Moulatto Children

1134 Words5 Pages
Although America is often seen as a place of diversity, images of white supremacy still plague the country. From adolescence, children growing up in America are molded through the stories and toys that they experience into forming feelings of white superiority. Kids idolize the beloved and popular white heroes and princesses who are famously depicted throughout the country, and find social validation in the comparisons that they make between themselves and these characters. The overwhelming absence of minority races featured in popular Americanized children’s stories and toys, cause kids to subconsciously learn of the clear social divide that is still prominent in American society. Because children certify themselves and the world around them…show more content…
For young mulattoes, especially girls, the lack of representation that they encounter in their childhood, through mediums such as Disney fairytales and common toys, leads to formations of negative self-images and feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in comparison to their white counterparts. With Disney’s influence being so prominent in America, the narrow model of loveliness they shove on kids can cause major and detrimental impacts to mulatto children, who oftentimes become self-conscious and struggle from negative self-esteem issues due to these shallow characterizations of beauty. The “Wonderful World of Disney” has been a part of American households for generations. With its celebrated movies, songs, theme parks, and fictional characters, Disney is the epitome of kid’s entertainment. The enchanted and magical stories portrayed in Disney fairytales have captivated both children and adults alike, and the nine prevalent Disney princesses, six of which are white, are commonly associated with most young girls since the release of the Disney princess line in 2001 (England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek…show more content…
In fact, detractors of Disney assail the corporation for its alleged “cruel” and “damaging” impact on children, families, society, and, in some cases, on the very fabric of modern culture itself (Coulter 148). Critics of Disney argue that “the problem of pervasive, internalized privileging of Whiteness has been intensified by the Disney representation of fairy tale princesses which consistently reinforces an ideology of White supremacy” (Coulter 146). The theme of white supremacy featured in Disney’s films and stories is worrisome because Disney is, in essence, a virtual teaching machine, and the people that are exposed to it on a daily basis become familiar with the values and messages that the company displays. Although Disney cleverly uses the pretense of innocence to downplay their messages, Disney leaves no room for imagination in kids, as their productions are loaded with predetermined thoughts and opinions targeted towards children. Children, who are extremely malleable and innocent by nature, are defenseless against the subliminal messages that the not so wonderful Disney films and products feed to them. Young mulatto girls are shown, through Disney’s influential world, that they will not have the signature “happily ever after” that has become the company’s trademark and that those things only happen to
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