Pixar’s Turning Red on Generational Trauma

TURNING RED ON GENERATIONAL TRAUMA

Examining the themes of immigrant generational trauma present in Pixar’s latest release

NATALIE CHEN lifestyles editor

Being the child of an immigrant family plays a central role in one’s identity, although often in elusive ways. In particular, cultural and generational differences between parent and child often result in different views regarding a parent’s role in a child’s life. This familial and identificatory struggle is intimate for many students at Cupertino High School; with much of the popula tion coming from immigrant backgrounds, Pixar’s Turning Red can hit uncomfortably close to home. However, seeing ourselves portrayed on-screen also allows us to develop a deeper understanding of our own conflict.

The above phenomenon has been progressively prevalent in American media as diversity is increasingly demanded. With the releases of Coco (2017), Soul (2020) and Encanto (2021), Pixar’s attempts to highlight the experiences of minorities are both obvious and appreciated. Pixar’s latest movie, Turning Red, is no different. Following a young Asian-Canadian’s coming of age as she maneuvers through familial expectations and individuality, the movie highlights the intergenerational trauma faced by children of immigrants and its deep-rooted causes. By highlighting conflicts in media, c o n sumers who are able to relate to its characters can draw parallels between their personal experiences, allowing for a deeper understanding and clarity of generational issues.

Domee Shi’s semi-autobiographical film is set in Toronto, Canada, home to one of the largest immigrant communities in the world. The movie follows young protagonist Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian girl who runs a temple with her family. Mei’s life takes a sudden turn when she discovers her ability to transform into a giant red panda upon experiencing extreme emotions, which, paired with her overbearing mother Ming, results in conflict as Mei navigates through the fluctuations of adolescence. The overriding themes of parental expectations and generation trauma are familiar ones, especially for children of immigrants, and watching Mei’s struggles of finding herself at the disapproval of Ming can be all too familiar. Though, Pixar untangles the mother-daughter relationship masterfully; in a dramatic climax involving a spiritual journey at a boy-band concert, Mei breaks the cycle of generational trauma by standing up to Ming, something neither Ming nor her sisters were able to do to Mei’s grandma.

While Ming is portrayed as the main antagonist throughout the film, it is apparent that she herself is a victim of generational trauma borne from unhealthy parental expectations. She is introduced as the stereotypical helicopter parent; critical, domineering, and most of all overbearing, going as far as to publicly confront a teenage boy after finding Mei’s

lust-induced ”fanart. However, upon receiving a phone call from her grandmother, the audience sees a different, more vulnerable side of Ming. The Ming onscreen is almost juvenile in her attempts to avoid the telephone, and when she finally picks up everything is suddenly crystal clear; Grandma Wu is critical, domineering, and most of all overbearing as she announces her sudden arrival to support Mei following her disastrous first day at school post-transformation. Ming is a splitting image of both her mother and daughter, illustrating her deep-rooted contention as a victim of an overly stringent upbringing. In this way, generation trauma is never dissipated but only passed on. However damaging, what we are taught is sometimes all we know; even the most beautiful scenery turns ugly when looked through a distorted lens.

Ming’s overwhelming parental tactics are a result of her own unresolved trauma with Mei’s grandmother, Grandma Wu. Grandma Wu is strict, disapproving, and cold towards Ming. Later, Mei learns that the reason behind their tense relationship is Grandma Wu’s disapproval of Mei’s father, Jin. Ming’s tendencies to micro-manage Mei’s life can be traced back to her distant relationship with Grandma Wu; by forc- ing herself into her daughter’s life, she attempts

to maintain a close relationship unlike that with her mother. Mei is finally able to break this cycle of generational trauma by standing up to her mother through her embracement of the red panda. In accepting it rather than viewing it as a curse to be broken, Mei also ac“ THE REASON WHY TURNING RED IS SO MONUMENTAL cepts her own individuality apart from her mother. IS ITS PORTRAYAL OF PARENTS While Mei’s reAS FLAWED AND VULNERABLE lationship with PEOPLE INSTEAD OF PERFECT BEINGS her mother is the focal point of her story, Mei’s father Jin also plays a critical role in her acceptance of her panda. He appears timid and compliant, often talked over by Ming in regards to Mei’s panda. However, Jin’s words towards Mei are always meaningful—on the night of the ritual, he shows Mei her camcorder and reminds her of the joyful times she spent with her friends and her panda.

“PROPER REPRESENTATION OF IDENTITY IS CRITICAL FOR ADOLESCENTS FINDING THEIR WAY IN THE WORLD ” Without Jin’s words, Mei likely would have committed to the ritual instead of embracing it. Although inexplicit, his inclusion in the movie is a refreshing reminder of what it means to be a supportive parent. The reason why Turning Red is

so monumen- tal is its portrayal of parents as flawed and vulnerable people instead of perfect beings. It is easy to idolize our parents, especially ones from immigrant backgrounds who left everything behind for bigger opportunities; It’s only natural to want to live up to their expectations, however high or unrealistic. However, Turning Red also teaches us the importance of celebrating ourselves outside of any parental influence: as Mei said, “Honoring your parents sounds great, but if you take it too far, well, you might forget to honor yourself.”

Turning Red’s take on the difficult topics of generational trauma and identity is highly successful in the way that many children can relate to the themes, whether they come from immigrant backgrounds or not. Seeing these issues represented in media allows us to better understand relationships in our own lives, and help resolve conflict without assigning blame. In a time of self-discovery, proper representation of identity is critical for adolescents finding their way in the world