coins, dragons, lucky cats and lanterns. It was all certain proof that Disneyland is making a meaningful investment in diversity. This especially makes sense in California, where 7.1 million people (about 18 percent) are identified as Asians, according to the data of the Pew Research Center.,

But nothing affects me more than the menu. Lucky Fortune Cookie served about Honey Walnut’s shrimp raps, potstics, karaj-inspired chicken sandwiches, yaki udon, and and gon-gomans biria ramon instead. The aunt Cass Cafe was the Soba Noodle Salad, the California Roll Sandwich, and – My Junoon – Frankosko Clame Chound in a sour bread bowl. Taste with White Misso, it was all far from burgers and hot dogs, which I expected as the theme park rent.

But the Asian American-inspired Prasad was not limited to San Francosko Square. The Better Together: Given the A Pixer Pales Celebration Parade (which is returning to Disney California Adventure via the next summer), I wondered that Red Panda Mei in the opening float has been shown with other characters from “Turning Red”.

Later, I stood with a honey lemonade with bubbles from aunt Cass in Disneyland, happy cavalcade, with the fact that I was watching a disney parade with a boba drink in hand, some I could never imagine during my childhood trips.

Wandering the Main Street USA of Disneyland, I noticed that one of the window performance in the Emporium was dedicated to the Asian American Pacific Islands. But this was not the only tribute of the month of Aapi. I also saw hints for the special menu items around the park, including the Lucky Fortune Cookery included the Passion Fruit-Orange-Gwa Panch and Green Tea Legar.

During May, the Park’s Disney photopas depicted the themed magicshots, which includes images with Asian Disney characters including “Up Turning Red,” to “Up,” from Panda Mei to Russell, “ And rings from “Shang-C and the Ten Rings”. Even there was a sketch pad prop option, working by a Chinese American animator Tyrus Wong, who was the leading artist behind “Bambi”.

The Asian Disney artists also included Autograph signing with Stacey Aoyama and Eric Tan, lessons with Russell and Mei, “Moana” and “Turning Red,” and Tahitian, Polinesian, Japanese, Indian and Filipino, Indian and Filipino, to include special programs with dance lessons with trainers.

But perhaps the most important permanent Asian addition is the new Deen Tai Fung, which was opened in the downtown Disney on July 2024. Visiting the original place of the restaurant in Taipei was always a major part of my trips to Taiwan, and it was absolutely alive that it was now an anchor restaurant in a major American theme park. As I enjoyed my favorite spicy Wonten and Sesame Jio Long Baos, I tickled to know that the restaurant also had a limited PIN set to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the park.

Tumbling all these meaningful Asian American elements in the entire part was not an accident, but the work of the compass, the park’s Asian American Pacific Islands Employees Group. Compass “tries to educate our artists with more understanding and appreciation of our AAPI culture” and “Disneyland helps give advice on culture awareness for the resort prasad,” The group’s co-president Elli Kawamoto, the Hotel Experience Economic Manager at the Disneyland Resort, tells Travel + holiday,

Kavamoto was born in Anahem and has always loved Disney. But now she is pushing it forward for the next generation, and was behind the AAPI performance of the Emporium. “It was a moment to come into life by looking at this window and to share the window with my son that I was very proud of,” she says.

Like my own family, she says that she has always been a fan of “It’s a Small World”, which has been updated for years to include “Lilo and Stitch” in her Pacific Islands section, and recently, Dante has been included in the part of Coco’s Miguel and Mexico.

“I just feel happy because I ride and represent countless cultures,” says Kavamoto. “We have guests who travel from all over the world, and I think everyone can see the reflection of their culture.”