What's wrong with being Brown?

Disney. The company that seized more of my thoughts throughout childhood than any other. I remember loving Belle from Beauty and the Beast so much because she read. All. The. Time. That was me! I had a Disney heroine who was like me! She was smart, feisty, courageous, and looked good in yellow (not everyone call pull it off, you know)!

Princess Sofia and mother

Now that I'm older, I've grown more and more saddened by the lack of positive heroines that look like me (read: dark-skinned, Latina). Latinos are the growing minority in the United States, soon to be that we'll no longer be a minority at all. So...where's my Disney Princess or heroine?

Princess Sofia is to make her grand debut in Disney Channel's movie, "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess". Sofia was described by the executive producer, Jamie Mitchell, as "Latina" about a week ago.

However, after a lot of clumsiness and confusion, Disney has opted to let go of Sofia's ethnic identity and instead state Sofia is a 'fairytale girl from a fairytale land'. But aren't all the Disney princesses such? Why let go of Sofia's ethnic identity and heritage?

Ruben Navarrette, Jr., wrote for CNN's Opinion page, in a more succinct and amusing manner than I. Read the article here. Below is a small excerpt from Navarrette's article:

"Sofia may be make-believe, but this public relations blunder is as real as it gets. Whereas my mother's generation, and my wife's had to put up with being ignored and overlooked by the worlds of media and entertainment, Disney has taught my girls that there is something worse -- when being designated "Hispanic" is treated as a mistake that has to be corrected." -Navarrette

And this is the part that makes me the most sad. Because, if I, an almost-25 year old woman who is finally comfortable in her Brown skin is asking the question, "What's wrong with being Brown?" What can we expect the girls, who are waiting for their own beautiful Disney princess to arrive, think about themselves and who they are?

*I understand there may be some of you who may not understand why this is 'such a big deal'. If that is you, I'd love to talk, share my thoughts, and hear yours. Feel free to leave a comment saying so, or contact me directly. Thanks.