These three toys represent various figures from the Pokémon gaming franchise. The first object, resembling the character Pidgeotto, looks like a pigeon at rest with a yellow, brown, and red color palette. The second object, resembling the character Zapdos, looks like a large bird with wings fully extended and has a red and yellow color palette. The third object, resembling the character Moltres, looks like a bird with sharp, jagged, extended wings and a yellow, orange, and black color palette. All three were made by the Tomy Corporation. The maker field denotes the copyright holder. These figures were most likely created and sold for the Japanese market. The Pidgeotto figure has an inscription on its back noting "C/G/T/S/4" while the other two only show the figures "C/G". The copyright for Nintendo is in the Japanese language, which is indicative of figure manufactured in the early days of Pokémon figure production (1997?) by Tomy. It no longer appears on more recent figures.
This Elmo plush toy is an example of the sorts of things by members of the local community for migrants being served by the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border. Elmo is a character on the popular children’s television show, Sesame Street.
The Humanitarian Respite Center was founded in 2014 by Sister Norma (Sr. Norma) Pimentel, executive director of the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville. Out of a belief in supporting the dignity of vulnerable people, Sr. Norma established the center at a time when a surge of Central American migrants caused a humanitarian crisis and great political controversy in the United States. The center shelters and cares for migrants for a day after their release by the Border Patrol before they travel to the homes of sponsors, typically family or friends, as part of their immigration process. Among the center’s supporters are members of the predominantly Mexican-American local community who donate clothing, toys, and other necessary supplies to help the newcomers. Between 2014 and 2021, the center assisted over 100,000 refugees.
This wooden toy with wheels is made in the shape of a "2." There is a string at the front with a wooden ball at the end. The Boston-area public broadcasting company WGBH was a pioneer in public media fundraising and offered the wooden toy to donors in the 1970s.
This Simpsons Kwik-E-Mart interactive environment Apu talking figure playset was one of a series of licensed Simpsons action figures and interactive environment playsets made by Playmates Toys in the early 2000s. This particular model was released in August 2000, and Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the proprietor of the fictional Kwik-E-Mart convenience store in the town of Springfield. The playset is a model of the Kwik-E-Mart, with its sales counter, microwave, cash register, and Squishy frozen drink machine. A sign on the cash register identifying Apu as the store’s owner also bears his signature catchphrase “Thank you, come again!” The Apu action figure depicts him in his customary costume of high-waisted khaki pants, half-unbuttoned black dress shirt, and green cardigan sweater, with black hair, a thin black mustache, and darker skin than the rest of the yellow skinned residents of Springfield. A photograph on the box illustrating the toy’s Intelli-Tronic “talking” function depicts Apu saying “I take it from your telling that you like my tofu dogs!” (sound recordings of actors reading phrases in the character voices are triggered by placing the action figures on a port embedded in the playset).
The Simpsons is an animated television sitcom that has aired on the Fox network since 1989, becoming one of the longest-running and most critically acclaimed television series of all time. Apu is an Indian immigrant to the United States and like many real-life immigrants, he works in the service sector. Voiced by Hank Azaria, the character was named in honor of the title character of The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray and first appeared in the series’ eighth episode, “The Telltale Head,” which aired February 25, 1990. In the seasons that followed, Apu was frequently featured in episodes as a side and sometimes main character, becoming a fan favorite and one of the most prominent South Asian characters on primetime television in the United States. Azaria won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and the Apu character was featured in a wide range of licensed merchandise. However, the character has not had a speaking appearance on the show since 2017, a decision apparently made in response to criticism of the character as a racist caricature of Indian Americans.
In his 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu, comedian Hari Kondabolu explored the impact of Apu on South Asian Americans and perceptions of South Asian Americans in American culture and society. Kondabolu brought attention to the history of the narrow and dehumanizing stereotypes that contributed to the character of Apu and the impact the character has had on the community. Apu’s voice is performed by a white man affecting a caricaturized Indian accent, with stilted pronunciation and grammar. Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani has said that early in his career he was told to do “the Apu accent” in performances. Many other South Asian American actors have spoken out about the narrow and typecast roles they’re offered, often limited to convenience store clerks, cab drivers, or technology workers. Apu is said to have earned a PhD in computer science from the Calcutta Technical Institute yet began working at the Kwik-E-Mart to repay his student loans. Like Apu, many South Asian men are depicted as being forced into arranged marriages and living in crowded homes with large families. With his wife Manjula, he raises eight children. In one episode, Apu is revealed to be an undocumented immigrant; he attempts to circumvent a new Springfiend illegal immigration deportation policy by purchasing a false birth certificate before finally passing a citizenship test.
The documentary and resulting conversation about Apu as a racist caricature forced the Simpsons creative team to respond. Though the show’s creator Matt Groening dismissed the criticism in a USA Today story, saying, "I think it's a time in our culture where people love to pretend they're offended," Hank Azaria spoke of his increasing discomfort with the character and journey to learn more about Apu’s harmful impact on South Asian Americans. The character was used sparingly in the years following the release of the documentary, with Azaria last performing his voice in the 2017 episode “The Serfsons.” In early 2020, he announced that he had come to an agreement with the production team to step away from performing as Apu, and in a 2021 interview on the Armchair Expert podcast, Azaria apologized for "racism, my participation in racism, or at least in a racist practice or in structural racism, as it relates to showbusiness or...all the above."
Plastic string toy of Mickey Mouse. Body parts are hard plastic and are connected with black string running through each piece. The three strings exit through each hand and the top of the head and connect to a white plastic bar to create a small, plastic marionette-like toy. Mickey's face is peach with a black nose, ears, eyebrows and black and white eyes and a red tongue. His body is black and red, with black arms and legs, white gloves and yellow shoes.
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character debuted in Steamboat Willie in November 1928. He is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves. Mickey is one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world and is the mascot of The Walt Disney Corporation.
This plastic representation of a "pokéball" was nspired by the Pokémon gaming franchise. It has two halves, one red, one white, and a red loop attachment. The object was designed to hold a single Pokémon toy as a promotion for Burger King kids meals in 1999. The figure has been removed from this object. This object was part of a massive product recall due to its eventual designation as a child hazard. Inscription inside the red half of the ball reads: MFG. FOR BURGER KING CORP. The maker field below notes the copyright holder, not the manufacturer.
This pokéball and keychain toy was inspired by the Pokémon video game franchise. The pokéball is red and white with black highlights and has a white button, which opens the ball when pressed to reveal the separate keychain toy inside. The key chain toy is the Pokémon character Psyduck. The toy portion of the keychain is placed on a mounting post inside the pokéball while the keychain links hang through a small portal on the left side of the pokéball, allowing it to also be used as a keychain. The iscription on the bottom gives the letters "B F I", possibly linked to the manufacturer. The mMaker field denotes copyright holder Nintendo. The manufacturer is likely Basic Fun, Inc., though this has not been confirmed.
Special edition Pokémon pokéball originally contained a "special edition" gold trading card. The pokéball has molded legs on the bottom for support. The ball is white on the bottom half and the button is metallic red on the top half, and black along the opening seams and around the button. Pressing the button opens the object. Inside the object is a Certificate of Authenticity for a "#150 Mewtwo" trading card sealed within a plastic wrap. The original 23 karat Gold-Plated trading card is missing. The certificate has the "Official Nintendo Seal of Quality" and a printed signature of Nintendo of America's then chairman, Howard Lincoln. The back of the trading card suggests how to best preserve the trading card. This inscription is as follows: "This Pokémon Special Edition 23 karat Gold-Plated Trading Card has been produced to the highest standards for Nintendo of America. It is made from the highest quality alloy. To ensure lasting value, long life and beauty, we suggest that it remain in the clear cover in which it was delivered. Fingerprints and exposure to weather will cause the superb finish to tarnish." The maker field denotes the copyright holder.