By David Downey | Contributing Writer
Dressed in an instantly recognizable red-and-white suit, Myk Price spreads Christmas cheer across Southern California, bouncing from malls to homes and from offices to daycare centers.
Price also pops in at tree-lighting ceremonies, toy giveaways and pancake breakfasts — being careful not to spill maple syrup on his outfit. He loves playing the jolly bearded icon of the season so much that he sometimes makes impromptu stops at Christmas tree lots on his way to a gig.
“I really do enjoy being Santa Claus,” Price said. “And I figure, ‘Hey, I’m in the suit anyway, why not?’”
Price, a 59-year-old African American man who lives in Los Angeles, is part of a small but growing group of Santa Claus entertainers — those who are people of color.
Though Santa Claus is overwhelmingly portrayed in pop culture and Hollywood as an older White man, these jolly elves offer children of color a Santa who looks like them and sometimes knows their native language. And that’s especially important in diverse Southern California, many say.
Mitch Allen, founder and head elf at Fort Worth, Texas-based HireSanta.com, said minority Santas are the organization’s fastest-growing segment. Still, their numbers are relatively small, comprising less than 2% to 3% of the total.
“The diversity of Santa Claus entertainers is really great,” Allen said. “It allows children to identify and react with a Santa who looks and speaks like them.”
Because of their small numbers, however, Allen said the demand for minority Santas is greater than the supply. As a result, the company often isn’t able to fill a request for one.
Overall, Santa bookings at HireSanta.com are up 152% over last year for gigs that generally pay $25 to $50 an hour at malls and $100 to $200 an hour for home visits, he said.
Art Alcaraz, a professor at UC Riverside and past president of the Riverside Latino Network, said it’s healthy to have minority…
Read the full article here
