Dora Development: Dora is a Latina. According to a Nickelodeon spokesman, "She was developed to be pan-Latina to represent the diversity of Latino cultures."

On March 8, 2009, Mattel and Nickelodeon announced that Dora will receive a tweenage makeover, switching from a young age to a teenage attending middle school. Initially, it was announced that the new look would not be revealed until late 2009, but after a short controversy, the tween Dora was unveiled on March 16, 2009. The new image has been criticized as overly feminized and gendered.