My whole life, I have been Disney obsessed, and off the top of my head I can think of about 5 Disney Princess costumes I have owned throughout the years. I have taken every Buzzfeed Quiz imaginable, waited hours in line, and learned every word to every song.
When I was very young, it didn't matter. I could dress up as Ariel, Cinderella, or even Tinkerbell, never taking account of my brown hair. As I grew older, it stopped being cute, so I "settled" (although it was never settling for Jasmine, Belle, and Pocahontas). Times changed as well, and dressing up as Jasmine or Mulan, was now offensive, something that while I completely understand why it can be seen that way, I can argue the opposite. But that's an article for another day.
Eventually I realized that as fun as it was to dress up like Disney Princesses, none of them really looked like me. At first, the problem was the hair. Every princess had perfectly straight, tame, hair. Merida came along and I felt like she understood me. Curly haired girls finally had a wild, carefree princess to look up to. But it still wasn't enough.
It wasn't until I was walking around the parks the other day that I came across Elena of Avalor merchandise. I was brought to tears. Elena is Disney's first official Latina princess. I thought of all the little girls who get to grow up and look up to a princess that looks and talks like them. They can now dress up like any princess really, but they know they have the option to dress up like someone they relate to.
It is definitely not the biggest deal in the world, but representation is important. Disney Princesses, as of the 90s, have represented so many different cultures and ethnicities; Jasmine meant to resemble those who are Arabic, Mulan is Chinese, Belle is French, Merida is Scottish, Moana is Polynesian, Tiana is African American, Pocahontas is Native American, and Esmeralda is a Gypsy. There are so many little girls nowadays who get to dress up as any princess with any look. They no longer have the blonde ones (Cinderella and Aurora) and the Brunette (Snow White).
While writing that list, I kept adding every time I remembered a princess of a different ethnicity. And yet, I realized, that it shouldn't end there. We should continue to create and accept princess of other cultures and ethnicities, as well as princesses that look different or are different. There is controversy around a Disney princess that is gay, yet I don't see a problem at all. It can be her main characteristic, or it can just mentioned in passing but it would be great for boys and girls that are growing up and struggling with that.
There should be a princess who isn't stick thin. Not only do princesses have quite difficult, if not impossible, body proportions to emulate, but it would be great to see a princess who is a little chunky, or maybe really, really tall, or really really short. Maybe a princess who is disabled, so that girls, or boys, who are disabled, can relate to a princess.
It is not necessarily a matter of being politically correct, but a matter of being inclusive, or presenting different stories and points of views. Disney Princesses are characters I, and many others, have always looked up to, not just because they are beautiful, but because they are strong and multi-faceted. Having princesses that live different lives would be fantastic to see. The best part about the princesses is their story and how they overcome the obstacles they face.
I hope to see different types of princesses in the future so that other children, including mine hopefully, can experience the magic of princesses they relate to and can look up to on more than just an aesthetic level.
