Response to 17 Reasons We Need a South Asian Princess

This is a response to an article from Buzzfeed discussing the reasons why Disney needs to make a film starring a South Asian heroine, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

The problem isn't that I don't want there to be more racial diversity within the Disney Princess collection or that I dislike the idea of having a South Asian princess. The problem is that I am concerned  about the how easy it would be for writers and producers to turn this project into a well packaged bundle of stereotypes and cliche archetypes.

Pocahontas, Aladdin and the Hunchback of Notre Dame all featured minority female heroines and the majority of the backlash surrounding these characters was that they became defined by their race as opposed to their story and individuality. In my opinion, although they have made significant improvement, Disney has yet to produce a film in which a minority heroine is portrayed in a way that is widely relatable and accessible to many.

 I know you may argue that Tiana from Princess and the Frog was a prime example of a minority female defying stereotypes, but I disagree that it was a successful product. Yes, it was a powerful move by producers to support, and I can appreciate the historical context of the piece. However, the fact that it made very little merchandise sales in comparison with other characters, and how the majority of the demographic purchasing the merchandise is African American households concerns me.

Why is it that millions of little girls can relate to a half-human/half-fish, but not an African American princess?  Girls of all races aspire and look up to Ariel, you can see this in the amount of halloween sales and dress up sales the mermaid is racking in to this day. However, this was not the case for Tiana, as the majority of the girls buying her products are just the girls that physically look like her.

I support the push for a South Asian Princess 100%! What I don't support, is a movie that blends a character's ethnicity with her identity. By taking away the appeal of being an "everyday girl like you and me", we would only isolate her from the brand and contribute to reasons why diversity in the media is struggling.