We Need Rachel Zegler as a Latina Snow White in 2025

When Disney cast Rachel Zegler, a half-Colombian, half-white actress, as Snow White for their latest live-action remake, people were up in arms. Zegler — who is known for her breakout role in “West Side Story,” for which she had to continuously prove that she was Latina enough — is again under fire. But this time, the opposite has happened: she's getting pushback for portraying a princess who got her name for having “skin white as snow.” This poses an interesting quandary, mirroring the one in “Snow White” itself: who is the fairest of them all?

When I was a little girl, I always wanted my happily ever after. I would forget that the world was real, and I would melt into fairytales. These tales prepared me for the adult world; they taught me to be kind, to be princess-ly. However, I found myself nowhere to be seen, especially not as a princess, in the fairytales I loved so much. But recently, Disney has course-corrected and remade those classics so that a younger generation can see themselves as heroes or heroines. And aA

In the real world, the real America, a Latina Snow White gets backlash. Right now, possibilities are limited for so many people like my family. I hold my breath to see if my tía will have her new green card revoked. My grandfather prays that he will get to stay here. I read the news and see not only mass deportations but also the possibilities that America once promised slip away each day under this new administration.

So while it may seem insignificant amid these other issues, a movie like “Snow White” (despite other controversies around the film) gives me a little hope that we can rise above oppressive forces. When those opposing the oppressors are the highest-profile celebrities of the day, that message can spread faster than any article I can write.

Disney itself has a mixed record on DEI initiatives within the company since President Trump took office, but “Snow White” proves that it continues championing inclusive stories. With the magic of Disney stories, a frog can turn into a prince, a rat into a chef, and a person of color into a princess. In this live-action version, Snow gets her name after being born in a snowstorm, and she aims to rise above an oppressive force that rules the land. Although some Americans are groaning about the exact shade the lead is, we need a Latina Snow White more than ever.

Zegler's representation of purity and kindness is what matters most about Snow White. She embodies a princess who teaches kids to share, to care, and not to discriminate. If people want white Americans to be the ideal image of that message, then let me just say this: white Americans don't need a princess to do that. They just need to act better. However, when the representation of Latines in the media has always been that of drug dealers and criminals, we desperately need a vision like Zegler as Snow White.

So many Americans are looking in that magic mirror right now and asking who they need to get rid of to feel like they are the most special in all of the land. But it's time to realize that if you must exterminate something for you to be considered the best, you might not be all that special to begin with. Disney makes one princess Latina and all of a sudden there are not enough white ones? America needs to look in the real mirror and ask itself, how did we become the Evil Queen, wanting everything for just ourselves, for just one dominant group?

“Once upon a time” used to inspire us to imagine the scariest evil overcome by the purest happily ever after. Fairytales teach children that villains exist and a stranger's love can heal us. America has ripened its apples full of hatred and refuses to see the poison that we are all feeding on. Zegler is just a woman who loves to act and sing — who Disney decided is talented enough to play one of the most iconic roles in their arsenal. If we can't see that this is a portal into the world of Disney's magic, then we may have missed the point of the original Snow White — which was never about being white, but always about being good and being fair.

Akaylah Ellison is a screenwriter whose storytelling blends the poetic and long-form narratives. Believing that empathy is a writer's greatest asset, Akaylah creates characters who voice fringe realities and encourages people from different walks of life to connect with them emotionally. Akaylah wants to create content that reflects her real world, which is a blend of people from all backgrounds who coexist without explaining who they are and who never apologize for it.