【Discuss Section】
Korean-American girls are Discuss Sectionfinally getting some representation in their toy boxes.
American Girl announced the release of Suzie "Z" Yang last week, a Korean-American girl who loves filmmaking and vlogging. Z, as she likes to be called, is described as an "imaginative filmmaker" who uses film to understand the world around her.
SEE ALSO: What the new American Girl doll means to black and stuttering communitiesZ was made available to purchase on April 27. The release also happens to align with Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, though it's not apparent if that was intentional.
The doll is accompanied by a chapter book series, which follows Z as she enters a Seattle-based stop-motion film competition. Along the way, she expresses herself through vlogs featuring her dog, Popcorn.
Z's philosophy is "every girl has a story to share."
Z's philosophy is "every girl has a story to share." It's an inspiring message, especially for East Asian girls whose stories are rarely represented by toy giants like Mattel-owned American Girl.
This isn't the first time the brand has represented Asian girls in its line. Chinese-American doll Ivy Ling was released as the best friend of Julie Albright in 2007. The pair were retired in 2014. In 2011, the Girl of the Year was Kanani Akina, a young girl of Japanese, French, German, and native Hawaiian descent. East Asian dolls are also available in the brand's less popular WellieWishers and Bitty Baby collection, and in a custom doll collection called Truly Me.
Z marks the first time a doll of East Asian heritage will be available in the American Girl Collection since Ivy Ling was discontinued in 2014, and the first time ever that Korean-American girls will be represented in the line.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
American Girl has been under pressure in the past few years to include more diversity in its line of dolls. The brand, which launched in 1986, has a history of mainly representing white girls of both historical and contemporary backgrounds.
Even among the criticism, however, American Girl claims its brand is one of the most diverse in the toy industry today.
"American Girl is proud to have one of the most inclusive and diverse selections of dolls in the industry, and it's an area we’ve been committed to since the very beginning," Stephanie Spanos, senior PR manager at American Girl, told Mashableearlier this year.
But that representation still comes at a steep cost, with Z and her book costing $115 — not including accessories.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
American Girl has recently been doubling down on efforts to include girls of all backgrounds in its line. Earlier this year, American Girl announced the 2017 Girl of the Year would be Gabriela McBride, a young black activist who stutters.
It was the first time a black doll had been featured as Girl of the Year in 14 years of the title. A staggering 11 dolls out of the previous 14 Girl of the Year dolls were white.
Featured Video For You
Dinosaur expert critiques dinosaur toys
Topics Social Good
Search
Categories
Latest Posts
Philips now allows customers to 3D print replacement parts
2025-06-26 08:28How to Get Your Significant Other Into Gaming
2025-06-26 07:45Best Echo deal: Save $25 on Amazon Echo Show 5
2025-06-26 07:28'Mormon Wives' star Whitney Leavitt shares MomTok video essentials
2025-06-26 07:25Sony launches new flagship XM6 headphones: Order them now
2025-06-26 07:16Popular Posts
Best headphone deal: Take 22% off the Sonos Ace at Amazon
2025-06-26 08:16Poland vs. Georgia 2025 livestream: Watch U21 Euro 2025 for free
2025-06-26 07:13Apple is actively looking at AI search for Safari
2025-06-26 07:02Featured Posts
Best headphones deal: Save up to 51% on Beats at Amazon
2025-06-26 08:34Hisense 75
2025-06-26 08:20Wordle today: The answer and hints for June 10, 2025
2025-06-26 08:17NYT Strands hints, answers for June 10
2025-06-26 06:23The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
2025-06-26 06:09Popular Articles
Apple is actively looking at AI search for Safari
2025-06-26 08:35Today's Hurdle hints and answers for June 10, 2025
2025-06-26 08:14Hisense 75
2025-06-26 08:01I've read hundreds of free Kindle books with Libby. Here's how.
2025-06-26 07:17Sony launches new flagship XM6 headphones: Order them now
2025-06-26 06:22Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.
Comments (137)
Charm Information Network
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18
2025-06-26 07:48Happiness Information Network
Best Sonos deal: Save $20 on Sonos Era 100
2025-06-26 07:07Fashion Information Network
Why You Can't Buy Books from the Kindle app on iPhone or iPad in 2018
2025-06-26 06:10Treasure Information Network
Today's Hurdle hints and answers for June 10, 2025
2025-06-26 06:06Star Sky Information Network
Best keyboard deals: Save on Asus gaming keyboards at Amazon
2025-06-26 05:59