Parents and children across the nation are very excited for the debut of the first Latina Disney Princess. Just seven years ago, the first black princess, Tiana, was created in "The Princess and the Frog." It is definitely time that Disney creators came up with another authentic princess for children to look up to. Even though all Disney characters are from a fairytale land with fantasy plot lines, there is still authenticity and culture involved.
So why is it so important that this Latina princess is presented to young children across the world? Well, the new TV series “Elena of Avalor” includes Latino traditions that are common in the culture. It is very important to expose people to cultures they may not be previously educated on, especially children. Too often, children are brought up in the “American culture” and become unaware of the thousands of other cultures that exist in the world. Then, children start to go to school with others who grew up with different cultural backgrounds and they do not understand why some have different beliefs. Children are the future of this world. Therefore, they should be culturally educated from a young age so they can grow up accepting diversity. Disney creators are taking the right steps to make this a reality for children.
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Aimee Carrero, who is Latina herself, does the voice of Elena. She is very excited to serve as a role model for Latina children everywhere. Since Disney channel reaches over 36-million people, it is the perfect platform through which to inspire children. The TV series will also be translated into 34 different languages so that it can be successfully broadcasted across the globe! “I hope people will be inspired by her sense of self and her confidence,” says Aimee. The creators wanted to make sure that the show puts emphasis on the extraordinary leadership skills of the 16-year-old princess.
I definitely think it is important for children to understand that they have a voice worthy of being heard. Especially today, with all of the insecurities children have while growing up in the eyes of the media, it is important for them to have role models like Elena. She is a strong-willed and independent young girl who does not rely on the power of a prince. In fact, there is no love story involving a prince at all! Instead, creators wanted to portray a modern teenage girl who has male friends, as most teenage girls today do. That way, children are able to relate more closely to the princess. Disney has successfully created an authentic Latina character who is hopefully here to stay for a long time. The show debuts on Monday, July 22 on Disney Channel.
