JLP-Jewish Latina Princess

Anyone who’s followed me for a while knows about my complicated relationship with Disney. As stated in my Ralph Breaks the Internet piece, I’ve come to terms with their corporate and their creative sides being one-in-the-same. I’m also aware that their corporate side is out-of-control. Still, Disney has a big impact on pop-culture, and their choices have ripple-effects. Case in point: they’ve recently announced their first Jewish princess.

I’ve never actually watched Elena of Avalor. Like Sophia the First, I’m sure it’s enjoyable, but it’s not meant for me. However, I recognize its popularity with little girls, and its characters definitely don’t exist in a bubble. So when it was revealed that the titular heroine would be travelling to a Jewish kingdom, I was pleasantly surprised. It seemed like a natural progression in an increasingly globalized world. Factor in that the new princess is Latina, and you’ve immediately sold her on two different fronts.

This is great news. Yet, as with all great news, it was also met with backlash. Skimming through every complaint would be a waste of time, but I’ve narrowed down the resistance to two points. The first is that “this isn’t the first Jewish princess in Disney’s history”, while the second is a denial that non-Ashkenazi Jews exist. Let’s deconstruct both.

The idea that Disney’s had Jewish princesses prior is interesting and somewhat sympathetic. Because yeah, what happened to Vanellope from Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet? The former revealed her princess-hood, albeit unconventionally, while the latter had a scene with her interacting with other Disney princesses in their communal changing room. She even gets bombarded with a series of gatekeeping questions to prove that she’s a princess. It’s also a great scene with clever jokes, by the way.

However. there’s one detail that’s unaccounted for in both films: Vanellope’s voiced by Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman. This is something that Silverman was quick to point out last year. It’s also something that several critics have pointed to, and it’s easy to see why from a technical perspective: if your character is voiced by a Jew, then aren’t they Jewish by default? Well…no.

The best counterpoint is Elsa from Frozen. Like Vanellope, Elsa’s voice actress, Idina Menzel, is Jewish. But that doesn’t make Elsa Jewish, as evidenced by her referring to Christmas in “Frozen Forever After”. That a character’s played by someone with an ethnicity doesn’t mean it’ll automatically translate to film. Especially in animation, where you don’t even have to voice a person.

Critics have also suggested that Nancy Tremaine, who’s played by Menzel as well, from Enchanted is a Disney princess too, as going by the final scene. Ignoring how that movie isn’t technically canon, as it’s a spoof, that still doesn’t confirm anything. Nancy’s not Jewish in that movie, her identity isn’t brought up at all. She largely exists to generate a love triangle between her, Giselle and Robert Phillip, and her resolution, though funny, feels more like an afterthought. Even before I knew who Idina Menzel was, I still felt that way.

I know I’m giving Menzel the cold shoulder, and I apologize. I even got into a jokingly heated debate on Twitter with a stranger, who tried using “Jewish guilt” as a defence mechanism. But simply pointing to a character and saying “Jew” strikes me as tokenizing when the character isn’t confirmed as Jewish. That doesn’t mean you can’t claim the character as your own, that’s what headcanons are for, but I need hard-hitting evidence before I’m, personally, ready to accept it.

The other argument that’s been tossed about, this one being less-sympathetic, is that “Jews can’t be Latino”. I’ve mentioned this before on several occasions, but not only is it Antisemitic to state that, it’s also racist. Jews aren’t one type of people, because they existed long before the codification of race in the 18th Century. They’ve, historically, been many races. It’s absolutely possible, therefore, for there to be Jews who are Latino: they’re called Sephardim. They lived in Spain for centuries, and are now largely, alongside Mizrachi Jews, found in predominantly Muslim and Iberian-colonized countries.

Saying “Jews can’t be __” ignores that, yes, they can. And they can even be princesses if they want to. I’m more disappointed that this didn’t happen sooner, especially since “Frozen Forever After” referenced Chanukkah in two throwaway lines. Additionally, having that be the holiday that Elena of Avalor references feels kinda unambitious. Everyone knows Chanukkah, but few people know Judaism’s other holidays. Why not have this princess celebrate Sukkot, or Simchat Torah? I’d even be game for Shavuot!

Regardless of whether or not the show’s missing an opportunity to teach kids about less-mainstream Jewish holidays, this is still exciting. It’s giving Jewish Disney fans something to latch onto, normalizing the reality that this is the world we live in now. It’s also another feather in Disney’s diversity cap, given the age-old rumour that Uncle Walt was “an Antisemite”. And it looks good for Disney’s brand to be forward-thinking, corporate practices aside.

Then again, waiting this long for a Jewish Disney princess is a problem. I mean, it’s not like Disney’s the only company that exists, right? RIGHT?!