Over the years, Disney has released 11 iconic princess movies. Of all 11, less than one third of them have protagonists that are people of color. However, this November, Disney is releasing Moana, a new princess who represents Polynesian culture and folklore. Not only is she considered to be the first Polynesian princess, but the movie itself is the first to have an entire cast of multicultural actors. Moana is important to add to the Disney Princess Line because she symbolizes a new beginning for the representation of minority cultures in children’s films.

For kids growing up in multicultural households, there are not many Disney princesses that they can relate to. This is the same for all who do not seem to fall under the “white umbrella.” The lack of minority representation in Disney princess films can negatively influence the younger generations. Children grow up believing that their culture is not where royalty comes from. When they are faced with movies that portray fair-skinned princess, some may feel like they do not belong. Disney has released some other princess movies that tried to portray people of color, but even those were a flop beneath the surface. Princess Jasmine from the hit Disney movie, Aladdin, was the first to break the barrier of white princesses. However, what many may not know is that Jasmine was actually voiced by a Caucasian actress, Linda Larkin. Princess Jasmine may have been portrayed as Arabian in the film, but behind the animation was still the familiar fair complexion. The same is true for Pocahontas, the princess that was supposed to symbolize Native-American culture. The actress who sang for Pocahontas in the film, Judy Kuhn, also pales in comparison to the animated character. These movies both claimed to be a branch off the typical Disney princess stereotype, but even they failed to accurately represent the cultures they were about.

Moana is breaking that Disney norm with characters that are all people of color, and actors that come from Polynesian backgrounds themselves. Princess Moana will be voiced by a newfound actress named Auli’i Cravalho, who is of Hawaiian descent, similar to the character Moana herself. The cast also consists of popular actor Dwayne Johnson and actress Nicole Scherzinger, who both come from the Pacific Islands. It is important to use actors that are actually of Polynesian descent because it accurately represents that culture and creates a more realistic storyline.

Overall, the movie is based around the adventures of a young teen by the name of Moana, who is searching for her true identity. Along the way, she will meet the legendary demigod Maui, who will help her on her journey. This film will be a fresh start to the seemingly endless amount of pale princesses, and movies that used white actors beneath the animated colored skin.