Open Letter to the Walt Disney Company

Disney Corporation has always been a leader in progressive values. I was especially impressed by Disney’s courageous stand in support of LGBT families a decade before the issue became political.

Disney Corporation has promoted social justice in many ways, but especially in the creation of an unique American mythology where young women are powerful princesses, and opportunity for a better life not only exists, but is available to anyone who works for it. Not only that, Disney characters teach us to share, to care about others before ourselves, and to preserve our environment for future generations.

More and more often, people object to the new mythology as a Disney-fication of our history, literally whitewashing away the worst sins of our ancestors. But I would object that the Disney mythology is a product of the 20^th century American ideal of the melting pot, where all cultures give their best ideas and the worst ones melt away into the past, including the worst ideas of the majority—like slavery and child labor are now practices considered to be left in the past.

Today’s progressives prefer the multi-cultural salad bowl metaphor as being more respectful of our history and individual cultures. Times change and the Disney Corporation of 21^st century is in need of a new paradigm that matches the progressive movement it has always supported. Instead of allowing progressives that should be your allies to link Mickey Mouse with an unsustainable consumer society and cultural imperialism, link him and your company, to the green, multicultural society that the majority of your market (the American family) already support, and become a model for corporate and media responsibility in the 21^st century!

Mickey Mouse, today the symbol of cultural imperialism the world over, once symbolized the hope of freedom through commerce and media that energized postwar America. Let’s rebrand him again as the defender of independent media, and the friend of families in all shapes and sizes! It even makes sense from a business standpoint, supporting Hispanic demands for justice today will pay off dividends in visitors to Disneyland as the economy improves…and maybe even create a new market in the Mexican middle class.

Disney Corporation needs to come out publicly in support of justice for the families of Manuel Diaz and Joel Acevedo, and encourage the media let the world see what is happening on the streets of Anaheim. It is time to stand up for justice and transparency in your own backyard, before it is forced on you and you lose any chance of redeeming yourself with your progressive allies—and their families!