students explain how Disney princesses have diversified through the years

Diversity according to merriam-webster.com is, “the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.” Through the years, Disney has created a multitude of princesses with different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. However, Disney’s first non-Caucasian princess was not created until 55 years after the making of Snow White. That princess was Jasmine. Since Jasmine’s debut in 1992, three more princesses with different ethnicities have come out. Recently, the newest princess, Moana, has sparked more interest in the diversity of future princesses. The actors voicing the characters in the film have roots in the Pacific Islands, where the film takes place, making it different than the other animated princess films.

Diversity club leader junior Mahrukh Jamal said she grew up around Disney films. Jamal said she hopes diversity will continue in Disney movies, but currently all she sees is a single ethnicity displayed.

“In ‘Aladdin’, it’s not like a diverse amount of people in the movie; it’s always one ethnicity shown,” Jamal said. “For example in ‘Mulan’, it’s only Chinese people and in ‘Aladdin’, it’s only Arabian. The only movie I can currently recall that’s remotely diverse is ‘Pocahontas’. So not typically I see diversity, but when there is, it’s only a specific group of people.”

When it comes to the 55-year gap, sophomore Anna Hansen, who said she is an avid Disney fan, said she thinks the period was the contributing factor to the lack of ethnicity.

“I think that it took so long because this is an ever-changing world,” Hansen said. “During those years, ethnic diversity became a lot more important than it was in 1937. I am kind of upset that it took them so long, but I’m glad that they are actually doing something to change and improve.”

Similar to Hansen, Jamal said she agrees that with Disney including more ethnicities, society is headed toward a better future for the next generation.

“I think this is a step forward in our future — a step forward toward acceptance and embracing cultures,” Jamal said, “As Disney progresses, it won’t be a matter of ethnicities; it will be accepted as a normal thing. I hope one day diversity will be a norm. As children grow up and absorb different cultures, they will take pride in who they are and I hope other people will support them.”

In 2015, John Lasseter, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer, made a statement about the future of diversity in Disney films at the Cannes Film Festival.

“It’s very important to us to have female and ethnic characters,” Lasseter said in the statement according to The Washington Post. “It’s grown in importance over time. As you’ll see in future films, we’re really paying attention to that. We have been seeing more and more women, and more and more people from all over the world starting to work with it. That’s exciting. I think it will get reflected in the characters.”

Sophomore Regan Kerr said she occasionally watches Disney films, and she thinks the release of  “Moana” has helped diversify the princesses and add a positive light to it.

“Recently the new movie ‘Moana’ came out, showcasing a race other than Caucasian,” Kerr said, “This helps to show that the princesses are representing more groups.”

In an attempt to justify why this acceptance to diversify hasn’t happened quicker, Jamal explained our country’s history. “America has a history of not accepting diversity,” Jamal said. “No matter how we look at it, that’s the truth. There’s only six genes that determine the skin color of a being. Out of 25,000 genes only six have separated people into separate groups. It took years to get over the fact that it doesn’t matter if someone has a darker skin tone than you. It’s disappointing that Disney took that long, but it’s also not their fault because it’s how we’ve grown up; it’s how America’s grown up. It’s how we’ve been exposed.”