Days after the American multinational mass media corporation Disney announced their live-action remake of the 1998 movie "Mulan," netizens demanded for Asian cast members.
In the past years, Disney has been casting Caucasian actors on its live-action film adaptations even if the characters require Asian actors.
Children's librarian and social media website Care2's member Natalie Molnar described Disney's action as "whitewashing" in the media.
Molnar created an online petition, urging the public to tell Disney that they do not want a "whitewashed Mulan."
The petition has so far earned 38,338 signatures.
According to Molnar, whitewashing is not just a target for the most politically correct, as it mostly affects the children because they are the main objective of the media and entertainment.
"Taking away Mulan's potentially breakout roles from Asian-American actors and actresses in favor of casting Caucasians would be nothing short of racist," Molnar said.
"Mulan" is based on the Chinese legend about a young maiden who learns that her weak and disabled father is to be called up into the army in order to fight the invading Huns. She disguises herself as a man to go in her father's place and later became one of China's greatest heroines.
Disney adapted Mulan's story in 1998 as an animated musical action-comedy-drama film. It was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook and voiced over by Ming-Na, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer and BD Wong in the English version, while Jackie Chan provided his voice for the Chinese dubs of the film.
Although Disney has not yet announced the cast of the film, Constance Wu, "Charlie's Angels" actress Lucy Liu, Tang Wei, Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, Ni Ni and Zhang Ziyi were among the fans' choice to play as Mulan both in social media and smartphone apps.