Comments on: Santa Claus: Does It Matter What Color He Is or What Language He Speaks?

By: VMariposa

VMariposa — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:33:49 +0000

Oh as far as language, it definitely matters! I am a Bilingual children’s entertainer and educator. I played an elf recently. Being able to connect to the little kids in Spanish… was EVERYTHING!! They thought I was a REAL elf and they smiled and hugged me and were thrilled that I could understand and speak to them. They said “Mami, ella habla espanol!” I have heard some terrible prejudiced comments over the years by many other children’s entertainers about children of color. I have always stood up for and cared all children regardless of color, status, language and etc…..but understand not all entertainers do and underneath the costume some of them think some very unkind things. Most Santas are not children’s entertainers and just do it for extra money at the holidays so imagine what you are getting. For this reason, and for the kids’ sake… I say it is a GOOD idea to have a diverse group of children’s entertainers.

By: VMariposa

VMariposa — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:23:10 +0000

My kids are half African-American and half Latino. I like the idea of multicultural Santas. I had my kids take a picture with a Black Santa before and it was a lot of fun and I once played a Spanish speaking elf for a Christmas party. Some might not think it matters, there are still some anglo “Santas” that treat little kids differently if they are Black. I have seen it time and time again where I live. Yes, Latinos do suffer prejudice and bias and discrimination, however, in some areas kids that are chocolate brown get treated the worst of all. So to alievate that problem, why not in a predominately Black neighborhood, have a Black Santa? Let the kids actually have light in their eyes of someone positively caring about who they are and that person looks like them. All the heroes do not have to be White, even though historically he was. Now at home we have movies about Santas and stories about them and the stories are with White Santas. My kids love it and watch it and they do not mind and neither do I. I never told the kids that Santa was real anyway but just a story like the three little pigs and they have a lot of fun with it even still. I explain that Santa is based on St Nicolas who was a real man and the history behind it and where he comes from and yes he is White and everything about his positive love for kids. =) For us, Santa does not bring gifts but the Three Kings do. I know that Santa originally is white. That is fine with me, but sometimes kids want a character to also look like them. Jesus was not blond and blue eyes but he is depicted as such. Not many people have a problem with that, ( a historically incorrect depiction of Jesus) but they have gotten out of line and pulled their kids out of line when a Black Santa was at the picture taking place. I do not think that was right and it was ugly and the things people said were ugly. But it made my experience better because I got to zip through the line faster although my kids asked why everyone was leaving. I did not have the heart to tell them… just yet……..

By: SpanglishBaby Celebrates La Navidad! | SpanglishBaby™

SpanglishBaby Celebrates La Navidad! | SpanglishBaby™ — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:55:32 +0000

[...] Santa Claus: Does It Matter What Color He Is or What Language He Speaks? [...]

By: Beth Ortuno

Beth Ortuno — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:50:36 +0000

Carla, definitely take a look if you can. I didn’t really think about it beforehand, but we just happened to be at a (very hispanic oriented) flea market one day in December last year when Santa showed up. I think it turned out really great that my son’s first Santa Claus photo ended up being with a Santa who pronounced his name correctly. I really don’t think he cared a fig if Santa’s eyes weren’t blue!

By: Beth Ortuno

Beth Ortuno — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:44:32 +0000

Bren, here in Houston the Thanksgiving parade ALWAYS features Pancho Claus riding right behind Santa Claus. Santa waves and says Merry Christmas, Pancho waves and says Feliz Navidad, and the whole crowd shouts Merry Christmas back at Santa & shouts Feliz Navidad back at Pancho.

By: Beth Ortuno

Beth Ortuno — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:40:18 +0000

My daughter (age 20 now) was 4 when we were living in a predominantly African-American neighborhood and she went to a preschool where most of the teachers were Black also. One day Santa Claus came to visit the children at school — really, something quite normal, one of the school administrators dressed as Santa. So that evening I was actually already mentally ready for a question from my daughter. And not somehow surprised when I asked how she enjoyed Santa’s visit and she said she had lots of fun “but now I know for sure Santa is not a real person.” Oh, I said, how come? “Because the Santa at the mall is a man but the Santa today had boobies. I could feel it when I was sitting on his lap.” (And isn’t it interesting how she still said HIS lap?)

Although I was sad she was disillusioned about Santa, I was happy that she seemed not to have even noticed the color thing. It just goes to show children don’t always see things how we do.

My stepkids and nieces & nephews from a very early age figured out about Santa because when their dad and aunts tried to “do” Santa, as immigrants and unfamiliar with the tradition they didn’t do it at all the same as the kids had already heard about it being done from neighbor kids, tv shows etc. (in English, which their parents don’t always understand). When I came into their lives I realized they were actually pretending to believe… I am not sure it was for their parents’ sake. I think a child just loves this Santa thing so much.

By: Comiendo en LA

Comiendo en LA — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:33:59 +0000

Santa siempre será blanco en mi concepto. En Colombia quien nos trae los regalos es el Niño Jesús, así que no teníamos ese dilema, ya que ni sabíamos como luce lol

By: Bren @ Flanboyant Eats™

Bren @ Flanboyant Eats™ — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:31:24 +0000

I’m fortunate to have been raised in a really open home where color didn’t matter. Papi, abuelo and abuela are black and my other abuela is Chinita….. we’re all mixed in complexion and speak a combo of 6 languages… Santa was papi (knowing that now), so it didn’t matter. He was just a shorte, thinner man that loved to eat the cookies mami left for him… visiting him at the malls was a different story… he was always blanco y super gordo… my fave one was always a black santa…always had more soul!! never seen a Latino Santa!! something wrong with that picture!?! Great post.

By: Sujeiry

Sujeiry — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:51:30 +0000

I’m a little torn about this. I understand why parents want their kids to associate with a Santa with melanin. There are so many icons in our society that are “white.” But, I also agree that there seems to be a desperate need to fight for everything to be brown. I don’t know what I will do when the time comes.

By: perudelights

perudelights — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:03:31 +0000

For me, Santa is white and blue eyed, and don´t see the need to change that image. It´s an icon, right? Being from the North Pole, there`s no way he has dark skin, so leave him alone. BTW, your daughter is so beautiful!!