New American Girl doll for 2022 is a Chinese-American, the first since Ivy Ling was discontinued in 2014 and 1 of 6 of Asian descent
- Corinne Tan, along with accessories, books about her life and little sister Gwynn, was debuted partly in response to rising violence against Asian-Americans
- One Chinese-American doll on a roster of over 60 is not enough, one critic says, who is also disappointed at the decision to give Corinne blue-streaked hair
Meet the newest American Girl: her name is Corinne, she likes to ski, and she’s the only Chinese-American doll in the beloved doll brand’s roster.
American Girl Brands, a subsidiary of Mattel, debuted Corinne Tan on January 1 – just after the holiday season – partly in response to increased violence against Asian-Americans in the US.
“We created Corinne to be a positive role model our fans can look up to and learn from as we all work toward a world where everyone is treated fairly and with respect,” Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl, said in a press release.
The Corinne doll – along with a bevy of themed accessories, books about her life and a little sister, Gwynn – will be available on the American Girl website and at the company’s destination stores for at least two years.
Mattel, the maker of Barbie, has long been criticised for a lack of racial diversity in its offerings and for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards, though it has recently released more non-white dolls. Among the dozens of American Girls debuted over the years, Corinne is one of six of Asian descent. The company discontinued production of Ivy Ling, its first Chinese-American doll, in 2014.
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“What I really hope is that there is some part of Corinne’s story that makes readers feel seen, whether it’s because they are Asian-American, or because they’re part of a blended family, or because they love skiing,” Wendy Wan-long Shang, the author of Corinne’s books, said in a press release. “I think when readers feel seen, they realise that they matter and their experiences matter, and that they are meant to be the stars of their own stories.” Shang developed the characters with illustrator Peijin Yang.
For writer Rae Chen, this kind of diversity in children’s toys is long overdue.
“When I grew up, there were no Asian dolls that you could buy at any toy store,” Chen said in an interview with Bloomberg News, adding that one doll out of a roster of over 60 “is not a lot. And I don’t think it’s enough.”
Corinne, like many Asian-American women and girls depicted in media, notably has blue-streaked hair. Chen, who in 2018 wrote a Teen Vogue article noting the tendency for Hollywood to give rebellious Asian women colourful hair, called that decision disappointing.
“They’re pushing this idea that in order to have agency, to have an independent identity as people of colour, we have to intentionally modify the thing that makes us a person of colour,” Chen said. “You shouldn’t have to dye your hair to have main-character energy as an Asian person.”
