Satire makes Dora the Explorer an illegal immigrant

CHICAGO - In her police mug shot, the doe-eyed cartoon heroine with the bowl haircut has a black eye, battered lip and bloody nose.

Dora the Explorer's alleged crime? "Illegal Border Crossing Resisting Arrest."

The doctored picture, one of several circulating widely in the aftermath of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, may seem harmless, ridiculous or even tasteless.

But experts say the pictures and the rhetoric surrounding them online, in newspapers and at public rallies, reveal some Americans' attitudes about race, immigrants, and where some of immigration reform debate may be headed.

"Dora is kind of like a blank screen onto which people can project their thoughts and feelings about Latinos," said Erynn Masi de Casanova, a sociology professor at the University of Cincinnati. "They feel like they can say negative things because she's only a cartoon character."

The depictions, whether through irony or protest, are being used by both those who oppose and support Arizona's law. On one hand she's a likable symbol whom many can relate to, and at the same time, perceived as an outsider who doesn't belong anywhere.

Dora has become an easy target as discussion ramps up on how lawmakers should address the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

For about a decade, the pint-size Latina character has taught millions of children the English alphabet, colors and Spanish phrases on a Nickelodeon TV show and related marketing.

The mug shot was actually created late last year by Debbie Groben of Sarasota, Fla., who entered it in a contest for a fake news site.

But since the passage of the Arizona law - which requires authorities to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally - Dora's life and immigration status have been scrutinized and mocked.

Representatives from Nickelodeon declined to comment on Dora's background, and her place of birth or citizenship have never been clear.

Many Latino families see Dora as a symbol of freedom. She's a young girl with brown skin who lives in a borderless world and can travel anywhere she wants without consequence.

"It's symbolic of the way many Latinos live ambiguously in the United States," said Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez, who teaches gender studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson.