Dora the Role Model's Big Birthday Adventure

Dora builds confidence in children because she shows them how to deal with different situations, and she gives them a chance to respond as if they were in the same room with her,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, a research and advocacy group that focuses on children and the media.

“There really was a need for a character of color in children’s programming,” Mr. Lempert said. Dora is the first Latina character to have the leading role on a children’s series. The show has been commercial television’s top-rated preschool program for most of the decade....

In recent months, as the country’s immigration debate has intensified, a bruised and bloody mug shot of Dora began circulating on the Internet. Her face featured a black eye, and blood dripping from her nose and lip. Underneath her image, a sign reads: “Illegal Border Crossing” then “Resisting Arrest.”...

Dora is not identified as being from a specific country, but as a character who could be from anywhere.

“And that means no one is excluded culturally,” said Ms. Masi de Casanova, so Nickelodeon can market Dora dolls, games, bed linens and children’s clothing to a wide range of consumers. Sales of Dora merchandise have totaled $11 billion since being introduced in 2002, according to Nickelodeon.

-‘Dora’ Special Explores Influence on Children