REAL Asian American Story Needs to Be Added to American Girl Historical Series

We the undersigned feel that the current American Girl historic doll offerings grossly neglect the Asian American story and would like to voice these concerns.

When Pleasant T. Rowland first produced the American Girl dolls, they were all historical dolls. Each doll portrayed a different era, enthralling girls with the fashion, food and fixings of the time. The stories also did a great job discussing timely issues faced by the girls of that period. Although clearly targeted for girls 8-14, the dolls still tackled subjects like slavery, racism, and child labor to name but a few.

We were pleasantly surprised that the offerings were increasingly diverse; although the girls were primarily Caucasian, there was an African American (Addy), Native American (Kaya). and Mexican (Josefina). All of these dolls were stars of their own story, with all of the same product offerings of the Caucasian dolls. It was extremely disappointing that there was still no Asian American doll offered.

Recently in 2008, the American Girl company unveiled it's first Asian American "historical" doll, Ivy. However, it should be noted that Ivy does not get the same treatment as a main historical doll. Although she does have accessories and her own story, she joins the American Girl family as a "friend" of the main girl, Julie Albright, who is Caucasian. No other ethnic American Girl historical doll simply exists as a "friend" of a main girl. Why did the ONLY Asian American doll offering get slighted?

Also, the time period of the 1970's certainly does not appear as a key period of the Asian American history. It is also not true that Asian Americans don't have compelling stories of their own. Was there effort made to develop a Japanese American doll, telling the story of the internment camps? What about a Hawaiian doll, telling the story of a mixed-race family working on the sugar plantations?

Before 2000, there were three minority dolls released by American Girl, each given as much accessories and highlighted as much as their Caucasian counterparts. In 2009, they released a Jewish character, with similar sensitivity and attention to those special ethnic and historic details that set these dolls a part. The main complaint is that the ONLY Asian American historic doll was NOT given the same sensitivity and treatment, but merely used as a token participant in someone else's story.

The Asian American Girl's story needs to be told. There are many Asian American museums and societies who would provide the necessary resources to help develop a story and product that equals or surpasses what the American Girl company has successful done with the other minority dolls. We deserve and demand equal treatment and respect.

We hope our concerns are addressed in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention and understanding.