Disney Princesses

Disney is in the process of making the first ever black princess. The animated film will be called "The Frog Princess" and the setting will be in New Orleans. Her name is Maddy and she will be about the fourth non-white heroine in the Disney line-up. Orale Disney (and Pixar)!

But what about a Chicana princess? Or a Mexican princess?

I remember watching Cinderella and Ariel...wanting to be in their shoes/fins. But I could never dress as those princesses for Halloween. I didn't (and still don't) have blonde or red hair. And wearing a wig didn't complement my skin color. Blonde and brown is not a good match; red and brown is even worse.

So if Disney and company were to make a Mexicana princess, this problem would be solved. If they need help to make her or the plot, I am available.

Her name would be Rosa. She would live during the 50s, during the times of the Zoot Suit Riots. She would be from a humble, hard-working family. Rosa will be a senior in high school. She will have two younger siblings (brother and sister) and one older brother.

The main conflict Rosa will encounter will be whether she finishes school or leaves to work in order to help her family out, since her father was deported back to Mexico.

Rosa's love interest would be an American salior named James and a Zoot Suitor named Rafael. She will have to choose between a white male or a Chicano, like her. James parents won't like Rosa and her family because they are of a lower social class. But his love will know no race barriers. Rafael and his family have lived in the same neighborhood as Rosa. He tries to protect her from all the harassments of James' "friends" who dislike her because of her race.

The climax will be when James and his group fight with Rafael and his group. It'll be like West Side Story, Jets vs Sharks. But James' parents will come and take him away before the police arrive. They will move to New York so he won't be near Rosa.

Rafael is hurt but lucky that the police didn't arrest him like they did his homies who helped him out. Rosa consoles him. A day passes and he tells her that he loves her. Rafael tells her that he just inherited an estate and some bonds that are expected to grow. He proposes to her and she agrees. He tells her that she can continue to study and that he will make sure that her family is protected and secure.

Rafael and Rosa live happily ever after.

There it is, Disney! Now draw and produce! This story is a mix of real social problems and cultural aspects that were once prominent in families.

With this little brown-skinned girls will be able to relate and maybe even meet Rosa at Disneylandia someday.

Inauguration Blog

Bienvenidos! Welcome! My name is Monica Martinez (I'll edit out my middle name, mother's madien name and dad's first last name for an easier read). I am a sophomore Journalism student at California Baptist University. I love writing and I love my culture con pasion. So writing about my culture gives me the best of both mundos.

I am Chicana. Both of my parents were born in Mexico (dad: Guanajuato, mom: Jalisco) and my sister and I were born in Riverside, Calif. I call myself a Chicana because I feel a part of me identifying with the activist nature the term holds. My strongest belief is that all of God's children get the same opportunity to succeed in life. And sometimes they do not. That is why I want to dedicate my life to help other Latino teens in need. My career goal is to establish a magazine that will be a motivation to Latinos to advance through cultural awareness and education.

As you might have already noticed, I tend to write (not to mention speak and think) in two languages. I speak Spanglish. I grew up with a Spanish language foundation, learned English with my mother's help and by watching Sesame Street. During middle school I started to speak to my friends in both Spanish and English. It was something innate and I still do it to this day. But now I must switch the hats I wear in the different places that I go to but I don't mind it at all.

I have decided to take the endeavor of writing about mi cultura to any and all audiences. Every week I will write about different aspects of living Chicana in Southern California with my commentary and opinion. That's why the blog is called Chicana Confessions, con safos.

So please feel at home. Mi casa es su casa. (I've never ever said..err..typed..this before in my life. And now that I think about it, no one in my family ever has either). Any topic suggestions are welcomed. Leave a comment or email me at chicanaconfessions@gmail.com

Thanks! And I'll write again soon.