Go (Home), Diego, Go!: Representation and Intentionality in Bilingual Television and Theatre for Youth in the United States

Abstract

The United States is erupting over issues surrounding immigration and acculturation. Those who are neither “white” nor native English-speaking in the United States are lumped into a category of “other.” Young “others” are caught in this war and are forced to consider how they fit into the so-called national identity. This marginalization is a challenge for all who are “other” in the United States and is even more stupefying for children. Given the national tension and fear regarding immigration leading to the 2006 $1 billion Congress authorization of an illegal-immigrant protection fence along the United States–Mexico border, this article examines the goals and outcomes of theatrical productions that claim to celebrate bilingualism and multiculturalism. Through an analysis of Go, Diego, Go Live! and other recently staged Nickelodeon television shows featuring “other” child characters, the article further explores questions such as: How does a country reconcile its hostility toward immigration with its desire to capitalize on marketing Latino/a cartoon characters to children?