We're so excited about Disney's first Southeast Asian princess named Raya. She is the guardian of the dragon gem, embarking on an adventure to find the last dragon. Dean Wellins, a director at the Walt Disney Company who is credited on Raya and The Last Dragon, mentioned that Yaya inspired Raya's character design.
Raya is voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, who is Vietnamese American. The film is inspired by diverse Southeast Asian cultures. The screenplay was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, who both trace their roots back to Southeast Asia.
As Raya is from a fictional land, the concept of race and ethnicity doesn't totally translate one-for-one, but, generally, she is Southeast Asian. Raya is voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, who is Vietnamese-American.
MANILA, Philippines — Apart from being the first Black Filipino Disney Princess, there is more to H.E.R. than just being Belle in in the ABC TV special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” which will be available on Disney+ in January 2023. Fil-Am H.E.R.
محلل جزائري قالك: المغرب تقدم وتعمق في افريقيا لأن عنده "جالية يهـ.ـودية".. منطق محمود الكهربائي
Is there a Chinese Disney Princess?
Created by author Robert D. San Souci, Mulan is based on the legendary Chinese warrior Hua Mulan from the poem the Ballad of Mulan, making her the first Disney Princess not to be based on a fairytale or folktale but rather a legend.
Amneris is a character from Disney Theatrical Productions adaptation of Aida. She is the Princess, later Pharaoh, of Egypt, daughter of the Pharaoh and fiancé of Radames.
There wasn't a Korean Disney princess, so this Harvard student created one. 22-year-old Julia Riew wrote an entire screenplay and music for an animated film or Broadway musical and released parts of it on Tik Tok.
It is set in the fictional realm of Kumandra, which is very much south-east Asian. Its artists researched cultures across the region: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.
Raya means “celebration” in Bahasa Melayu and the name of Disney's first Southeast Asian princess could not be more apt. After all, there is so much to celebrate about Raya And The Last Dragon, a film of many firsts.
Raya translates to “celebration” in Malay. It also translates to “one who leads” in Southern Thailand. When creating Raya, screenwriters Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim drew inspiration from female Vietnamese warriors like the Trung sisters. Nguyen also looked to his own mother for inspiration.
In Raya And The Dragon, “binturi” is an insult that basically means “traitor” – hence why it's Raya's preferred term for Namaari. It's part of the Kumandran dialect which was created specifically for the movie by language creator David J.
Princess Jasmine, a fictional character from Disney's animated film "Aladdin," is not explicitly identified as Indian in the movie. Instead, she is depicted as a resident of the fictional city of Agrabah, which is often seen as a blend of Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures and influences.
According to a Disney spokeswoman, Sofia has a mixed fairy-tale heritage; her mother and father are from Galdiz (which is based on Spain) and Freezenburg (which is based on Scandinavia), respectively.
Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose will portray the first Afro-Latina princess. The trailer for Disney's latest animation film, Wish, is here, and we're already in love with the leading princess, voiced by West Side Story Academy Award-winning actress Ariana DeBose.
In discussing Sofia with Entertainment Weekly, she confirmed: “She is Latina.” Mitchell also confirmed that Sofia was the first Hispanic princess to hold court in the Magic Kingdom.
