Specifically, let’s talk about the story of Moana. The themes of exploration and inspiration, of passion and purpose, and of finding your own way through adversity and uncertainty.
When I was younger, there were never any fairy tales told to me about pretty little island girls who grow up to do something amazing. I never had those mythic stories performed to me by my grandmother. Instead, I was raised Catholic, lived in a tiny apartment in Hayward, CA, and Lilo & Stitch was my jam.
Because that was the only movie that had characters that looked like me. That spoke like my mother and grandmother. It reminded me of my family — and in hindsight, that was too rare to be healthy.