Article on Lack of Asian American AGOT

[uktmw]

Originally posted by simplepretty:
This is how I see it: American Girl can't just crank out new historicals. Each one takes a long time to develop. ...sometimes people don't consider how important it is to have a well-researched, well-put together doll. I wouldn't want AG to start cranking out cheapy dolls really quickly just to meet demands from every racial group in America.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I totaly agree! In fact, shortly after the release of Addy, we (my mom and I) called American Girl (then Pleasant Co.) asking if they were planning a Native-American doll and they said they had been working on one for the past 2 YEARS! and look how much longer it took to get Kaya EXACTLY right! I know they have tons of reasearch to do on each doll to make sure they are historically accurate, but I am afraid they are focusing on making "friend" dolls and LE AGOT dolls. I would just like some reassurace that an Asian-American Historical doll is being researched or in the works for a release date in the next few years!

Hope that all made sense!

[only1genevieve]

Who's Jess, chopped liver? Because she's only 50% Asian and she's biracial she doesn't count? I don't get this article. Ostensibly, it's trying to promote racial tolerance, yet.

As a new mother, she learned the importance of including her children's ethnic background in family life - because race matters. And children notice race even if adults like to pretend not to.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't get this - aren't we supposed to be teaching our children that race DOESN'T matter? How you LOOK should make NO difference. While I won't deny there's prejudice--and that children should be taught how to deal with it--I don't believe in saying to a kid, "Well, honey, you're Asian. This makes you fundamentally different than me because I'm white. But not in a bad way." Isn't that the same as seperate but equal?

I grew up being taught about the melting pot - that everyone comes together and their differences create strength as we form a new community. It seems to me that by drawing lines in the sand, "I'm Asian, you're white, you're black, you're this, you're that" we divide the community and make it weaker. Which is what this article is doing. Look at how they refer to Jess, who committed the sin of, gasp, being biracial. Look at the reason she's considered inferior. Is it because her stories don't teach about Asian culture? No. It's because "She doesn't look Asian enough."

I thought the whole point of American Girl is creating community and tolerance. I would love to see an Asian Historical doll, but there is an Asian AGOT (which they totally overlooked) and Jess (which I see as AG trying to respond to the demand) so I don't see that the Asian race is being totally neglected.

BTW, I would love an Asian historical doll, but because I think it's an important part of history and girls deserve to know about their culture and history, which is something I think this article overlooked.

I'll get off my soap box now.

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 25, 2006 12:38 PM: Message edited by: only1genevieve ]</font>

[13Pumpkins]

Originally posted by Molly-Felicity:

Lord of the Pumpkin Patch - I love Jess's "chipmunk" cheeks! Have you had the opportunity to see a real Jess yet? I can just see her as one of your boys.[/QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I actually haven't seen a real one yet. I've had the money TWICE to order, and always backed down. I can't see her as a boy either. And for my girls, I want them all to have bangs. I have ended up liking the bangs, and so I'm doing them that way.

I just wish the new mold had been prettier.
[img]frown.gif[/img]

[WhimsicalGypsy]

It's an interesting question of WHICH Asian race to make the new historical. I'm speaking as someone who is 1/4 Native American, and I am very happy that there is a Native American American Girl, even if Kaya is not from the same Nation as my ancestors were. It's good for every Native American Nation, not just Nez Pierce. I would hope that Asian Americans would feel the same way whether the doll was Japanese, Chinese, etc.

[moderator]

One of my Asian friends has talked to me at length about the fact that she only likes things from her own country of origin and would not buy Asian items that are from different cultures. She's insulted when people imply she should enjoy items from other Asian cultures. There is so much variety in Asian countries: religion, customs, clothing, etc. Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, for example, are even Asian countries.

I do think AG should have an Asian historical doll, though. As others have mentioned, Kaya cannot represent all Native American nations, but she still spreads information about Native American history.

[MissCurlyCat]

Something is better than nothing.

But you are right. It isn't up to Americans to represent other cultures; it's up to the other cultures to represent themselves.

I do understand however that this still won?t make every one knowledgeable about other people?s origins. There will always be ignorant people out there who will not listen.

We can't control how other people see the world, but we can control how we see it.


I?ll get off my little soap box now.

Opps, I'm so sorry if I've turned this into a controversial topic! Perhaps this topic should be moved to Tra's board?

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ March 26, 2006 07:21 PM: Message edited by: omitsallspaces ]</font>

[Kenshinchan]

It's too bad none of the existing girls has an Asian "friend"--then AG could continue focusing on their friend lines, they could make an Asian doll, and everyone would be fairly happy.

(Since AG said they had people clamoring for a Jewish doll for some time, I wonder if the LE dolls are where they just put characters designed to appease the "protest of the year" or whatever. :/ )

When they make an Asian-American historical doll (I'm sure it will happen someday, though it could be 10 years from now), they should make her friend their second-most-requested race and then make a movie right away so they can have two dolls. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

(I guess they could make the friend a different Asian race than the first one, but I don't like that idea too much. Even though there's a huge difference between Chinese and, say, Japanese, I like the melting pot idea that was so prevalent in the America of almost all the AG time periods. If the Asian doll only has another Asian doll friend to play with, it's like they're being segregated. [img]frown.gif[/img] Maybe a Jewish friend would work though.)

AG should also see how many baby girls from China are being adopted in America, since you hear about it all the time in pop culture. One of my co-workers is doing that, I believe, actually. But if it's a sizable number, and you assume most of the people adopting babies from overseas are fairly affluent, it would be very good business for them to get work on an Asian doll immediately, to have them ready for sale in a few years when the girls are old enough to appreciate them. [img]graemlins/grrr.gif[/img]