Disney Princesses and Race

Research Question: 
What messages are Disney Princesses inferring about race?

Why we chose this question. 
We both had similar questions about Disney Princesses which led us to collaborate and write one research paper. Both of us being from cultural backgrounds, had difficulty accepting who we were and seeing ourselves through the Disney Princesses as little girls.

Helpful tips from us to you! 

• Work with a partner if possible, because it is easier in  terms of completing the research paper successfully and thinking about ideas to incorporate into the paper. 
• Save any source that you may find, regardless if you find them unhelpful at first. Things that may not seem related to your topic at first can actually be useful for counterarguments in you paper. 
• RESEARCH BEFORE YOUR RESEARCH. Many times people choose topics that are dead ends which result in not having enough to talk about. Consider writing your paper on something that interests you but also that is not too concrete so that you cannot find information. 
• Prepare to begin writing your research paper as soon as Professor Hicks gives out the research paper guidelines. (We did this and had little trouble with applying our research to the questions that were given.) 
• JSTOR was VERY HELPFUL in finding journal articles. 
• Go into depth when analyzing your sources and even your personal perceptions. 

Helpful sources for this topic. 

1. Hurley, D. (2005). Seeing white: Children of color and the disney fairy tale princess. The Journal of Negro Education, 74(3), 221-232. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.mimas.calstatela.edu 
2. Orenstein, P. (2011). Cinderella ate my daughter, dispatches from the front lines of the new girlie-girl culture. (1st ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
3. Gibbs, A. (December 2009/January 2010 ). Disney's Princess Tiana. Ebony, LVX(2), 62. Retrieved from www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic 

Don't leave to the last minute! GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN! :) 

P.S.. Notice how the photo above only has one princess of color and the way she's dressed compared to the other (white) princesses. 

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