This isn’t meant to be any kind of GD so please, nobody get their politically correct panties in a bunch.
Regarding the US at least, how often and where and when are black performers hired as Santas? I live in the northeast and have never encountered a black mall Santa. In fact, the only time I can think of ever seeing one is in news reports showing a team of Santas getting ready to go out on duty (usually Salvation Army bell-ringers). So if a black individual applied for a job as one someplace they couldn’t not hire him simply on that basis, right? But at the same time, they obviously wouldn’t hire someone who was too young looking or a woman etc. so could they in fact disqualify a black guy on this basis too? I don’t know if any union rules apply, don’t know if mall Santas are considered professional ‘performers’ or not.
If I had to guess I’d assume that you’d see them in communities that are predominantly black. But is that even the case? Little kids all see the same TV specials and ads and stories etc. plus they don’t know or care about ‘big picture’ issues, so do black kids just accept that Santa is Santa (i.e. an old white guy)?
Again I’m not interested in debating the pros & cons of someone black playing Santa Claus, I’m only curious as to what experiences others have had regarding the idea or seeing it actually occurring.
Go to a mall with a predominately black clientele. Chances are the kiddies will be taking their picture with a black Santa.
As a kid who believed in Santa, the presence of black Santas didn’t confuse me at all because I wasn’t so naive to think mall Santas were “real”. Just like I knew the guy dressed up like Mickey Mouse at Disney World isn’t the “real” Mickey Mouse.
I also didn’t think the real Santa Claus was a white dude. My mother had led me to believe Santa was just really really light-skinned.
I’m not sure it would be illegal. I’m sure it’s legal to only consider white actors to portray Jack Kennedy and only blacks to play Martin Luther King. Being white might be considered part of the image of Santa. Anecdotal evidence to follow:
Back in the 70’s at a department store in Cleveland, OH, they had, at least some of the time, both a black and white Santa on duty. The parents of black children were asked which they wished their kids to see. Apparently most chose the white Santa, I presume because that’s what the kids expected Santa to look like based on all the media images.
Iron Eyes Cody was born as Espera Oscar de Corti in Kaplan, Louisiana, a second son of Antonio de Corti and his wife, Francesca Salpietra, immigrants from Sicily, Italy
monstro specifically said that Mickey Mouse at Disney World isn’t the real Mickey Mouse. Which is true.
The real Mickey Mouse is at Disneyland. Being in the entertainment business, this makes much more sense. Disney World is in Florida. There’s no reason for anyone to be in Florida ever.
A good friend of mine has worked as a Santa at Macy’s in NYC. (THE Macy’s) Their Santaland is a serious operation. They actually have several Santa’s at any time. Each Santa is in a separate ‘house’. The Macy’s people can look down the line, see a “black” child and then, just before that child enters the house, Santa is switched with the black Santa. Or the Asian Santa, or the Hispanic Santa, or the “Shecky” Santa (Jewish Santa, yes, Jewish Santa) and if they notice a kid communicating in sign language, they have Santa’s that do that as well. But they move the Santas because the line keeps moving. No delay in the line happens. The Santas there see about 3 kids a minute. With a dozen Santas going they have to keep up that pace to get to through the day.
I’ve heard them called “Soul Santas”, and I haven’t seen them in ages. A few decades ago I saw one in Rochester, NY, in a predominantly black area. I didn’t realize they were still around, although it makes sense.
I’ve never seen a mall or department store with a black Santa posing with kids on his knee.
On the other hand, I’ve seen plenty black/Latin Santas ringing bells for charities on streetcorners, and I’ve known several ethnic Dads and Grandpas who dress as Santa for their own families.
I’ve been Santa at several malls and for a host of various organizations and businesses. I have also attended several Santarchies in various cities. Black Santas are out there but fairly rare. Two things I can say for certain is
no matter the ethnicity, Fabreeze is a mall Santas best friend
and again, no matter what or who, after a 8 hour shift your knee is going to smell like ass for days
BTW - when I first saw the subject I thought maybe the OP had met me or one of my friends. I sometimes do either Amish Santa/Yoder Claus in a black Santa coat (no belt of course and I pass out tools instead of toys) or the Harley-Davidson “Naughty List Santa” in leather and boots.
My family is totally Irish, but a huge percentage of my brother’s friends are Mexican. And several times, around Christmas, those friends prevailed upon my brother to play Santa at their family gatherings.
I’d have absolutely NO problem with a brown-skinned Santa, but apparently even a lot of Mexicans want their Santas to be fair like my brother and me.
