Disney’s Latina Swap Out

Can one Latina be swapped out for another? That might very well have been the case this weekend at the Hollywood premiere of the new Disney DVD, “Tinker Bell.”

The newest kiddy flick features the voices of America Ferrera, Kristin Chenoweth, Raven-Symone, Lucy Liu, and actress Mae Whitmen (you ‘member? She played Bill Pulman’s daughter in “Independence Day”) playing the title role.

Whatever the case, it looks like little Selena Gomez was called upon to be a stand-in hermana on the red carpet this weekend, as both America Ferrera and Lucy Liu (arguably the two biggest names in this movie) did not attend its premiere. I wonder if Disney execs tried to get an Asian understudy for Lucy?

Now, let me get up on my Chicana high horse and posit a few questions: if Raven-Symone gets to play the little black fairy, and Lucy Liu gets to play the little Asian fairy, and Kristin Chenoweth gets to play the high strung prissy fairy, then shouldn’t America’s fairy have a little more latinidad in her? Why does the little Latina girl not look all that Latina? (Although I will admit that homegirl does look like she’s got some attitude)

A Latina swap must have been the logic behind some of these photo ops. When Kristin Chenoweth posed with the costumed characters on the red carpet, the girl dressed as her character was shifted out. The same thing for Mae Whitman.

But when Selena posed with the characters, it was America’s fairy that was opted out. What’s up with that? Maybe I’m imagining things, but will someone else please look at these pictures and give me a little feedback?

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