I can count Encanto among one of the few Disney movies that made me genuinely choke up. Set in gorgeous rural Colombia and imbued with magical realism, the movie was definitely a win for growing representation for the Latinx community. But in the midst of all the praise, less has been said about the scars Encanto tears open for many people of color. The movie expertly dished several important lessons on perfectionism and family that have continued to resonate over a month after its release: This week, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” one of the songs in the Lin Manuel Miranda-produced soundtrack, is topping Billboard and Spotify charts.
It was Bruno’s subplot in particular that unearthed some unsettling realities about how many families — particularly immigrants and other people of color — have historically dealt with neurodivergent relatives. To me, the song parodies the ways in which Latinx households like my own sometimes have willingly ignored mental illness in favor of upholding more pleasant facades. I’m sure many of us can testify that this ends up creating deep fissures. Ultimately, Bruno’s storyline subverts the notion that neurodivergent people — those whose brains function differently than what’s considered “typical” — don’t deserve a seat at the family table, but there’s a lot that comes before that.
