Representation of Mexican Culture in Animation Films for Children: An analysis of Coco and The Book of Life

Abstract

In recent years, the media in the United States of America have portrayed Mexicans negatively. Not only media influences the perception of a cultural group, films also shape this image. In regards to Latinx representation in film, there is a lack of main Latinx characters in animation films for children. This thesis analyses two films, Coco from Disney•Pixar and The Book of Life from Reel FX Creative Studio, on their portrayal of Mexican culture during times of negative discourse on Mexicans in the United States of America. This research demonstrates that both films have taken a different approach in representing Mexican culture, namely that Coco was produced by an Anglo-American director, an outsider, as well as Latinx consultants, insiders. The primary audience for Coco was both Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, insiders, and Anglo-Americans, outsiders. On the other hand, The Book of Life was created by a Mexican director, the insider, for an Anglo-American audience, outsiders. This analysis shows that both films aim to portray a positive image of Mexican culture, however producing this for different audiences and therefore also selecting different features of Mexican culture.