@Morgan first of all, carmen was the first edutainment franchise, really. the oregon trail predated it, but wasn't really a franchise. carmen SPRAWLED across multiple media and a crapton of merch.
she was also an early example of a strong female character in children's media, and one of the first (THE first?) latina main character in a children's show.
Until I played one of the Carmen games from 1995 with Lynn Thigpen, and I found a note left behind from one of her agents, I didn't realize that Carmen pays her people too Lol