Sydney Elizabeth Agudong plays Nani in Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch and has a diverse ethnic background. She was born and raised in Kauai, Hawaii, with her childhood an important aspect of understanding her cultural identity.
Hawaii has a rich history of being a blending pot of cultures, starting with Polynesian settlement and later influenced by many different groups from Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. While growing up in Kauai does not completely define her ethnicity, it offers context for her multi-ethnic identity.
The decision to cast Sydney Agudong as Nani (per the Hollywood Reporter) in the live-action Lilo & Stitch has started a conversation not about where she’s from but about her lighter skin tone compared to the darker skin of the animated Nani, who has clear indigenous features. USA Today reports that some say this highlights an issue in Hollywood where lighter skin is seen as more acceptable, ignoring the diversity of Hawaii’s population.
What is Sydney Agudong’s ethnicity?
Sydney Agudong’s ethnicity combines Filipino, Polynesian, English, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. Her Polynesian and Filipino heritage connects her to Pacific Islander communities, while her European heritage links her to Western Europe. This varied ethnic mix likely plays an important role in her identity.
Agudong’s father, Kenneth Agudong, has Filipino and Polynesian heritage. This means he comes from both the Filipino ethnic group from the Philippines and various indigenous communities from Polynesia, which is a large area in the central and southern Pacific Ocean.
Her mother, Karen Ligon, has ancestry that includes English, German, Irish, and Scottish roots. This represents a mix of four distinct European backgrounds from the British Isles and continental Europe. The two have many children who are a mix of their cultures and ethnicity.
Agudong’s mixed background (Filipino-Polynesian and English-German-Irish-Scottish) is acknowledged, but some people are mainly focused on how she looks. Many believe Disney missed a chance to represent a broader range of Hawaiian people, especially darker-skinned Pacific Islanders.
The concern is not that Agudong isn’t Hawaiian, but that choosing a lighter-skinned actress for a role that is seen as connected to indigenous Hawaiian identity somehow ignores the experiences of darker-skinned Hawaiians. However, it is hard to argue that this isn’t racism because the concern is the color of her skin.
Something that doesn’t get touched upon often is how it feels to be someone like Agudong. I am someone who is very light-skinned, but I come from a culture where people are only seen as “true Mexicans” if they have dark skin. My mother is darker-skinned, and my father, whose ancestry is from Spain, is lighter-skinned.
I’ve been told I’m not a true Mexican, just like I’ve been told I’m not a true American. Getting told you’re not really representing your own culture, regardless of the side, is tough to hear. It’s something that Agudong likely feels when others say she’s not representing Hawaii or her culture.
It’s an argument that has its merits, as most arguments involving diversity do. However, when you consider that Agudong comes from the culture, and her father wouldn’t be seen as “too light” for the role, it feels like a case of judging her by the color of her skin.
Published: Mar 26, 2025 3:12 PM UTC