The rise of the multicultural Santa Claus
By Mark Armendariz-Gonzales
He came to town one late November morning. The sound of sleigh bells echoed through the cold air, as the ones on his belt jingled with every step he took. He marched his way through the outdoor mall,dressed in full Kris Kringle attire from head to toe, from the iconic red hat with the puff ball tip to the black shiny boots. With pockets full of mini candy canes, his red velvet coat swayed, showcasing the elaborate stitchings of snowflakes and mistletoe.
As he turned a corner, he came face to face with a man chaining up his bike. The man’s face was covered in puzzlement as he stared at the big man dressed all in red. Then suddenly, the confusion vanished as the man’s face lit up and he grew an enormous grin. “Aren’t you a little early this year?” chuckled the man. “Just doing the final rounds of my naughty or nice list,” replied the father of Christmas.
Santa Myk in all his glory. (Photo by Mark Armendariz-Gonzales)
As he continued on his way, he began ho ho hoeing through the empty streets of the outdoor mall. It was not long before the recognizable catchphrase caught the attention of the other shoppers, and soon enough everyone was making their way over to say hello and catch a glimpse of old Saint Nick. Kid’s eyes went bright with joy and amazement at just the sight of him, while the adults grew giddy and let out their inner child. It was as if seeing this historic holiday figure allowed them to reclaim some sense of Christmas wonder they may have lost as they grew up throughout the years. While this may have been an unforgettable experience for anyone present, after 32 years of portraying the iconic figure many know as Santa Claus, it was just your average Wednesday for Santa Myk.
What was once a straight head on path, was now lined with stops and pauses as Santa Myk would take pictures and speak with his adoring fans. The conversation topics ranged from kids telling him what they wanted for Christmas to elderly folks sharing details about their medical history to him. No matter who approached, no matter what age they were, Santa Myk gave them the same amount of attention and enthusiasm.
“All they see is Santa.”
— Santa Myk
“It doesn’t get old,” said Myk. “I enjoy the reactions of people when they see me. I like talking and sharing with kids, adults and grandparents and building that connection with them.”
As many people that came up and interacted with Santa Myk, not a single one drew attention to the one feature that sets him apart from most traditional looking Santas, the color of his skin. Santa Myk is one of a handful African American Santas in California, and although he may appear different, nobody seemed to care or notice.
“All they see is Santa,” said Myk. “There is an attitude and joy that comes when interacting with people while dressed like this, and they only focus on what’s in front of them.”
In Western culture, Santa Claus is traditionally depicted as an older Caucasian man with a white beard and rosy cheeks dressed in a red suit, an image popularized by the Coca-Cola holiday ads of the 1930’s. This image has become a mainstay as it has been ingrained in pop culture through movies, advertisements, merchandising, etc. Although this may be the Santa appearance we are most familiar with, it is far from the appearance of the man that the famed holiday figure is based on. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced hundreds of years ago to a monk known as St. Nicholas who was not Caucasian at all, but actually Turkish. And while he did have a beard, he looked a lot less like the Santa of today, as he was short, had dark skin, and had a broken nose.
Even though the inspiration behind old Saint Nick is far from being white, a 2017 survey by the Tampa Bay Times shows that 95.73% of working Santas are white, while less than 5% are non white. This lack of diversity has caused concern for many, as they feel everyone should be culturally represented, especially during the holiday season.
Luckily, in recent years there has slowly been a rise in when it comes to representation of Santa, with not only African American Santas popping up, but Latin and Asian ones as well.
Santa Miguel speaks on what may be in store for the future of Santa. (Photo courtsey of Santa Miguel)
Santa Keyes talks about a nerve-racking encounter he had. (Photo courtsey of Santa Keyes)
Santa Allan shares a heartfelt story. (Photo Courtsey of Santa Allan)
“It normalizes having people of different cultures represented in some of our more iconic symbols,” said Santa Keyes, an African American Santa who works for a company known as “Santas Just Like Me” out of North Carolina. “I think it’s great because that tells kids that I belong too. It’s a sad thought that you grow up in a place with dark skin and everything that is positive that is presented to you has light skin.”
While these new diverse and multicultural Santa Clauses do carry the traditional values of the famed holiday figure, such as spreading joy and to be kind to one another, they are bringing their own cultural spin to the character. This can be as simple as interacting with people through other languages. Most of these multicultural Santas are fluent in more than one language, and do their best to incorporate this skill into their interactions. Speaking in different languages and dialects through conversation or song, makes people of different races feel more comfortable, and the more comfortable they are, the better the experience will be for them.
“If there is a race or culture barrier, you can always try to connect with them through their ears, and this helps them open up to you,” said Santa Allan, an Asian Santa who interacts with people through English, Cantonese, and a bit of Mandarin.
When it comes to Santa Claus everyone knows the iconic hat and red coat, but these santas are trying to switch it up a bit as they incorporate cultural outfits and designs into the classic suit. There have been African American Santas who have replaced the white trim of the red coat with leopard and tiger print, and in some cases have given the overall suit a dashiki design. A Hispanic Santa named Miguel is currently planning on representing his culture through his new suit, by drawing inspiration from the charro suits of Mexico. The suit will be covered in the traditional Christmas colors of red and green, as well as some colors that are connected to the Latino community like yellow and orange.
“People want to see a Santa that represents their own community. This is the type of Santa I wanted to see growing up,” said Santa Miguel.
Although a novelty of the past, multicultural Santas have gone mainstream in recent years. They have started to pop up all over in pop culture whether it be holiday decorations, movies, or even clothing. Even Disney is getting in on the action as they have started to feature African American Santas in their parks during the Christmas season.
Christmas ornaments that feature a diverse Santa.(Photo by Mark Armendariz-Gonzales)
Figurine statues of diverse Santa.(Photo by Mark Armendariz-Gonzales)
Mugs and pillow that feature a diverse Santa.(Photo by Mark Armendariz-Gonzales)
Different types of clothing that feature a diverse Santa.(Photo by Mark Armendariz-Gonzales)
“I think diverse Santas appearing more in everyday life whether it be commercials or theme parks is a great way to get kids comfortable with the idea that Santa comes in all different types of forms,” said Andrea Lieber. “The more that they see it, the more natural and common it will become.”
Although the majority of the feedback regarding multicultural Santas has been positive, there are some cases of backlash. In 2020, a man in Arkansas received a racist letter after he had a blow up African American Santa decoration in his front yard. According to experts the main reasoning behind this backlash is due to white supremacy. White supremacists believe that figures of high standard or value should be depicted as white, so in the case of a famous holiday icon like Santa Claus, they clearly do not want to see him portrayed in any other race but their own.
“This type of stuff is disheartening to hear,” said Santa Miguel. “Santa is not for one group, it’s for everyone. Santa represents love. Love is universal and so is Santa.”
This type of backlash has caused worry amongst the diverse Santa community as they fear for their lives at times. Santa Keyes has experienced this first hand as he has received phone calls that are down right mean, nasty, and even racist. Santa Allan has also received hate , and has been told in person by people that he is not their Santa Claus.
“In these cases, you gotta stay positive and not let the negativity get in your way,” said Santa Allan.
In these dark times, diverse Santas need support more than ever. Luckily for them, the majority of the Santa community has their back. Santa True a white Santa, has taken the initiative to help grow diversity within the Santa community by creating a Santa school. It is here that Santa True along with Santa Myk, teach Santas of all different races the fundamentals of being Santa and how to be unique in their own special way.
“We need new opinions, new ideas, and especially new communities,” said Santa True.
One way they try to increase the diversity rate is by creating training opportunities and offering scholarships. They make it a point to reach out to diverse performers to try on the role of the famous holiday man. They also do not exclude sex, as they have different races of Mrs. Claus in their school, as well as some female Santas. When it comes time to find work, Both Santa True and Sant Myk try to get their multicultural friends included with them.
“If you can carry the character, that is all that matters,” said Santa Myk. “ It spreads the message that Christmas is for everyone.”
It seems the public agrees with this statement as business has been booming lately and the demand for these diverse Santas is on the rise. Everyone from young to old seems to love them.
“It does not matter what color Santa is,” said 12-year-old Andrea Owens. “All that matters is that he can help spread joy and the Christmas spirit.
With the popularity of multicultural Santas at an all-time high at the moment, who knows what to expect 10 years from now. We may reach the point where Santa is seen as having no race or color, and from the looks of things, we are not too far from that becoming a reality.
“Times are changing, it is time to get with the times.” said Micah Thompson.
