dora the explora

I've seen the cartoon television show Dora the Explorer a few times and while I never found it particularly enthralling (I'm also not four years old), it struck me as a genuinely cool idea for a tv show. Here we have this young, smart, female, Latina character who goes on adventures and solves problems and she is teaching our children some Spanish along the way.

However, after reading an article in Bitch Magazine, I have begun to think more critically of the true meaning of Dora. The article uses Dora the Explorer as a jumping off point to explore the link between American consumerism and factory exploitation of women in Latin American (and other) countries. It suggests that Dora is actually a poor representation of Hispanic people because of her lack of a specific cultural identity and the show's overall absence of "historical and political realities". The article further implies that while these predominantly white parents believe Dora to be the ideal Spanish speaking, female role model for their children, she is merely a reinforcement of a monolithic, generic, and almost white (because of her straight hair and "cinnamon" complexion) stereotype of Latinas.

Just as interesting as the article were the readers' comments. Most were offended by the article's implications and many were very defensive about Dora. (Those moms love their Dora!) For my part, I believe that Dora an age-appropriate role model who shows children that a young, Hispanic girl can be smart, confident, adventurous and empowered person. It also doesn't hurt to expose Americans to a Spanish speaking show every now and then. Is she a substitute for teaching your children about people from other cultures and their histories and politics? Definitely not. We shouldn't be relying on television to do that for us any way. Let your children have Dora and if you want to take a stand against factory exploitation, take a close look at your realities as a consumer and modify your lifestyle accordingly.