We Need a Diverse Santa
By: Yvonne Vissing
Tags: Santa Claus, Diversity, Inclusion, Multiculturalism

When Chris Kennedy of Little Rock, Arkansas put up his annual yard display of festive December holiday decorations, he didn’t expect to receive hate mail from Santa Claus. Why? Because he dared to put up a black Santa.

There are those who think that Santa is timeless and should never change; there are others who think that his face-lift is long overdue. As a Santaologist, research is clear that Santa Claus is a product of social construction who has evolved over time. It’s time that he undergoes another transformation, a make-over that will keep him relevant to today’s changing population. It’s time that Santa was re-imagined to reflect contemporary reality. Look at the data:

· Nonwhite children are now the majority of children under age 15, which statistically makes white children a minority group.

· Immigration is part of the nation’s history and will continue to shape its future.

· By 2065 no racial or ethnic group will be the majority. Diversity will continue to grow.

· Children are growing up and seeing different family constellations and compositions as the new normal. Family diversity is a trend likely to continue.

· In a global world, people intermarry and multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural children are commonplace Traditions and celebrations are shared and transformed to meet contemporary reality changes.

· The Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life has found that people who are in the child-bearing years are less aligned with traditional religious groups today and that those who profess to be Christian are on the decline. Religious diversity and pluralism are growing across the globe, not just in the USA.

· The number of children growing up in poverty has increased, which makes having discretionary income for parents to buy things like presents from Santa less likely. Simply, many people can’t afford Santa to come.

Then there is the gender issue. Someone asked me if I was Mrs. Santa Claus and was shocked when I responded that I was a Santa. And why not? Women have been acting as Santas for generations, taking the lead in shopping, wrapping, cooking, decorating, planning, and making magic for their families. During WWII women were hired as department store Santas and society was grateful for their Santa presence — until the men came home. Mrs. Claus doesn’t even have a first name or an identity other than waiting on her husband and elves. Given that there are now more women in the workforce than men, there are no good excuses for why women can’t be Santas. Mama Tinga Tinga is Africa’s Santa and she sends the message that any woman with a good heart and helpful actions can be a Santa.

Santa is standing at a fork in the road. We have the opportunities to take Santa’s positive attributes and grow them. Children will benefit by seeing Santa as the spirit of joy and loving-kindness that honors the beauty and goodness in everyone. This spirit can be delivered by traditional Santas and by people of every skin color, gender, ethnicity, culture, age, social class, or religion. As shown in the book, Re-Imagine Santa, he was created by merging together attributes from a variety of people and celebrations from around the world. Community celebrations were designed to bring people together.

Adults have constructed Santa to represent certain characteristics in the past, and we have the power to transform what he will be like in the future. Santa’s make-over can be a catalyst for compassion and care that nurtures kind hearts and open minds for children everywhere in our increasingly diverse and challenging world.

For more information, check out the Santa Series at santalove.org and the Santa Spirit Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Santas.spirit2020

A version of this article was published in The Salem News https://www.salemnews.com/opinion/columns/column-we-need-a-diverse-santa/article_e64bc061-cf28-535e-bb11-e1c9c858fac4.html