It has to do with Atlantis is a European thing. Agrabah is completely made up as well and the Disney cartoon never me tions them being Arabs, so they why did the live action movie need to have Arab looking people? That was actually part of the casting by Disney, they stressed that the movie had to be authentic with the actors looking middle eastern. But why? If it's a made up city with an unnamed race then why couldn't they be white or black or Asian or Hispanic? I mean that's the arguemnt being made with the Little Mermaid, it's all made up so who cares? My point is why does "who cares" only apply to white characters being changed and non-white characters can't be?
If anything, she shouldn't be white or a redhead since Atlantis is an ancient Greek thing.
Also, it's been mentioned that she was green in the original story. ---
"Evil is what you make of it. Bind it to a higher purpose, and you will have altered its nature." - Gerald Tarrant