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Sydney Dippel
Professor Kendra Parker
English 113-03 The Wonderful World of Disney?
26 March 2015
Its Not Easy BeingTiana
For many decades, the Disney Corporation has been a leader in childrens movies, books,
TV shows, and products. One of its most iconic frontmen, or frontwomen rather, is Princess
Cinderella and the rest of the Disney Princesses. These ladies, and their leading men, have
changed over the years, but they still remain a prominent staple of Disney. Some argue that
Disneys fairytale story of a Princess and her Prince Charming reflects the cultural beliefs the
corporation wishes to convey to the American people. Without a doubt, these characters hold a
large stake of influence over the messages American children receive from Disney movies,
which makes the introduction of the first African American Disney Princess a significant event
to say the least. With the inauguration of Princess Tiana into this group of mostly Caucasian
Princesses, Disney may seek to diversify its lineup and possibly even uncover the taboo
discussion of race in childrens entertainment. The characters of Disneys The Princess and the
Frog, along with the circumstances that surround them, explore the concept of race and its
implications in American culture.
The representation of race in Disneys The Princess and the Frog portrays African
Americans as predominantly working in the service industry, which exposes the idea in
American culture that this group of people is not capable of other kinds of work. Tianas mother
Eudora works as a seamstress for the wealthy, Caucasian, LaBouff family, and Tiana herself
ends up working as a waitress at a restaurant in New Orleans. In addition, the people in Tianas

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childhood neighborhood, who were mostly African American, appeared to fall in the lower
income bracket of society, possibly suggesting they worked similar jobs. This commonality
among most of the African American people in the movie could lead one to infer that American
culture is biased toward certain groups of people, and biased away from other groups. These
potential biases could hinder African Americans from reaching their full potential, along with
attaining a job outside the service industry. The assumption that African American people are not
able to excel at the same jobs as people of other races could be detrimental to a society. People
from all walks of life will see this message, but especially children may take it to heart. Children
already have a plethora of obstacles in the way of their success, so adding yet another barrier
could be the straw that breaks the camels back.
However, The Princess and the Frog also illustrates an African American woman having
aspirations to be her own boss, which contradicts the notion in American culture that African
American people are meant to serve others. Tiana dreamt her whole life of making her fathers
dream a reality by opening up her own restaurant. This ambition, and the vision of it, remains her
motivation throughout the entire movie. Her eventual achievement of this dream proves that
Tiana cannot be restrained by the boundaries that American culture puts on African American
people. Because Tiana defies the usual norms that surround her race and becomes her own boss,
she may also inspire other young African Americans to pursue their own dreams. According to
Maria Hebert-Leiter, the film explodes the seemingly impenetrable assumption that a princess
must be white and encourages wishing upon stars, regardless of the dreamer's racial identity
(Hebert-Leiter 968). Not only does Tianas race make her a revolutionary princess, her disregard
for the limitations holding her down, and the determination she exemplifies in the pursuit of her
goal provides African American people with an ideal role model for success. Whether it be

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running a restaurant or becoming a doctor, Tianas influence on the youth in American culture
may prove itself advantageous.
The manner in which Disney represents race through the characters in The Princess and
the Frog reveals that race may not be easily determined, which conflicts with the American
culture concept that everyone belongs to one specific group. Prince Naveen, one of the main
characters of the movie, is of an undistinguishable race. He comes from the land and language of
Maldonia, which is presumably descended from Italian, but a Brazilian actor voices Prince
Naveens character. In a movie focused so heavily on race and its implications in a society, it
does not seem accidental that Prince Naveens race remains in the dark. It seems purposeful
because in everyday life, and especially as students, Americans are asked to categorize their race
in various ways. Whether it is by checking a box on a ballot, or filling out a form at a hospital,
race stratification helps organize our society. Perhaps with the decision to keep Prince Naveen
racially undetermined, Disney hopes to unravel the complicated web surrounding the issue of
race itself. Whether this effort is deemed respectable or helpless, it is not difficult to believe that
Disney heavily considers every aspect of a movie before making the final cut. With this careful
attention given to the components of its movies, Disney has the ability to help un-stigmatize race
in American society. This may also help in efforts to ensure cultural equality for all people in the
United States. A message like this coming from such a large-scale media conglomerate, such as
Disney, could not only spark a conversation, but also it could help to alter the rigid barriers
surrounding race in American culture.
The racial interactions in Disneys The Princess and the Frog contributes to the idea that
African Americans should still work under Caucasian people, which examines the issue of
cultural inequality in American culture. Throughout Tianas entire life, her mother Eudora has

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worked for a wealthy Caucasian family as a seamstress. While Eudora is paid for her work and
treated well, one cannot help but notice the obvious link to a prevalent component of African
American history in the United States: slavery. While African American people legally have
equal rights in modern American society, cultural inequalities undeniably still exists. In this case,
Disney may have contributed to the stereotype that African American people should still work
subordinately to Caucasian people. According to Neal A. Lester, in a world dominated by a
socially-constructed culture Disney reigns supreme, and part of that supreme reign is an
unquestionable privileging of patriarchy and whiteness (Lester 294). The impact that Disney
has, whether considered good or bad, on the beliefs of people around the world remains
indisputable. Because Disney also possesses such a large influence on American culture, it has
the opportunity to largely shape the everyday lives of people in the United States, and especially
the lives and values of children. If children are not instilled with the belief that they can achieve
their dreams, they will fail to thrive and end up as burdens on society in multiple ways. Culture is
entirely socially-constructed, so whoever has the reigns, whether it is Disney or someone else,
will hopefully steer us in the right direction.
The issues of race and racial discrimination frequently arise in American culture, and
especially in the media. However, this topic does not often come up in the case of childrens
entertainment, contrary to the response to The Princess and the Frog. After the release of the
movie, a multitude of opinions emerged regarding the characters, the setting, the events, and the
overall theme of the film. There were praises of the characters actions, along with criticisms of
the setting and plot. As with any cultural influence in American society, there will be people on
both sides whos opinions rise above the chatter. Despite ones take on the matter, it cannot be

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denied that with The Princess and the Frog, Disney has opened up a new realm of conversation
regarding race in the media, and that is something to be celebrated.

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Works Cited

Hebert-Leiter, Maria. Disneys Cajun Firefly: Shedding Light on Disney and Americanization.
Journal of popular culture 47.5 (2014): 968. Web. 25 March 25, 2015.
Lester, Neal A. Disneys The Princess and the Frog: The Pride, the Pressure, and the Politics of
Being a First. Journal of American Culture. 33.4 (Dec 2010): 294-308. Print.
The Princess and the Frog. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Disney, 2009. DVD.