I just watched The Princess and the Frog, an amazing movie that left me beaming with Disney princess nostalgia. It’s great to finally see an African-American Disney princess and I think they did it very tastefully (even though some may quibble over Prince Naveen’s hazy ethnic background.) I loved Tiana’s voice, which definitely had a lot of soul that jazzed up the songs.
I know we have Mulan and everything, but somehow she doesn’t seem to fit that Disney princess mold. I’m pretty girly, so I’d love to see an Asian princess who traipses around in a poofy dress, preferably wearing a tiara. I just simply didn’t identify with Mulan and I wonder if little Asian girls feel the same way. I can’t really picture them clamoring to wear Mulan’s armor for Halloween when they can don Belle’s yellow froufrou ballgown.
To me, Disney princesses are often an integral part of each girl’s childhood because they embody that fairytale fantasy most of us long for growing up. I certainly didn’t dream about dressing up as a boy, wielding knives with sweaty men in a war. And my other nitpick is that Mulan looks a bit too stereotypically Asian to me.
With that said, Asian or not, I’m looking forward to watching more Disney films with minority princesses!
