Who wants to be a Disney Princess? Lots and lots of little children. Unfortunately, if you look at the long, storied history of Disney royalty there isn't whole of color. In the 76 years since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, there have been twelve Disney princesses, only five of whom are women of color -- and honestly, some of those don't really count as "princesses."
Kim Navoa and Donnie Chang had all this in mind when they created Asian American Disney Princesses, a photography project that re-cast and re-imagined some of Disney's most iconic characters as Asian American. Navoa, a student in Chicago, says they wanted to create something a little closer to what kids of color could relate to: 'Asian American Disney Princesses': What If Belle Wore A Hijab?
Okay, so Tinkerbell wasn't a princess. But you get the idea. I realize how problematic the Disney Princesses are on a variety of levels. But I appreciate this as one clever subversive take on pop culture "tradition." Here are some more photos:
See more photos here.