4
Credit: DisneyDisney’s newest animated show, Primos (2023), has received massive backlash and has even been accused of racism after it was announced. After taking on the weight of these aggressive attacks, the show’s creator has spoken out.
Primos tells the story of Tater Ramirez Humphrey, a Mexican-American girl who lives in California. For the summer, she has to share her home with her twelve cousins, the titular primos. The series stars Myrna Velasco as Tater, Melissa Villaseñor as Nellie Ramirez Humphrey, Michelle Ortiz as Bibi Ramirez Humphrey, and John Conroy as Bud Humphrey.
While the Disney Channel show is meant to be a win for cultural representation, critics have descended on the show, particularly those in the Latinx community. They pointed out numerous stereotypes they found in the released opening, including a sepia filter over the whole sequence, a large Mexican family in a single house, the fact that the name of the family’s neighborhood translates to “Earthquake Heights,” and the main character’s improper Spanish pronunciation.
Needless to say, people are upset by this, calling out the show’s creator for being a “gringa” who doesn’t understand Latin America. This has led creator Natasha Kline, a well-regarded Latina animator, to speak out against the hate.
Natasha Kline: “Primos is My Story”
Related: Iconic Disney Channel Show Revived for Two New Seasons
Primos creator Natasha Kline has now addressed many complaints from critics regarding the show. In multiple interviews, she talked about how the main plot of Primos is based on her real-life experiences of spending summers with all of her cousins under one roof.
On top of that, the character’s incorrect grammar is because it isn’t her first language, so she makes mistakes. This can also be seen in a leaked pilot where she misspells bienvenidos as “benvenidos.” The mispronunciation isn’t a mistake; it’s a choice.
Related: Latino Community Responds to ‘Primos’ Backlash
However, In a comic posted on her Instagram page, Kline wrote, “Wow. What a week… The… uh… conversation happening around ‘Primos’ is something I could never have predicted.” The post continued, “The negativity has been… well, to be honest, pretty traumatizing. It made me doubt myself, my project, my intentions.”
She then continued to describe the effect these Twitter attacks were having on herself and the crew of Primos, saying that phrases like “You don’t count,” “You aren’t enough,” and “You don’t have the right” have been thrown at them their entire lives.
Despite all these worries, Natasha Kline is excited for the show to come out. “…But when I look out at the community I live in, that I was raised in, here in Los Angeles… I’m reminded of my truth. I’m proud of the place I’m representing. I’m proud of the people in my life who are referenced in this project. I’m proud and excited to represent something that maybe hasn’t been seen in animation yet.
Kline continued to show her positivity by addressing the critics directly. “And for all those who question me… I send you so much love. I want you to know, I’m holding this story to my heart closely. It is safe with me, and it means the world that Disney is allowing me to tell it.”
“The story of Primos is important to me. Because it’s my story.”
Do you feel like this backlash is warranted? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!