How Mexican Children Understand American Cartoons

What is it about?

This study explores how children in southeast Mexico understand and interpret American animated cartoons, focusing on the series Dexter’s Laboratory from Cartoon Network. Through interviews and focus groups with 44 children aged 8 to 11 in Villahermosa, Tabasco, the research examines whether young viewers recognize that the cartoons they watch come from a different culture and how they make sense of foreign cultural references that remain visible even after dubbing into Latin American Spanish. The children watched dubbed episodes and then discussed the story, characters, and cultural elements such as English-language signs, symbols, lifestyles, and settings. The study pays special attention to how age, social background, and access to English influence children’s interpretations.

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Photo by Jason Sung on Unsplash

Photo by Jason Sung on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The findings challenge the idea that children passively consume global media. Most participants were clearly aware that they were watching a foreign program and were able to identify elements of U.S. culture. Older children and those with greater cultural capital—such as access to English education or international travel—made more complex comparisons between Mexican and American ways of life. The study also shows how dubbing works as a cultural mediation tool: while it helps children follow the story, it cannot erase all cultural differences. Children actively negotiate meaning using family support, school knowledge, and local references. Overall, the research highlights children as active, reflective audiences who build their cultural identity through a mix of local, national, and global media influences.

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