Disney Roles for Minorities

The other day Chrissa mentioned that Disney had never released an animated feature film with a black person as the main character.

I brought up Song of the South which I vaguely remember from when I was young. I looked it up, though, and was surprised to discover that it's a live-action film intermixed with cartoons animals (like Mary Poppins)...so I don't think it should count. Besides, the movie is considered quite racist.

So I started thinking about it and wondering how many "special interest groups" * Disney has given a semi-main role to in their full-length cartoons. I've decided to only count movies from The Little Mermaid onward: as these would be the most effected by the latest political correctness movement. Here's what I came up with:

Black: Mufasa/Young Nala/Rafiki/Sarabi/Shenzi the Hyena, The Lion King (1994); The Muses, Hercules (1997)

Hispanic/Latin American: Banzai the Hyena, The Lion King (1994); The entire cast (not really), The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Far Eastern/Oriental: The entire cast (minus Mushu), Mulan (1998)

Middle Eastern: The entire cast (minus Genie), Aladdin (1992)

Pacific Islander/Polynesian: Lilo/Nani/David, Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Native American/Eskimo: Pocahontas, et al, Pocahontas (1995); Kenai/Koda, Brother Bear (2003)

Gyspy: Esmeralda/Quasimodo/Frollo/et al The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Handicapped: Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Homosexual: Scar (allegedly), The Lion King (1994); Victor (possibly), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); Hermes, Hercules (1997)

Orphan: Aladdin (although he originally was going to have a mother), Aladdin (1992); Quasimodo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); Hercules, Hercules (1997); Tarzan, Tarzan (1999)



* i.e. Groups who have historically received prejudice within the United States. Also, a few others I felt deserving of note. Note: In some cases, I've included characters who were obviously supposed to be ethnic, even if they were played by a Caucasian.