One Year Later: Disney Praised For Representation of Diversity in ‘Encanto’
A vibrant animated film was released last year, becoming a fan favorite, especially after its streaming premiere on Disney+. Now, almost a full year later, Disney is being praised for its representation of diversity in the beloved Encanto.
Ruthy Muñoz
USA Today recently featured a story written by Ruthy Muñoz of Hispanic Living magazine. Muñoz describes why the movie was meaningful and significant in a touching article where she shares about her family.
She describes the moment she sat down to watch Encanto with her 8-year-old granddaughter, Cataley. Expecting to see visuals that mirror most animated films from the past, she was pleasantly surprised to see herself reflected in the movie’s characters.
Aspects like the texture of their hair and the Madrigal family’s dynamics made her feel seen by Hollywood for the first time. Muñoz states, “The Madrigal family was a wonderful representation of the diversity within our culture.”
Encanto
Encanto tells the story of the Madrigals, a tight-knit family who live in an enchanted house in the mountains of Colombia. Muñoz talks about how from the very beginning of the movie, the place felt familiar to her due to its “culture, customs, rituals and music.”
As she watched the film with her granddaughter, the pair was excited to see family members that looked just like them! She hopes that Disney’s portrayal of how Latino families look will cause misconceptions to be fewer.
Angela Banks
Others have also expressed praise for Disney’s culturally inclusive production. Angela Banks, a biracial college student from Concordia University, shares,
“I really liked it because of how many people can relate to it. There were all ranges (of) the Latin community just from the jump when they introduced the family.”
From the storyline to the soundtrack to the visuals, Encanto continues to leave its mark in a positive way. Disney should be proud!
Banks explains, “It goes deeper with more than just how they all look.” “It shows the structure and how immigrating to a new place affects (future) generations.”