From the Miami Herald:
Understandably, most Latinos will be thrilled to see the promotion of Latino identity in the American mainstream; they will say it is nice to see Hispanic children growing up feeling proud of who they are and being encouraged to celebrate their Latino ethnicity, languages and heritage. And perhaps they are right. But how are others being told to feel about their own heritage and culture? For example, where are the shows that endorse non-Hispanic European cultures? Where are the shows that speak to them on the same level that "Dora the Explorer" and "Handy Manny" speak to Latinos? The absence of such shows is just one sign that that majority, the world's true minority, is losing its power and influence in America. Here, of course, I am speaking of the white, non-Hispanic peoples.
Of course, there are other signs that white, non-Hispanic peoples are losing their influence in America. As an "interest group" bloc, the Latino community is already able to influence the country's politicians so those politicians take up their views on immigration issues and U.S. border policy. Accordingly, if that same demographic continues to grow, politicians will discover that elections can only be won by simply becoming a mouthpiece for their views, and winning their vote accordingly. Just as importantly, Latinos will have the numbers to vote their own people into key decision-making positions in government. That means, one way or another, Latinos (and Latino interests) will be deciding what is and is not America - including the country's borders and what to do with them.
In the article, Arminda Figueroa describes the future of the country as "becoming more multicultural." But there is nothing multicultural or diverse about one culture, language or people being promoted while the others are forgotten. And that is exactly what is going on: their music, their shows, their language - their people. All the while, everyone else remains docile, afraid to complain that their country is being handed over and their children want to be Spanish-speaking "Dora the Latinos" instead of whoever they actually are. The truth is, most whites do not fear that they are being replaced - they fear that they are not being tolerant enough of that replacement.
Surely, the stereotypical "old white racist" will be upset about the changes taking place - just as the post-racial multiculturalist, wearing his or her rose-colored glasses, will probably be excited about those very same changes. But neither side has anything to gain from the rise of a new majority that is focused on the interests of its own community. That is why it is important to take note of what happens as Hispanics discover their new organizational power, and just how the Hispanics feel about the promotion of non-Hispanic interests and culture. Here is the litmus test to see just what the United States will be like when non-Hispanic whites are no longer in power or the majority - and just how "post-racial" and "multicultural" that society will really be.
excerpt from "Hispanic TV kids characters are making the leap to retail stores" by Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald
Suddenly, Hispanic kids' TV characters are hot.
“Hispanics are a strong target market,” said Jonathan Breiter, senior vice president of Toy Play, which holds licenses for 25 "Dora the Explorer” products.
Introduced by Nickelodeon four years ago, Dora, the animated Latina girl, embarks on adventures with a backpack and monkey. In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem. Clearly, retailers want to tap into the increasingly strong Latino buying power. Latinos spend double the amount of money on kids’ products than other Americans.
With Dora leading the way, these popular characters are reaching beyond their original niche audiences. Surprising even the show's creator, Dora ranks as the most recognizable 7-year-old in the world, with estimated sales of tier merchandise at a staggering $3 billion. "Maya & Miguel," an animated series created by Scholastic for PBS, is gaining ground. The show about the adventures of 10-year-old twins, their abuela or grandmother, bilingual parrot and diverse neighborhood, launched its second season this fall. Already, it attracts more than 4 million kids a week and ranks in the top 10 programs for children age 6 to 8.
This fall, the creators of much watched “Jay Jay The Jet Plane” introduced Lina, a 4-year-old bilingual airplane. Lina introduces Spanish phrases and bits of Latino culture to Jay Jay.
In February, PBS kicked off the third season of its popular "Dragon Tales" with a new Hispanic character, Enrique. Even Disney is getting in on the act. In 2006, Disney Channel will launch its new animated series "Handy Manny" about a Latino hero and his talking tools".
“We looked at the future and saw that the country is becoming more multicultural,” said Arminda Figueroa, Scholastic’s project director for “Maya & Miguel.” “We are appealing to the kids in the United States with foreign-born parents.”
Well aware of Dora’s success and the demographics, television networks now find cultural diversity too attractive to ignore. Powerhouses in preschool programming are launching more bilingual shows or introducing Latino characters into some TV favorites. (more)
Understandably, most Latinos will be thrilled to see the promotion of Latino identity in the American mainstream; they will say it is nice to see Hispanic children growing up feeling proud of who they are and being encouraged to celebrate their Latino ethnicity, languages and heritage. And perhaps they are right. But how are others being told to feel about their own heritage and culture? For example, where are the shows that endorse non-Hispanic European cultures? Where are the shows that speak to them on the same level that "Dora the Explorer" and "Handy Manny" speak to Latinos? The absence of such shows is just one sign that that majority, the world's true minority, is losing its power and influence in America. Here, of course, I am speaking of the white, non-Hispanic peoples.
Of course, there are other signs that white, non-Hispanic peoples are losing their influence in America. As an "interest group" bloc, the Latino community is already able to influence the country's politicians so those politicians take up their views on immigration issues and U.S. border policy. Accordingly, if that same demographic continues to grow, politicians will discover that elections can only be won by simply becoming a mouthpiece for their views, and winning their vote accordingly. Just as importantly, Latinos will have the numbers to vote their own people into key decision-making positions in government. That means, one way or another, Latinos (and Latino interests) will be deciding what is and is not America - including the country's borders and what to do with them.
In the article, Arminda Figueroa describes the future of the country as "becoming more multicultural." But there is nothing multicultural or diverse about one culture, language or people being promoted while the others are forgotten. And that is exactly what is going on: their music, their shows, their language - their people. All the while, everyone else remains docile, afraid to complain that their country is being handed over and their children want to be Spanish-speaking "Dora the Latinos" instead of whoever they actually are. The truth is, most whites do not fear that they are being replaced - they fear that they are not being tolerant enough of that replacement.
Surely, the stereotypical "old white racist" will be upset about the changes taking place - just as the post-racial multiculturalist, wearing his or her rose-colored glasses, will probably be excited about those very same changes. But neither side has anything to gain from the rise of a new majority that is focused on the interests of its own community. That is why it is important to take note of what happens as Hispanics discover their new organizational power, and just how the Hispanics feel about the promotion of non-Hispanic interests and culture. Here is the litmus test to see just what the United States will be like when non-Hispanic whites are no longer in power or the majority - and just how "post-racial" and "multicultural" that society will really be.
