Is Dora the Explorer an Illegal Immigrant? Mug Shot Suggests So...

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) In her police mug shot, the doe-eyed Nickelodeon cartoon heroine with the bowl haircut has a black eye, battered lip and bloody nose.

Dora the Explorer's alleged crime? "Illegal Border Crossing Resisting Arrest."

Since Arizona passed its controversial immigration law, which requires authorities to question people if they're suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the world -- and her immigration status -- have been under scrutiny.

Doctored pictures of Dora the Explorer are being widely circulated online and through text messages.

Most question her immigration status, with many assuming she's an illegal immigrant from Mexico. In one on Facebook, she's sailing through the air over the U.S.-Mexico border.

University of Cincinnati sociology professor Erynn Masi de Casanova explains that Dora is a kind of blank screen onto which people can project their thoughts and feelings about Latinos. She says they feel like they can say negative things because she's only a cartoon character.

The show has never specified where Dora is from.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK:  Where in the world is Dora the Explorer from?