Post 275: Why it is important to have multicultural cartoons for children--Watch Molly of Denali!

Post 275: Why it is important to have multicultural cartoons for children

Recently, I happened by accident to turn on my PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) at 4PM in the afternoon. To my surprise, I came upon a delightful multicultural cartoon called Molly of Denali.

Molly of Denali is a cartoon that depicts a group of Alaskan children as they play together. What's fun about this cartoon is that it does not depict Alaskans as all living in igloos without running water and electricity. Instead, Molly, an Alaskan Eskimo, lives in a modern house and she loves to talk to her other Alaskan cousins on her computer. 

Molly of Denali breaks the stereotypes that people have about Alaskan culture. The writers provide children an authentic look into Alaskan culture, and just having kids watch this cartoon, kids are exposed to how Alaskans really live. The writers are also Alaskan, and the person doing the voice of Molly is also Alaskan.

The show offers a diverse cast with an African American child from Texas which shows to children that Alaska is a place of diversity just like the rest of the United States.

Being Asian American myself, it is refreshing to see other Asians on TV as Alaskan Eskimos like American Indians are of Asian ancestry when Asians worked across the continental bridge from Asia many centuries ago to North America. Yes, American Indians and Alaskan Eskimos do look Asian because they have Asian blood. So I always like seeing cartoons or TV shows that represent Asians on TV since there is so few Asian representation on American TV.

Usually when Asians are depicted on TV, they are usually comic relief, the sidekick, the person who never gets the girl, the geek, the nerd, or the villain. It is refreshing to see Asians portrayed as ordinary people in a three dimensional manner. It is also fun to see Asian children portrayed in such a positive fun way that all children can relate.

Another fun element I like about this cartoon is that they also depict older Asians on TV. It is very rare to see older people on TV. This cartoon shows how the Alaskan kids respect their elders and ask their elders for advice when they have a problem. This respect for elders is an important part of Asian culture that Alaskan culture has. It is very important for children to be exposed to many cultures, so they don't buy into the negative stereotypes about Asians usually on TV.

I highly recommend for parents and children to watch this delightful cartoon together and explore aspects of Alaskan Eskimo culture together. The cartoon also offers authentic Eskimo costume, clothes, dialect and games. Fun to watch and very entertaining even for adults!