The recent Barbie movie created quite a stir, and my own daughters absolutely loved it. As I thought about Mattel, the company behind Barbie and a leading toy manufacturer, I wondered, “What other dolls out there celebrate diversity?” To my delight, I discovered a few! Allow me to introduce you to three remarkable dolls from independent brands that not only champion inclusion but also empower both girls and boys.
The Jilly Doll
Mom-of-two Elenor Mak eagerly searched for a doll that celebrated Asian culture “and gives Asian American children a ‘friend’ that looks like them.”
“Last year, doll brand American Girl introduced a Chinese American doll, Corinne Tan, as their “Girl of the Year,’ ” explains Mak. “I was so excited and hopeful they would get it right! But I was SO disappointed by what I saw: a doll with big round eyes, skin color that did not look Asian, and black hair with streaks of blue, as if her black hair is not enough.”
Corinne’s appearance and life story felt like “a huge miss in representing authentic Asian Americans and their culture. For too long, Asian American females have been told who they’re supposed to be. Demure. Shy. Dainty. Delicate. Proper. Good at math. Bad at sports….” says Mak. “Asian Americans are more than that, some of that and none of that.”
Mak recently changed all that by launching Jilly Bing, the company behind The Jilly Doll, and explains, “Jilly is more than just a doll… she represents who we want to teach our Asian American children to be. They are strong. They are confident. They are bold. They are not stereotypes. They can be anything they want to be!”
Jilly Bing is named after Mak’s young daughter, Jillian, and bǐng, the Mandarin word for “cookie,” “one of my daughter’s first words.”
Adds Mak, “We have been overwhelmed by the heartwarming responses from around the country. Our team was so touched by all the stories and photos capturing the incredible reactions of children to Jilly: “She has black hair like me,” and “She is beautiful like my Mama.” And adults sharing, “This is the doll I wished I had growing up,” or “We are not Asian, but we want our children to have dolls that look like their friends.”
Fierce Female Fighters
Lt. Tina Guiler, a Miami-Dade Fire Department firefighter, paramedic, and fire inspector, wanted to create dolls to inspire little girls to join the profession she loves so dearly.
“Sure, Barbie has been a firefighter too, but the Triple F (Fierce Female Firefighters) plush dolls were created by a woman firefighter,” says Guiler. “With only 6% of all career firefighters being women, we have a long way to go until there’s equality in this male-dominated industry.”
She created three different firefighter characters: Ember, Ash, and Molly, who was named after Molly Williams, an African American woman who was the first known female firefighter in the United States. “These dolls are perfect for little girls and boys — to hug, hold, and emulate!”
Guiler points out there are not many Black dolls out there, “much less with real-looking hair like our Molly doll. One Mom told me her daughter said she wanted to be a boy so she could be a firefighter. That broke my heart.” Adds Guiler, “I spoke to the girl and told her I was a firefighter and showed her my doll, and she lit up like a Christmas Tree. She was so excited to see a female firefighter doll. She now knows she can be a girl firefighter.”
Look out for ‘Latinistas’
Created to celebrate the beautiful diversity of the Latino community, Latinistas dolls feature an array of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors, diverse hair textures, and unique facial features. Latinistas bring cultural authenticity into toy aisles, which have traditionally lacked such representation in the market. “Las Amigas” (Lola, Liv, Julianna, and Dani) brings a clear and meaningful representation to the toy market. You can find these dolls available for purchase at major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
“We are honored to celebrate the Latino community through Purpose Toys LATIN. Under the leadership of Jovanna Rosado, Purpose Toys LATIN is proud to lead this historic launch of Latinistas,” said DeeDee Wright-Ward, founder and CEO of Purpose Toys, in a press release.
Barbie creator Ruth Handler wanted the doll to be whatever the girl playing with her wanted her to be. While that is an amazing message, it’s always nice to see dolls that look like the children playing with them.
Representation really does matter, and I cannot wait to see what incredible dolls will debut next!
