Lea Salonga, the singing voice behind the Disney Princesses Jasmine and Mulan, became the first Filipina to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Sept. 4. Joined by Mulan voice actress Ming-Na Wen and current reigning Cinderella, Brandy, Salonga continues to represent beauty, grace and talent to girls of color everywhere.
As I said in my recent reel about Disney Princesses in concert, Salonga’s voice was the first time I and many Black girls heard a princess of color in a Disney film. Was Jasmine Black? No. But she was, as far as I know, Disney’s first princess of color period, and for those of us who weren’t represented until Jasmine, she meant a lot to us.
I write more about what Jasmine meant to me here.
Mulan was just as influential, years before Tiana came on the scene. She helped girls of color realize they could do anything they put their minds to and love yourself while doing it.
Both characters are icons, and seeing Salonga get honored is only right for someone who was many girls’ first example of positive representation.
