Advocates are criticizing Disney for casting an actress that is white-presenting as Nani in the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sydney Elizabeth Agudong will play Nani in the upcoming remake. Disney declined to comment to The Hollywood Reporter about the casting.
Pop Base also tweeted about the casting announcement with a side-by-side picture of Agudong and the cartoon version of Nani. Many people were upset that Disney had seemingly cast a white-presenting woman as Nani.
According to IMDB, Agudong was born in Kaua’i, Hawai’i. Some social media users claim she is Native Hawaiian and Filipino but her ethnicity has not been confirmed.
Several people have also pointed out that the core issue is Disney did not cast a fully indigenous woman. They noted that Nani being an indigenous woman with brown skin was essential to the storyline.
Support our June Membership Drive and receive member-only benefits. Help us reach our goal of $10,000 in new donations and monthly and annual donation pledges by the end of the Month.
We are published by the non-profit Asian American Media Inc and supported by our readers along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, Report for America/GroundTruth Project & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.
You can make your tax-deductible donations here via credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo. Stock donations and donations via DAFs are also welcomed. Contact us at info @ asamnews dot com for more info.
