...We have enough princesses for now, with one on the way (Anna), so just let it go...Besides, how does skin color matter?

If you want to see a Disney movie which honestly tries to convey some latin american culture, watch saludos amigos.

I really wish people would stop complaining...it's not Disney's job to promote minorities, their job is to make entertaining movies.

Swanpride, actually it is Disney's job. They are a company that wants money. We are the audience. We give them money. So they need to cater to our likes and needs to make us want to watch the movie. I'm a film student and we very often talk about what your audience will fine apple in watching your movie. When you are making films you're not making it for you anymore you are making them for an audience and they are very important. Don't you think a Latina girl would be just as happy to see her heritage portrayed on the big screen as any white girl? I mean seriously there are like six white princesses and most of the movies Disney makes is around white characters (which is funny considering the animators are Asian and some Hispanic too) but the reason why they make movies around white characters is because they know white people are going to watch their movies. You're audience should be the number one reason why you make movies cause you're giving it to them. Disney needs to come out of that box they've been in and bring some culture. And being Latina can be any race. Salma Hayek is Latina but she's white. Gina Torres is Latina but she's black. And there are Asian Latinos too. You can be any race and be Latin American cause it's not a race it's a culture. A beautiful culture that I think deserves to be explored and shown on the big screen. It seems selfish to not give us a Latin American princess or just a freakin PERSON for that matter!

and yes I saw Saludos Amigos and it was boring to me...

I thought Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros was boring too (even as a child)

Princess Tiana: Frankly, I think it is slightly disturbing that you somehow seem to think that being "white" is being part of a special culture. Neither of the "white" princesses present any special culture.
There is a simple reason why six princesses so far are white: Because they are all based on European fairytales. If you do a movie about a German fairy tale about a Princess with white skin, dark hair and red lips, the audience expects the protagonist to look the part. If you do a fairy tale about a princess with golden Hair, weather she is called Rapunzel or Briar Rose, the audience expect to get to see this. If you do a movie about a Mermaid as thought up by a danish writer, the audience expects to see something which looks like their idea of a mermaid. And if they do a story based on a chinese Legend, they make sure that the character looks the part, too.
And really, I don't get you...why should anyone create a character about for example a black Asian Latina Princess? The only reason to create a character with such a complicated cultural history would be to explore said history, and that's not the kind of story you find in freaking fairy tales! Fairy Tales a simple for a reason.
And why the heck do you call for specifically a Latin AMERICAN princess? Is Disney supposed to make one princess for every country out there? If it comes to a Latina as one of the main characters of a movie, there is always Esmeralda....not being a princess doesn't make her a lesser character.
Well, I'm the audience too, and I don't want the company to make movies following this kinds of demands. I want the company to tell good stories. I frankly don't care about the heritage of the protaginists (unless it's important for the story).

Hi everyone! As for me, I will always love the fairy tales stories as they are no matter what culture they represents. I'm just wondering, when will Dora grow up become a princess. If she will, for sure we will now have a latina one! lol!

^Dora isn't even Disney...

Swanpride race must matter to you if you don't want to see a Latina princess.

Esmeralda isn't Latin American she's a gypsy. Being a black Latina is not complicated. It's just who she is. To be Latino does not mean you must be indigenous looking because Latinos are mixed. There are Mestizos, Blanco, Mulatto, Zambo, Afro, Asian, Indian and yes indigenous. It's a rainbow of colors and it's beautiful. How is that weird or confusing? Take account Esmeralda's situation is complicated. She's a gypsy living in France in a time where her people were being killed & all she can do is trust in God for help before some old guy burns her.

And the white Disney Princesses do show culture. Belle from Beauty and the Beast is set in France and the characters say some lines in French and the castles and houses are designed after French architecture. Disney went to France for some weeks to research and get inspiration. In Sleeping Beauty the Disney animation team researched and looked at medieval architecture and clothes and paintings to inspire the look of the film. That pointy and maybe blocky art style they were doing was Medieval Gothic art. Even in Cinderella just a small thing but the characters at the ball scene speak Italian. Also the costumes Cinderella wears is based on the fashion of the Victorian era. When Disney made Mulan they went to China. This isn't special attention this is just simple film making.

No matter what film you make you ARE going to research something. If you want to make a film about the Chicago Bulls, well you have to go interview some players and go out to Chicago to get an idea of the city you are setting your film in. You especially research when you are making a film about a different country & time period. Researching doesn't mean you go to a different race person and talk to them (though you can and it's good for character writing) it's you just looking up architecture, music, clothes, foods, & history. Film making is a visual art form. film is a reflection of the real world. Research helps to create a believable world in cinema. And researching stuff is fun. You learn so much about what you are filming about and it inspires you even more, and then you come up with even more ideas.

It's not Disney job to portray every race but it is their job as film makers to think about their audience. The audience is very important key factor when making films. You make films for your audience. If you're not making it for your audience then you have a shitting film that people aren't going to watch. Of course film makers think about their audience when they rate the film. Every film has to be given a view rating. If there is one thing in a film that makes it PG13 and the film makers don't want it be PG13 they will cut that edgy scene out. A prime example would be The Black Cauldron. There was a scene where the princess is nude, a scene with a guy getting his head cut off. The film was given a PG13 rating. Disney didn't want it to be PG13 cause that makes the audience smaller. Little kids wouldn't be able to see it and they had other character that were written for little kids so they cut that riska scene out and the film got a PG rating. They were thinking about the audience.

When they made Little Mermaid they decided to make Ariel redhead cause their audience already seen a mermaid that was blonde in Splash.

You always think about you're audience when you make a film. You have to make sure they understand the story of your film. You have to make sure the character is likable for the audience to relate to. If the main character is a bastard then you must think of way to make him a entertainable bastard that enjoyable to watch still. You have to think about the villain and how that character will scare the audience. You have to think about certain angles, shadows, light, mise-en-scene, actors, props, camera movement, facial expressions, movement, colors...etc and it all goes back to your audience.

They are the reason why you are a film maker. You want them to listen to you so you have to think about them. the same when you write stories. you don't write for you. you write for your audience. there is not one second when you stop thinking about them. As a musician you think about what your audience wants to hear. As a cook you think about what your customer is going to taste. it's not about you anymore. it's about everyone else. You are giving them something and they are giving you something in return. An audience.

you may read this and fine it as me just complaining but I'm not. I happen to just be a person that love films and i adore world history. I love learning about other cultures and I especially love seeing different cultures set in the past in films. i love Gladiator as a visual film. I like Immortals as a visual. Story was lacking and Greek mythology in it was not correct (I also happen to love Greek myths) but it was a nice visual. And oh lord how I love Memoir of A Geisha. Just perfect. And all those film required research.

Disney is known for being the best when it comes to animation and that inspired me to go to college and become a animation major. Since Disney is so creative I always wondered what they could do with a Latin America setting. Dreamworks' Rio was great but I just wonder what Disney could do with it. And no I am not Latina by the way but I don't think it matters.

I didn't say that I don't want to see a Latina Princess....I said that I want Disney to chose the character based on what fit in the movie, and not based on "Oh, we need to present this group of people, so lets shove a character with this or that heritage in". It's bad story-telling to do this. And it's also a bad storytelling to do what you think the audience wants to see instead of what you think it should see. If Walt Disney had thought that way, he would have never made Snow White, because popular opinion was that the audience wouldn't like a movie like this. If he thought that way, there wouldn't be Fantasia, arguable one of the greatest animated movies of all times. If he thought that way there wouldn't be Pink Elephants or anything else which pushed the envelope in terms of animation again and again.
And if you really think throwing in some archetectural details and a few baguettes has anything to do with french culture, or throwing in some medival details anything to do with...medival???? culture, than you are mistaken. Yes, they used this as inspiration, but is was barely a starting point. The same way the design of "Emporer's new Grove" used the local design as a starting point. Hell, Disney drew a somewhat German looking castle into Snow White and then added an american wildlife...most of the animals in this movie don't even live in Germany. It's not about transporting anything culture related, it is about finding inspiration and translating it on the screen.

swanpride I wasn't saying they shouldn't put a story in it! Was that what you was on? I was just talking about visuals. There are Latin American fairy tales & myths they could use for story. Or they could just have it set in a Latin American country and make a story about some guy going on an adventure for something. I dunno. It could be anything! I was just talking about setting. Bolt could have been set in Latin America. Brave had a lot of culture in it it of Scotland and it seems beautiful. I haven't seen it yet but i want to cause I love films that go into culture. I wasn't saying that Disney has to make a Latin american movie to be politically correct I just want to see what they can come up with in design and special effect and a kick ass soundtrack. I'm just a history lover and I would want to see Disney set a film in a Latin American country. Of course you don't just come up with a race and then think about a story around it.You come up with a story then think about a setting you find interesting. Again Beauty and the Beast is set in France and they went to France to come up with the look of the film. I was talking about visuals. Sleeping Beauty was set in like the 14 century or something so Disney got art work from that era (Gothic) and designed the film after that. But when you make films you have to always think about what the audience wants. You may make some risks but most of the time you must think about who your audience is and what they want to see & if they can follow your story. That's what I was taught in Columbia.

Then say: I have read this book or know this folklore and I would love to see a Disney version of it...I have a whole list of stories which I want to see a Disney version of (and The Snow Queen is one of them, therefore I'm currently a happy camper). I don't care what inspiration they will chose (it looks like Scandinavian, that would be awesome, but I wouldn't have mind a different inspiration either as long as it is a good fit), I care about the story. If you say "when there will be a Latina Princess", then it is about the race, and that's the wrong approach.
So, don't say: I want a Latina Princess! Say "I love this story, it would be great to see a version of it!"

@PrincessTiana...I'm an author and amateur animator, and what you said about writers and animators writing for the audience is wrong. I don't care if people don't like my creations; as long as I like what I make then it doesn't matter! Making something to purely please the audience literally sucks all the fun out of what you love. Same with song-writing. I'm a grimdark/classical singer, and I don't write what I think the masses wants to hear; I write what I want to hear. I agree with Swanpride; having a specific kind of culture doesn't make a good film; that's what the plot is for.

There are good Disney movies with latinos like Emperor's New groove, soooo funny :P Doesn't matter if it's not DP.

Wow, it's so nice to see people purposely trying to cause a shitstorm on here. Agree with Swanpride on everything.
The people at Disney run the company, not you .Don't make demands like they're your lapdog or something. It's not their job to make a Latina princess. If people force them into it, it'll be PatF all over again. I love the movie with my heart and soul, but it was so forced by the end you can tell Disney jut didn't give a shit as long as it got released. Plus, why does it have to be a princess?
And I fully agree with TheCrystalRing. As a writer and an aspiring film maker, it makes me very sad to see people thinking creative people do what they do for their audience. I personally do it because they are my passions, and if someone likes what I do and will pay me to do, then that's fantastic. But I'll never take orders from anyone about how I'm supposed to do my thing.
One of the first tips I ever got from my mentor was, "Write the book you want to read." Or, "Make the movie you want to see." Not, "Make the movie the masses want." That's why it's art. Its creative expression.
Also, Esmeralda was technically Spanish/Indian. That's two places she could've originated from.
Also, why is everyone calling for a Latina? Why does no one care about the rich mythology from Ancient Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa? This has perplexed me for ages. Because of this, I have concluded that *you* are simply jumping onto a bandwagon.

If this had a "like" button PrincessTiana I would rape it.

Um. I hoped Rapunzel was white actually..... Blonde and latina kind of contrast and bring another stereotype.

Um Saludos Amigos and Three Caballeros were okay, but did have some sterotypes which I over look since, they did do alright.

And I would love a Latina Princess and when I say that I mean Mexican of course, but it would be great for Disney to have Mexico's culture into it along with all 20 (I think) other Latin countries tied with It.

Here's my vision of our next princess, but It's just my opinion. xp

They can even use the idea "Princess and the Pea" They can set it in Dia's de los Muertos and add the Folklore dances. Youtube. or google it.

And for some these are the other Latin countries. I would like Mexican, but any spanish or rich culture would do This may not be all of them:

Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Spain
Paraguay
Puerto Rico
Uruguay
Venezeula.

Equatorial Guinea (Africa)

Disney had their chance at making Esmeralda an representation,but blew it so it's too late now i suppose.I honestly think Jasmine can pass as Latina,I don't see why she can't.

Because Jasmine is Arabian hence the song "Arabian Nights" and from Agrabah which is considered to be Iraq

And Esmeralda is a French gypsy not even close to the list of Latin countries I posted.

Other than my choice Mexican Princess. I would be interested to see a cancer surviving/dying Disney Princess.

@rigo1315 Thanks again for your comment. I think Rapunzel could have been Latina. There are white Latinas from Latin America with blonde hair. Cameron Diaz, Christina Aguilera, Alexis Bledel (red hair), Olivia Hussey, Julie Gonzalo (brown).

But the problem with that would be that in Latin America, White Latinas are showcased more than brown or Black but in America brown Latinas are showcase more... sort of...or Italians portraying Latinas. Actually brown Latinas are shown more in animation but white Latinas are shown more in Live action films and TV shows.

There are many Black Latino(a)s in America that don't get cast as Latina but African American like Gina Torres, Tatyana Ali, Laz Alonso, Rosario Dawson, Jeremy Suarez. This is because Black is not what Hollywood thinks of when thinking of Latina. And people don't think of Asian, Black, and mixing going on when thinking of Latinas because Hollywood doesn't showcase the diversity of Latin America.

Or Rapunzel could be a brown Latina with long hair. She doesn't have to be blonde. I think it would be more interesting if she wasn't cause we all heard of and seen blonde Rapunzel before. Heck she could be Caribbean. There are Black women with long hair. Or Indian.

I have no problem with Mexico. It has those cool pyramids. It's just that we all seen Mexico played out in films before. (I'm not saying you) but most people outside the Latin American community act like Mexico is the only country in Latin America. They won't even ask if you're Latina, It's "Are you Mexican?" BUT I'll go with Mexican if it was like a Avatar: The Last Airbender thing where more than one country was being shown cause again being Mexican is what people think Latino is when there are so many other countries.

If the princess is a White Latina then she should have a Mestizo prince and, I dunno, Asian Latino (a) villain. If she's Indigenous looking, then why not have a Asian Latino prince and a Afro-Latino villain? I think if you mix the ethic groups around then people will learn that Latino comes in all different kind of looks and shades.

The anime Michiko to Hatchin really showed me that Latin America is mixed. There is a a Black Brazilian heroine, a blonde Latina kid, a white love interest that has a best friend that is Black Latino. Michiko's old friend is dark skinned Black Latina. There were Asian Latinos in the anime. There were Indigenous. The anime showed diversity and I loved that.

Yeah if there was a Latina princess Disney could use Princess and the Pea or even Rumpelstiltskin or Thumbelina or The Twelve Dancing Princesses (could be seen as stereotypical as in number of kids but many kings in many countries had many kids because it was their job to produce heirs and keep the family line.)

I think color shouldn't be the matter of it all.

It's going to be like the Beast in his human form the director I think even said, "No matter what we put everybody would love Beast more than the human Princes"

So color of the Latina Princess can really be what ever because they range from Coal black to Albino white jajaja.

And I love Mexico mainly because I live nearby and It's has influence in my family. ([There is problems In Mexico I know that but I'm ignoring that bad and adding the good xp]) And how I saw the story of this with the Princess and the Pea is that it had ties with Spain and the Aztecs maybe even some Mayan and the other 20 countries that would be maybe complex unless Disney figured out a way to group them together which would be pretty cool :)

And I love your idea of Rumpelstiltskin, Thumbelina and the Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Jajajaja imagine they make all Twelve the Disney line-up that would be pretty interesting to see them all look like them but in that culture setting.

And like I said I only know 5 main stories from Mexico that would fit nicely and totally open to other stories from the other countries...

Folkloric Dancing (picture below)
Llorona
Chupacabra
Dia de los Muertos
And Cucuy



Description of Picture: Range from many beautiful bright colors.... "Mexican Folkloric Dancing" Google.

yeah I wouldn't mind Mexico. If Disney made one Mexican princess film and then actually made ANOTHER film based on a different Latin American country I wouldn't care. Just to say that Mexico isn't the only country. And I feel that if you make a film set in Latin America the you should show different colors and races. Latin America doesn't have just one type of looking people. It's many different types and I like to see people of different ethics get along and all that sugary rainbow stuff.

Since Disney Princesses are really for kids I feel Disney should show diversity and with Latin America you get a ton of diversity. Again to teach kids that they can be friends with other people and that Latinos don't just look like Dora the Explorer. I was so confused when I saw Crissy in Maya & Miguel speaking Spanish when i was a kid but it taught me that not all Latinos look one way and that there are Black Latinos. I guess I'm more so on educational value. Again I am a World History nerd.

Rapunzel is a GERMAN fairy tale though... making her Latina would have kinda disrespected the original story in a way... you think of long blonde hair when you think of Rapunzel.

I think Rapunzel is from Austria though, (Random search answer with interesting evidence xp) and yeah the hair is blonde and usually latina hair is stereotypically brown or black. I know some who are blonde, but the idea sits well that Rapunzel is from another white dominated country.

But much of that has passed now and I think it would be interesting to see a new princess out of Disney and a good one hopefully ;)

I think a Latina Princess would be splendid! :D
And for all these people saying "Race doesn't matter" It's annoying, because it matters to me. It matters to a lot of people. When people say that, it makes me think, that they think, "I rather ignore you're race, instead of acknowledging your race."
I'm proud of my race and culture. If Disney is for kids, isn't showing diversity important for children?

^ Race does NOT matter, character does. Diversity in personality is more important then what you are born with!

Princesses show, hey you can't control how you were born, but you can control how you present yourself. Disney is for FAMILY. Not for kids.

Being proud of your race or not is not the forum's question, and diversity can be shown among their own peers.

Why are we always worried about race? We are all humans, are we not? We all the same "hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions."

To be honest, I ignore race. I pay attention to a person's opinion, presentation, character, morals, and values. Acknowledging or ignoring won't do a thing, because it is what's in the person's character that counts.

Race is just a divider, culture is beautiful. Culture beings people together, while highlighting race just divides us. Let's look PAST the skin.

Anyways, the next DP is a Hawaiian named Moana. Sorry but a Latina princess will just have to wait.

Yeah, there won't be a Latina Princess any time soon and I am very disappointed because I'll be in my 30's and she won't come. I've been wanting her for 5 years now.

So, I saw Swanpride's arguments and it reminded me of something I thought it would be interesting to share: link

...I won't even

probably when they feel ready to make a Germanic princess, or a Canadian one, or a Eurasian one. because it ISN'T A RACE. stop feeling so entitled to having a a dang princess in a children's film look exactly like them or be from their country or have Asperger's like them or whatever. it is so alarmingly selfish how people think they can demand Disney do whatever they want!

I know some people (emphasis on some) would just like one from that culture, but they seem to be in the minority. many people online have expressed a sense of entitlement to Disney filling that ethnic quota for no reason other than they want them to.

Disney could make a princess from Mexico, Argentina, or Brazil since they did have royal governments at some point (although those are merely European puppet states). Or they could make an Aztec, Inca, or Maya princess although they already have an indigenous,tribal princess (Pocahontas & possibly Moana). I was thinking of a princess from Spain who is being forced to marry a foreign Prince. As a result she runs away and goes to one of Spain's American colonies. There she falls in love with a Mestizo/Amerindian man. Although this could probably offend some people.

I think tip car is making a dia de Los muertos movie, if I'm not mistaken, but I don't think the color or place of origin matters, I think a relatable and likable character comes before that.

I honestly think it will be a while before we get another non-white princess. I personally love The Princess and the Frog, and Tiana is my favorite princess, but there was and still is so much racial controversy surrounding the movie (you name it, it's been complained about) that I think Disney will think twice before touching the stove again.

silverrose1991 Never trust a statistic you haven't faked yourself. People tend to forget that Disney has been around since the 1920s, which was a way less enlightened time than nowadays. If you only look at the movies they made since the 1990s, their "foreign race" quota is WAY HIGHER than in the production of any other animated movie company. One third of the human protagonists in the movies they produced since then have been "foreign".

Disney should make a film based on El Cid, a historical Spanish Knight and Prince of Valencia and feature his wife Doña Jimena Diaz as the Princess . I think that would appeal to both boys and girls.