WHAT IS BEHIND THE LATIN REPRESENTATION OF DISNEY ANIMATIONS?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14244/2179-1465.RG.2025v16p20-44Keywords:
Disney, Latinity, RepresentativenessAbstract
This article explores how Disney animations emulate Latin characteristics and analyzes the political context behind this representation. We focus on the films "Saludos Amigos" (1942) and "Encanto" (2021), highlighting continuities and ruptures in the company’s approach to Latin cultural elements. Methodologically, we analyze the context of U.S.-Latin American relations during the films’ release periods, alongside a content analysis. We argue that Disney’s productions promote cultural diplomacy while constructing convenient representations to avoid political crises and garner symbolic capital.
Downloads
References
ADAMS, Dale. Saludos amigos: Hollywood and FDR's good neighbor policy. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, v. 24, n.3, p.289-295, 2007.
BASSETS, Marc. Barack Obama busca normalizar a relação com a América Latina. Disponível em:
https://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2015/04/09/internacional/1428600441_304117.html. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
BELTRAN, Mary. The Hollywood Latina Body as Site of Social Struggle: Media Constructions of Stardom and Jennifer Lopez's Cross-over Butt. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, v.19, n.1, 71-86, 2002.
BENNETT, Andrew. Case study methods: Design, use, and comparative advantages. In: SPRINZ, Detlef; WOLINSKY-NAHMIAS, Yael. Models, numbers, and cases: Methods for studying international relations, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2004.
BRISCHETTO, Robert; ENGSTROM, Richard. Cumulative voting and Latino representation: exit surveys in fifteen Texas communities. Social Science Quarterly, v.78, n.4, p.973-991, 1997.
BUDIMAN, Abby. Key findings about U.S. immigrants. Disponível em https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/. Acesso em: 12 de abril de 2022.
CASADO, José. Latinos já representam 18% da população dos Estados Unidos. Disponível em https://veja.abril.com.br/coluna/jose-casado/latinos-ja-representam-18-da-populacao-dos-estados-unidos. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
CASTRO, Mary Garcia. “Latinos nos EUA – Unindo Américas, fazendo a América de lá ou perdendo a nossa América?”. Revista Travessia, v.11, p.14-20, 1991.
CELIS, Karen. Representativity in times of diversity: The political representation of women. Women's Studies International Forum, v.41, n.3, p.179-186, 2013.
CORLETT, Angelo. Latino identity. Public Affairs Quarterly, v.13, n.3, p.273-295, 1999.
CUMMINGS, Milton. Cultural Diplomacy and the United States Government: a survey. Disponível em https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/naappd/cultural-diplomacy-and-the-united-states-government-a-survey. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
DIAH, Istiwarni; ANISA, Siti; BUDIARTO, Budiarto. The representation of Mexican culture in Disney Pixar’s movie entitled ‘Coco’. Journal of English Language and Literature, v.6, n.2, p.99-114, 2021.
EMMELHAINZ, Irmgard. Can We Share a World Beyond Representation?. Disponível em https://www.e-flux.com/journal/106/314167/can-we-share-a-world-beyond-representation/. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
FERNÁNDEZ, Laura. Canta y no llores: Life and Latinidad in Children's Animation. In: L.A. Frederico. The Routledge Companion to Latina/o Popular Culture. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 68-75, 2016.
FERREIRA, Alexandre. A produção Disney em época de Segunda Guerra Mundial: cinema, história e propaganda. 24º Simpósio Nacional de História, São Leopoldo, 15 a 20 de julho, 2007. Disponível em https://www.encontro2016.sp.anpuh.org/resources/anais/anpuhnacional/S.24/ANPUH.S24.1241.pdf. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
FERREIRA, Alexandre. O cinema Disney agente da história: a cultura nas relações internacionais entre Estados Unidos, Brasil e Argentina (1942-1945). Dissertação de Mestrado, Curso de Integração Latino-Americana, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria.
FRANZ, Nayara. Fantasia (1940), Walt Disney e a imprensa no Estado Novo. Revista Nep-UFPR (Núcleo de Estudos Paranaenses), v.3, p. 19-38, 2017.
GARZÓN, Camilo. Encanto Still Has Charm, Despite Generic Representation of Colombia. Disponível em https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/intervenxions/encanto-still-has-charm-despite-generic-representation-of-colombia. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
HAKIM, Peter. Is Washington Losing Latin America?. Foreign Affairs, v.85, n.1, p.39-53, 2006.
HERNANDEZ, Pablo. Cinema e Política da Boa Vizinhança: a expedição de Walt Disney ao Brasil. 2015. 120f. Dissertação (Mestrado em História) – Curso de Pós-graduação em História, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 2015.
HERO, Rodney; TOLBERT, Caroline. Latinos and substantive representation in the US House of Representatives: Direct, indirect, or nonexistent?. American Journal of Political Science, v.39, n.3, p.640-652, 1995.
HILKINGER, Aiko. Op-Ed: We Can Enjoy ‘Encanto’ While Calling Out the Ways It Faltered – Let’s Discuss. Disponível em: https://remezcla.com/film/encanto-review-lets-discuss-why-it-faltered/. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
HOLZBACH, Ariane Diniz. Galinha Pintadinha runs the world: a made-for-children Brazilian cartoon in the global flow of television content. Television & New Media, v. 1, p. 1-15, 2022.
JOHNSON, Kevin. Immigration and Latino identity. Chicago-Latino Law Review, v.19, p.197-2012, 1998.
KELLNER, Douglas. A cultura da mídia: estudos culturais: identidade e política entre o moderno e o pós-moderno. Bauru: EDUSC, 2001.
KLEIN, Hugh; SHIFFMAN, Kenneth S. Race-related content of animated cartoons. The Howard Journal of Communications, v.17, n.3, p.163-182, 2006.
LEON-BOYS, Diana. Disney's specific and ambiguous princess: A discursive analysis of Elena of Avalor. Girlhood Studies, v.14, n.2, p.29-45, 2021.
MARTÍNEZ, V.; YLANAN, A. Long underrepresented in film and TV, Latinos are falling further behind. Disponível em https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-06-13/latino-gap-representation-tv-movies-roles-writers-directors-executives. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
MAURICIO, Fernanda . “ESTE PROGRAMA INCLUI REPRESENTAÇÕES NEGATIVAS”: as estratégias do Disney+ para agregar o valor de diversidade por meio da série SparkShorts, 31° Encontro anual da Compós, Imperatriz, 06 a 10 de junho, 2022. Disponível em encurtador.com.br/elzF8, Acesso em: 6 de fevereiro de 2023.
MASSAGLI, Sérgio. A falsa representação da identidade brasileira na construção do personagem Zé Carioca da Disney. Literartes, v.1, n.8, 2018.
MOLINA-GUZMÁN, Isabel. Commodifying black Latinidad in US film and television. Popular communication, v.11, n.3, p.211-226, 2013.
ROMAN, Ediberto. Who exactly is living la vida loca: The legal and political consequences of Latino-Latina ethnic and racial stereotypes in film and other media. Journal of Gender Race and Justice, v.4, n.37, 2000.
SESIS, Carmen. Between the U.S. and Cuba, more cultural exchanges and engagement signal a modest shift in policy. Disponível em https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/us-cuba-cultural-exchanges-engagement-signal-modest-shift-policy-rcna73654. Acesso em: 4 de abril de 2024.
TULCHIN, Joseph. América Latina x Estados Unidos. Uma relação turbulenta. São Paulo: Editora Contexto, 2016.
VAZ, Celso. ‘The Americano Dream’ ou ‘The American Dream’: o debate contemporâneo sobre a imigração de mexicanos para os Estados Unidos. Opinião Pública, v.20, n.3, p.496-522, 2014.
WAJNER, Daniel. Making (Latin) America great again: Lessons from populist foreign policies in the Americas, In: F.A Stengel; D.B MacDonald; D. Nabers (ed.), Populism and World Politics: Exploring Inter-and Transnational Dimensions, Berlim, Springer, 2019.
WILLIAMS, Raymond. The long revolution. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961.
ZORNOSA, Laura. 'Encanto' pode ser minucioso, mas será que consegue retratar todo um país?. Disponível em https://f5.folha.uol.com.br/cinema-e-series/2022/03/encanto-pode-ser-minucioso-mas-sera-que-consegue-retratar-todo-um-pais.shtml. Acesso em: 3 de maio de 2024.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ariane Holzbach, Aline Mendes, Isabella Verran
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows sharing of the work with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are authorized to assume additional contracts separately, for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, to publish in an institutional repository or as a book chapter), with acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal.
