Mom’s 2-Year-Old Son Thought Encanto Character Was Him

During a family viewing of Disney’s Encanto this week, Kah Brand captured the moment her son recognised one of the characters, a young child named Antonio, who looked eerily similar to him.

“He seemed to be in awe, just smiling and staring at the screen,” she told POPSUGAR. “Then he stood up and looked back at his dad and me, still smiling. For him, I truly believe that he thought he was seeing himself because of the resemblance between him and Antonio.”

“As a mom, I’m always trying to capture ‘these’ moments,” she said. “I was amazed at his reaction. It just truly made me smile and my heart happy.”

But for her, it wasn’t just about the similarities.

“It was the impact of feeling seen,” Kah added. “It is essential for Black children to feel seen and to be connected to positive and empowering images for their self-esteem.”

“But these characters weren’t around,” she said, referencing her own generation. “We didn’t have this growing up. What’s so special about Encanto was that it didn’t stop at just showing us brown characters. It showed the diversity in hair textures and skin tone. I’m so grateful for moments like this because I’m aware of its impact, especially for brown boys and girls. It brings joy to our family. There’s power in representation and magic in creativity. This generation and future generations will experience inclusivity because the film industry is moving in a direction that reflects the true diversity of our world.”

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Featured image: Kaheisha Brand