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RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON - (L-R): Sisu and Raya. © 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
STAN STATE PROFESSOR HELPS CREATE ‘RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON’
It was there he bonded with fellow members of the artistic team that would create Walt Disney Animation Studios’ newest full-length animated film, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” their first film inspired by Southeast Asian cultures.
Steve Arounsack
“I served as the visual anthropologist, responsible for the holistic and comprehensive review of all the visuals and cultural themes in the movie,” Arounsack said.
Being part of a project that celebrates his homeland is naturally meaningful for Arounsack, who grew up in the Central Valley and graduated from Stan State.
A boat trip on the Mekong River in his native Laos turned into a journey of a lifetime for Stanislaus State Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology Steve Arounsack.
“My daughters and the kids from that region of the world now have a hero that looks like them, and that’s incredibly powerful,” he said. The experience deepens his commitment to having his students better understand themselves through visual storytelling, a tool he has long used. They come to feel safe sharing their stories in the classroom, then then expand their search for cultural understanding in their communities. “When we genuinely connect with other cultures, we create a stronger overall community,” Arounsack said.
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