At preschool pick up a few days ago, I told my five-and-a-half year old daughter that I bought the latest Disney movie, .
“This Disney princess is Raya. And she looks like you,” I beamed at her through the rear-view mirror.
My daughter’s eyes widened. Her favourite Disney princess was Elsa, who looked nothing like her. Even buying Elsa’s costume and helping to clip a white-blonde braid on her beautiful straight black hair hurt my heart.
“She has black hair?” my daughter asked in surprise.
“She does. Long, straight black hair.”
My daughter’s wide-eyed look of delight made my heart swell and justified my premier streaming purchase. Disney, you can take my money. Again. I will happily buy Raya’s costume. This time, my daughter won’t need a fake blonde braid to complete the look. She already completes it, simply by being my very own South East Asian princess – a warrior princess - thank you very much. All she needs now is enrolment in martial arts class, and we’re good to go.
I couldn’t drive home any faster. We watched it together, and I was thrilled at the vibrant aesthetic. Seeing richly rendered and very familiar tropical fruit like longan, durian (durian!) made my heart sing. The food! Oh, the food. The gorgeous settings were dizzyingly familiar and reminded me of places in South East Asia that I’ve travelled to or lived in – Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, to name a few. There was so much green, lush jungle and beautiful aquamarine water. It couldn’t have been more different to the Scandinavian-inspired Frozen. Goodbye, Elsa. Your icy reign in my house is finally over.
I realise with some regret that the movie was probably way too scary for my three-year-old daughter, my one-and-a-half year old desperately wanted a nap so I watched the rest of it with my husband after our kids were asleep. He enjoyed it too. When I asked him what he thought, he said, “Different.”
Many other Disney princesses seem very individualistic and yearn for freedom from a restrictive father figure. , from Beauty and the Beast, sacrificed her freedom to free her absent-minded father; s Ariel ran (swam?) away from her oppressive and anti-human father; Cinderella and Elsa’s father were dead, just to name a few. In contrast, I loved the relationship between Raya and her father. It was heartwarming to see a Disney king who was both alive and an inspiring role model. Sadly, Elsa’s parents died and left her with problematic conflict resolution skills.
Because of her commitment to building community, Raya’s quest resonated deeply with me, as a South East Asian woman, compared to many of the other Disney princesses.
Raya’s father, on the other hand, taught Raya the importance of putting past feuds aside and choosing to trust in a better future – one built together through collaboration. The emphasis on community and working together thrilled me to bits. Because of her commitment to building community, Raya’s quest resonated deeply with me, as a South East Asian woman, compared to many of the other Disney princesses.
Raya placed her trust in someone who shouldn’t have been trusted. She took chances. She made mistakes. She got up and tried again. She grew and changed. She was wonderfully and exquisitely human. Most of all, Raya had agency. Throughout the movie, her choices propelled the movie forward. She wasn’t passive, or acted upon - a stark contrast to earlier Disney princesses. I come from a long line of strong women and have given birth to two strong-willed girls, so I appreciate this representation.
The struggle of the people of Kumandra also reflected the struggles of my ancestors – war, loss, and hunger. My ancestors survived and I was born.
The struggle of the people of Kumandra also – war, loss, and hunger. My ancestors survived and I was born. In different ways, they sought ways to heal. Every generation gets the chance to build on the last by leaving what doesn’t serve us and incorporating what does serve us. I hope to continue the healing work of anti-racism and anti-colonising by starting with my own beliefs, and modelling that for my children.
Here, in Malaysia, we’re part of a rich fabric of close-knit family, in a community that values connection and collaboration. Raya could have chosen to give up on her father’s quest and chart her own path through life, but she incorporated his values into her own moral compass. She chose to take risks and build a community of found family, instead of isolating herself. Her fellow survivors were also left with very little, but chose hope and resilience.
As wonderful as Raya The Last Dragon was, it was not perfect. I hope that the next South East Asian-inspired Disney movie will do an even better job. The melting pot approach may have given some fun Easter Eggs, but could be more inclusive of the rich cultures from the many different South-East Asian countries. Hopefully next time, Disney can do better by hiring actual South East Asian voice actors who may not be A-listers, making the whole production more representative and empowering.
Despite this, I enjoyed this first take on a South East Asian Disney Princess. Here’s to many, many more.
