The Washington Post: Teacher uses a meme of Dora the Explorer as an illegal border crosser in a lesson about voting
UC expert weighs in on high school teacher's use of meme
An Ohio high school teacher prompted debate after using a "Dora the Explorer" meme to illustrate his lesson on voter eligibility.
The Advanced Placement government instructor wanted to make a point about illegal immigration. To do so, he dug up a 10-year-old meme that pictures the fictional cartoon character as a detainee with a black eye and a prisoner’s placard listing her offenses as “Illegal border crossing” and “resisting arrest.” It was paired with the apparent mug shot of a man sporting tattoos on his face and neck. Here, the teacher reportedly reasoned, were two examples of people who couldn’t vote: a felon and someone in the country illegally.
The Washington Post consulted University of Cincinnati sociology professor Erynn Masi de Casanova to discuss the implications of using the image in a classroom lesson.
She said the meme “can be seen as legitimizing or trivializing the very real violence that is happening to Latin American immigrant and refugee children at the border and in immigrant detention centers.”
“Because Dora is what I call a ‘generic Latina’ stereotype, a fictional character without any identifiable national origin, people may feel comfortable projecting their ideas about Latinos onto her,” Casanova said.
“It is heartening to me that students and parents were disturbed by this image that dehumanizes and makes light of immigrants’ struggles,” she said.
“It seems they are learning something about empathy in spite of this teacher’s efforts to discourage it.” Read the full story.
Related Stories
UC part of $18 million initiative to expand behavioral health workforce in Ohio
September 23, 2026
The University of Cincinnati is participating in a new $18 million statewide scholarship program, as Cleveland.com recently reported, to address critical shortages of mental health and substance use treatment providers across Ohio.
Unlike many parents, children are fearless around AI
September 23, 2026
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that children ages 5-10 are enthusiastic about playing with new AI toys but also tend to believe what the AI tells them. Their embrace of AI contrasts with concerns expressed by some of their parents.
UC climbs to No. 3 in the nation for co-ops and internships in 2027 U.S. News rankings
September 22, 2026
In U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, the University of Cincinnati rises to No. 3 in the nation for co-ops and internships — No. 1 among public institutions — and posts gains in undergraduate business, computer science and psychology.