While we love reviewing films and keeping up with the newest entertainment news here at The Latino Slant, we also want this to be a place where we can highlight lesser-appreciated films that celebrate Latino culture. Whether that’s through the setting, the story being told, the characters at the center of the film, or the inclusion of talented actors of Latino descent, there are plenty of Disney movies that deserve a little more attention.
Now, before we get into this list, I do want to make something clear. You aren’t going to see Coco or Encanto here. Those are both incredible movies, but they’re already widely celebrated and recognized for their representation, and rightfully so. Instead, we’re looking at movies that don’t necessarily get the same amount of love while still giving us meaningful Latino or Latin American representation in one way or another.
Some of these movies are very explicitly Latino stories. Others represent a particular part of Latin American culture or come from Disney’s own Latin American productions. There is definitely a little bit of variety here, but that’s also what makes looking through Disney’s history so interesting. With that said, let’s count down 10 underrated Disney films that celebrate Latino culture.
10. Saludos Amigos (1942)
We’re going all the way back to the 1940s for our first entry. Saludos Amigos is one of the most unique movies in Disney’s early history, combining animated segments with live-action footage from Walt Disney and his artists’ goodwill trip through South America. The movie takes Donald Duck through places and cultures inspired by South America, including the Andes, Brazil, and Argentina, while introducing José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot who would go on to become one of Disney’s most recognizable Latin American characters.
The movie came out of Walt Disney’s 1941 trip to Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, which was organized as part of the United States’ Good Neighbor Policy during World War II. Disney and his artists returned with sketches, songs and impressions of South American life and culture, which eventually became Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.
Obviously, there are elements of Saludos Amigos that need to be viewed through the lens of when it was made, and some of the portrayals can feel dated today. But I think it’s still important to recognize just how much of Latin America is at the center of this movie. This isn’t a Disney movie where a Latino character happens to show up for a few minutes. The entire purpose of the film was to engage with Latin American culture, music, art, and traditions. And considering how rarely this movie gets mentioned today, I think it fits perfectly on a list of underrated Disney films.
9. High School Musical: El Desafío (Argentina, 2008)
Now we’re getting into some much deeper Disney history. Most people know High School Musical, but what you may not know is that Disney actually took the franchise into Latin America and created Spanish-language versions specifically for those audiences.
The Argentine High School Musical: El Desafío follows a group of Argentine high school students as they navigate friendship, romance, music, and a major school competition. The movie was made in Spanish with an Argentine cast, including Fernando Dente, Agustina Vera, Delfina Peña and Walter Bruno. Disney’s own D23 archive identifies it as the Argentinian version of High School Musical.
And that’s what makes this movie so interesting for our list. This wasn’t simply the American High School Musical with Spanish audio added to it. Disney actually produced a Latin American version with Latin American performers for a Latin American audience. It may not be one of Disney’s most acclaimed movies, but it is a fascinating piece of Disney history that most American audiences probably have never encountered.
I also think there’s something interesting about including a movie like this on a Latino Slant list because it shows a side of Disney that American audiences don’t always think about. Disney has had an entire Latin American entertainment division producing movies and television shows specifically for Spanish-speaking audiences. El Desafío is one of those examples that has largely disappeared from the conversation.
8. Tini: The New Life of Violetta (2016)
If you weren’t watching Disney Channel Latin America in the 2010s, there’s a pretty good chance you missed Violetta entirely. The series became a major success throughout Latin America and starred Argentine actress and singer Martina Stoessel. Disney eventually brought the character to the big screen with Tini: The New Life of Violetta.
The movie follows Violetta as she returns from a worldwide tour and finds herself at a crossroads. She eventually travels to Italy, where she begins a new chapter in her life and starts to figure out who she wants to be as both a person and an artist. The movie was shot in Spanish and features Latin American performers including Stoessel, Jorge Blanco, Mercedes Lambre, Diego Ramos, and Clara Alonso.
The story itself isn’t really about Latino identity, but the production is an important example of Disney creating entertainment directly out of its Latin American division. This is a Spanish-language Disney movie starring Latin American performers and based on a Disney Channel Latin America phenomenon. I think that’s a form of representation that can sometimes get overlooked because American audiences aren’t as familiar with the international side of Disney.
And considering how popular Violetta was throughout Latin America, it’s pretty surprising how little Tini is discussed in the United States today.
7. Ready to Run (2000)
This is where we’re getting into some of the Disney Channel movies that I think deserve to be remembered. Ready to Run follows 14-year-old Corrie Ortiz, a teenage girl who discovers she can communicate with horses and dreams of becoming a successful jockey. Her horse, Thunderjam, becomes her closest companion as she works toward making that dream a reality.
What makes this one fit so well on this list is that Corrie isn’t simply a Latina character who happens to exist in the background. She’s the protagonist, she’s part of a Latino family, and she’s played by Krissy Perez. The principal cast also includes Nestor Serrano, Theresa Saldana, Lillian Hurst, and Cristian Guerrero.
It’s also just a really fun example of the kind of Disney Channel movie that we don’t really get anymore. You have a coming-of-age story, a family drama, and a sports movie all rolled into one, and at the center of it is a Latina girl chasing her dream. Ready to Run isn’t one of the biggest DCOMs from its era, which is exactly why I think it’s worth bringing back into the conversation.
6. The Cheetah Girls (2003)
We’re now getting into one of the biggest Disney Channel properties on this list. The Cheetah Girls follows four best friends who dream of becoming successful musicians while navigating school, friendship, family, and all of the challenges that come with growing up.
Obviously, the movie is remembered primarily for its music, but I think its representation deserves more attention. Adrienne Bailon’s Chanel is a major character in the group, and she’s a Dominican-Puerto Rican character. More broadly, Disney describes the central group as a cultural melting pot that includes Black, Italian, Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban heritage.
And that’s important because Chanel isn’t some random supporting character. She’s one of the Cheetah Girls. She’s one of the main characters. For a generation of Disney Channel viewers, seeing a Latina girl be one of the central faces of one of the network’s biggest franchises was a pretty significant thing.
The movie isn’t specifically about Latino culture, so I wouldn’t put it in the same category as something like McFarland, USA or Gotta Kick It Up!. But the Latino representation is meaningful, it’s part of the central group of characters, and it’s one of those Disney movies that deserves to be looked at through that lens more often.
5. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
Yes, we’re putting Beverly Hills Chihuahua at number five. And honestly, I think it deserves it. The movie follows Chloe, a spoiled Chihuahua from Beverly Hills who gets lost while on vacation in Mexico. She eventually meets a number of other dogs and people who help her find her way home.
And this is where the movie becomes much more interesting for this list. Mexico isn’t just a random location in the background. A huge portion of the movie takes place in Mexico, and the cast features Latino performers including Andy García, George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, Plácido Domingo, Edward James Olmos, and Mexican actor Manolo Cardona. Much of the movie was also filmed on location in Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and the Sonoran Desert.
Is it a perfect representation of Mexico? No. There are definitely moments where it leans into some broad stereotypes, and the whole thing is obviously a talking-dog Disney comedy. But when you look at the movie as a whole, there is a legitimate effort to make Mexico and Mexican culture a major part of the story. Considering how many people probably just remember this as “that Chihuahua movie,” I think it deserves another look.
4. The Littlest Outlaw (1955)
Now we’re going way back. The Littlest Outlaw is one of the biggest deep cuts on this entire list. The movie follows Pablito, a young boy in Mexico who has a deep love for a horse named Conquistador. After saving the horse from being killed, Pablito runs away with it and eventually finds himself on the run while trying to keep his beloved horse safe.
And everything about this movie fits what we’re talking about. The protagonist is Mexican, the story takes place in Mexico, the movie was filmed on location in Mexico, and the cast includes Mexican performers such as Pedro Armendáriz, Enriqueta Zazueta, Margarito Luna, and Rodolfo Acosta. Andrew Velasquez plays Pablito at the center of the story.
This isn’t Disney simply taking a familiar American story and adding a Latino character to it. The Mexican setting and characters are fundamental to the story. And yet, how many Disney fans today have even heard of The Littlest Outlaw? Probably not many. That’s why I love having this movie on the list. It’s exactly the kind of forgotten Disney movie that deserves to be brought back into the conversation.
3. The Three Caballeros (1944)
We’re back in the 1940s for our number three pick with The Three Caballeros. The movie follows Donald Duck as he receives birthday gifts from his Latin American amigos, including José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot, and Panchito, the Mexican charro rooster. From there, Donald goes on a musical journey through Latin America featuring animation, live-action performers, traditional dances, and Latin American songs.
The movie is a continuation of the work Disney began with Saludos Amigos, and both films came directly out of Walt Disney’s 1941 goodwill trip to South America. In fact, Disney’s own archives describe the two films as the major theatrical results of that journey. The Three Caballeros also featured Brazilian performer Aurora Miranda, the sister of Carmen Miranda, in one of its live-action sequences.
Again, some of the movie’s portrayals are definitely dated, and I’m not trying to ignore that. But historically, this is one of Disney’s most direct attempts to put Latin American culture, music and performers into the center of a major theatrical production. It’s also a movie that most modern Disney fans probably haven’t seen, which makes it a perfect choice for this list.
2. Gotta Kick It Up! (2002)
If you grew up watching Disney Channel in the early 2000s, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Gotta Kick It Up! The movie follows a group of Latina schoolgirls who form a dance team and work toward becoming a championship team while dealing with the challenges of school, family, and finding confidence in themselves. Disney’s own description explicitly calls them Latina schoolgirls and places their journey at the center of the movie.
And this is one of the strongest examples on the list because the Latino identity isn’t just sitting in the background. We’re following Latina girls, we’re seeing their families and their community, and we’re seeing them become the heroes of their own story. The cast includes America Ferrera, Camille Guaty, Jhoanna Flores, and Suilma Rodriguez, among others.
I think that’s what makes Gotta Kick It Up! so special. Disney Channel had plenty of movies about kids chasing their dreams, but not nearly enough of them put Latina girls at the center. It’s a movie that gave young Latina viewers the chance to see themselves as the stars of the story, and I think that’s something worth celebrating.
1. McFarland, USA (2015)
And finally, we have McFarland, USA. This is easily my number one choice for this list. The movie is based on the true story of a cross-country team from McFarland High School in California’s Central Valley. The school is predominantly Latino, and the students at the center of the story come from Mexican-American families, many of whom work in the agricultural fields around their community. Disney itself describes the school as predominantly Latino and the town as economically challenged.
Kevin Costner plays coach Jim White, who takes over the school’s cross-country program and eventually helps these students become a team. But what makes McFarland, USA work so well for this list is that the Latino community isn’t just something happening in the background. The families, the community, the work these kids and their parents do, and the challenges they face are all essential parts of the story. It feels like a movie about a specific community rather than a movie that simply happens to have Latino characters in it.
It’s also just a really good sports movie, and I honestly think it has been forgotten. When people talk about great Disney sports movies, you hear Remember the Titans, Miracle, Cool Runnings, and maybe The Mighty Ducks. You don’t hear McFarland, USA nearly enough. And that’s exactly why I wanted it at number one. Out of everything on this list, it feels like one of the clearest examples of Disney telling a Latino story with genuine heart.
Final Thoughts
To be truly transparent, I did find myself having a bit of a hard time building this list. Not because there aren’t Latino actors working in Hollywood or because there aren’t amazing Latino stories to tell. There absolutely are. The problem is that when you narrow it down to Disney-produced films that actually center Latino characters, Latino families, Latino culture, or Latin American settings, the list gets surprisingly small.
I think that just goes to show there’s still more room for Latino celebration in Disney films moving forward. We’ve obviously seen some incredible progress over the years, especially with movies like Coco and Encanto, but there are still so many different Latino stories, cultures, and communities that deserve to be represented.
And hopefully, as Disney continues making movies for audiences all over the world, we’ll get to a point where putting together a list like this isn’t quite as difficult. Because there are plenty more Latino stories worth telling, and hopefully we’ll continue to see more of them make their way onto the big screen.