Popular Culture Review 29.2
academic usage of the term multicultural and the theoretical perspectives of multiculturalism . This is demonstrated by Disney through several different ethnic celebrations that have commodified ethnicities . According to Disney , these celebrations are “ multi-cultural ” in that many different ethnic and cultural groups and their ethnic identifiers are being represented and celebrated . This contrasts greatly with true multicultural discourse because ethnic representations are limited to only a few panethnic groups , and those representations have been Disneyfied and Disneyized at the park . Each of the Diversity Resource Groups ( DRGs ), such as HOLA , COM- PASS , and PULSE , connects with members of local ethnic communities . DRGs serve to mediate between preserving ethnic identities and finding a balance that would allow such identities to be flattened and essentialized as they were run through Disney lenses . However , the DRGs and the Disney Company often walk the line of Disneyization by commodifying ethnic identities for consumption and entertainment .
This research draws upon a combination of methodologies , including my own ethnographic fieldwork on-site at DCA from 2008 through early 2017 , as well as my textual analysis of elements within DCA . Various web sources describing multicultural events and more have been used as historical research . In April 2015 , I obtained an approved IRB from Claremont Graduate University to email a detailed questionnaire to Disney Public Relations specifically asking the Disney Company and the Disneyland Resort how they defined “ multiculturalism ,” “ multicultural ,” and some of their practices and policies , including those with ethnic celebrations . This questionnaire was emailed on October 27 , 2015 , and a polite response was received on October 29 , 2015 declining to answer the questionnaire based on the “ large number of student project requests we receive .” As a result , I have drawn
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