web analytics
Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Finally a Princess for Latinas Elena of Avalor

by Deborah Cruz

Elena of Avalor is a princess for my little girls. Latinas, how long have we been waiting for a Latina princess to share with our daughters? Seems like a lifetime, right? The closest we’ve had has been Dora and she’s not even a princess. She was a little explorer with a blue monkey in wellies but we loved her because she was all we had at the time, when my girls were babies.

Then a few years back, we were super excited about Sophia the First but that kind of fizzled and, while she is adorable and my niece’s favorite princess, she is not really Latina in any discernable way, unless you count her brown hair.

Well, no more. She is here. Disney’s new Elena of Avalor is an animated series that follows the story of Elena, a brave and adventurous teenager who saves her kingdom from an evil sorceress and must now learn to rule as crown princess until she is old enough to be queen. Set in Avalor, an enchanted fairytale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore, Elena’s journey will lead her to understand that her new role requires thoughtfulness, resilience and compassion, the traits of all truly great leaders.

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Elena of Avalor is a princess for every little Latina girl.

I am excited for Elena and so are my girls but, honestly, I am reserving judgement for after I see a few episodes and see just what Disney did with their first ever Latina princess. I want to see if she is really a true representation of a Latina girl. Is she someone my daughters can look to and recognize themselves? Or is she simply like every other princess but with a slightly tanner complexion? These things are important to me and my daughters and they matter.

I’ve watched two episodes and I love the focus of the importance of family. I love the fact that her grandparents call her mija and they play guitars like my father, my daughters and I. I also loved that they made it all begin when she was 15, which is a very important year for a Latina girl because it is the year of our Quincinera. This is especially exciting for my girls because they are already planning their quincineras that are 4 and 6 years away.

One of my most favorite things is that the people of Avalor, though Latino, are all different shades of skin tone, hair and eyes and that is more realistic than most portrayals on television. I also really appreciate the references to Latino culture and language. In fact, my daughters said, “They only got one thing wrong…our Grandpa Manny doesn’t have grey hair.”

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

Meanwhile, I know all the little Latina girls are going to want to get their hands on Elena of Avalor merchandise because, you know how we Latinas are, we support one another and we really want to love Elena. I just hope she can live up to our expectations. I had the opportunity to get my hands on a few pieces and my daughters really loved them. They really love the “Sister Time” song and love both Elena and Isabel.

Hasbro provided me with three dolls from the Elena of Avalor collection for review purposes.

My girls are loving them and I have partnered with Hasbro to giveaway a gift pack of Elena of Avalor prize pack for that special little girl in your life.

Disney, Elena of Avalor, Latina, Princess

*Disney Elena of Avalor and Skyler 2-Pack; ages 3 years & up; $34.99

*Disney My Time Singing Elena of Avalor Doll; ages 3 years & up; $29.99

*Disney Elena of Avalor Doll; ages 3 years & up; $14.99

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter to win all you have to do is subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment below telling me what you love the most about Disney’s newest princess Elena of Avalor.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

6 comments

Heather Hayes Panjon 2016/07/26 - 9:11 am

I LOVE That Elena Of Avalor Represents Latinas! Such A Great Inspiration!

Reply
LaTanya 2016/07/26 - 9:45 am

I love that it shows diversity.

Reply
Christopher Mason 2016/07/26 - 12:42 pm

Her latina heritage. It’s a great role model for my daughter, to have a princess who looks just like her.

Reply
Kate 2016/08/03 - 8:04 pm

Laney watched the first episode and loved it! She’s into the music, which has a disctinctly different sound than some of the other shows she watches. The theme song is infectious and she flies around the house singing it at the top of her lungs!

Reply
Tabathia B 2016/08/05 - 9:51 pm

My daughter loves how she tries to solve everyone’s problems

Reply
Lauren 2018/03/22 - 5:44 am

Hola! I hope you’re doing well! Elena of Avalor is very special to me. I’ve been waiting for her ever since I was a laninia. My two favorite princesas before Elena were Ariel and Jasmine. In fact, I named my real tabby cat, Rajah! Now Elena and her little sister, Isabel have found permanent places in my heart. I love Elena’s bond with Isa! The same goes for her bond with her familia over all. She treats her amigas/amigos, as well as her kingdom and subjects as an extention of her familia which is very important. I love how she fights her own battles! And the music! I have too many favorite songs to name. A few are Let Love Light the Way, Home for Good, My Time, Ready to Rule, Make Them Proud and, Home for Navidad Fix Anything! You’re probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned the animation or Elena’s physical appearance. There’s a very good reason for that. I’m blind. I focus more on storyline and characterization. How does Elena interact with people, animals, etc. Does she treat everyone with respect and compassion? For the most part yes. I also love how she’s relatable. She makes mistakes, learns from them and then tries harder, but still makes more. We all do. We’re all works in progress. Personally, Elena is helping me on a journey of trauma recovery. She is amazing and an excellent role model for everyone!

Reply

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More