Critique #3: Tumblr post discussing Honey Lemon's ethnicity and Disney's Hispanic representation

Post link: Seanan's Tumblr

A common debate I found while scouring the internet for Big Hero 6-related discussions regarded Disney's Hispanic representation and specifically Honey Lemon, the quirky chemistry whiz who believes that pink makes everything better (and she'd be correct).

Honey Lemon contributes to Big Hero 6's overall diverse cast by being Hispanic, complete with a Latin accent and earbuds playing Spanish music. But many viewers have made complaints claiming that Honey Lemon isn't really "portrayed as" Hispanic.

It's certainly been one hell of a debate. On one hand, some people are just happy to have a Latina character, but others are upset that Disney supposedly did it "wrong."

The main argument I found in these Tumblr posts was that Honey Lemon doesn't "look" Hispanic. She's tall, lacks curves, and she's too pale with green eyes and dirty-blonde hair. They claim that if Disney wanted to do Hispanic representation correctly, they would've made Honey Lemon look like the stereotypical Latina woman.

But other arguments see Honey Lemon differently. They look beyond her appearance and focus on who she actually is: a smart, talented, genius Hispanic woman who breaks the constant Latina stereotype we see in so many pieces of media.

If I had to give my opinion on this debate, I'd say that I really love Honey Lemon's portrayal. Maybe I'm just biased as a lighter-skinned Hispanic person myself but I really don't think that Honey Lemon "not looking Hispanic enough" is a big deal. Just because she doesn't look like Sofia Vergara or Salma Hayek doesn't mean she's any less Latina and this whole argument over her appearance distracts from the rest of her character. Besides, the implication that there's a certain way that Hispanic women are supposed to look only further perpetuates the very stereotypes that these critics claim to be against.