Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This research focuses on Elena of Avalor who made her debut as a sixteen-year-old princess that lost both her parents on the Disney Channel in 2016. Although Elena did not have a feature film before her release into a Disney series, her popularity has continued to grow and is now in a third season of production. Elena of Avalor documents the role of a strong Latina that not only has to be a caretaker of her younger sister Isabela but also her kingdom. What sets Elena apart from other works on Latina sheroes is that in every episode she links her history to the indigenous past. Elena is well aware of her long history to the Native Peoples of Latin America and in turn introduces jaguars, Xolo dogs, chocolate, pyramids, native language, indigenous folk stories, and music from her ancestors. Although the history of strong Latinas has been at the center of many Spanish speaking peoples as documented in classic works such as Salt of the Earth, Bless Me, Ultima, and Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra, few films have set Latina sheroes and Knowledge Keepers as the major narrative that Elena of Avalor has on a running series.