Pint-size pioneer ‘Dora the Explorer’ celebrates her 25th

Erynn Casanova, head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati who conducted early research on Latino representation in children’s television, was cited in an Associated Press (AP) article on the role Dora played in popular culture.  

“There were few programs at the time that featured Latina protagonists with Dora’s skin tone or features, so from that perspective, the representation is valuable,” Casanova says in the article.  

Since the 2000 debut, Dora has become a symbol of cultural representation and empowerment, speaking both English and Spanish while inviting children to solve problems and engage in learning.

Casanova’s original research, done around 2005–2007, analyzed Dora and similar children's shows. Her findings noted that while "Dora the Explorer" was groundbreaking in presenting a Latina main character with darker skin tone and unique features — especially for its time — the show tended to use Spanish language in a mostly instrumental way (i.e., to accomplish tasks), rather than showcasing deeper aspects of Latino culture.

While Latin representation in media has improved, it remains disproportionately low. According to the AP, citing the Latino Donor Collaborative, Latino actors made up just 9.8% of lead roles in scripted television as of 2024, despite Latinos comprising nearly 20% of the U.S. population.

Read more in the AP article.

Featured image at top: Pablo Arellano Spatario/Nickelodeon/Paramount/AP.