The “Asian” American Girl

     “Go on, pick whichever doll you want,” my mom said, smiling, as I ran over to the big display of the 2016 Girl of the Year.

     My eight-year-old brain was so excited to have America’s most loved doll, that it didn't even register what it looked like. I mean, every girl in second grade had an American Girl doll.

    But I have never found one that looks like me.

     I’m Asian. Not Chinese or Japanese. I’m brown, like caramel boiling on the stove. I’m brown, like sand in the Sahara desert. I’m the daughter of Indian immigrants. My parents came here with nothing and gave me everything.

    I should be able to relate to one of the most loved dolls in America. 

      For the 2022 Girl of The Year, American Girl has created a doll who isn’t white or black,  she’s somewhere in between. Yet, she’s classified as Asian, not Chinese American.         According to an NBC article by Sakshi Ventakraman, “Indian and Pakistani immigrants were known as ‘Black’ in 1980’s United Kingdom. The U.S. census classified them as ‘white’ in 1970, and a host of transnational solidarity movements have cycled them through lengthy acronyms and broad umbrella terms.” So, when you’re South Asian brown, you don’t always have a name. A status. A place in this world.

     In a New York Times article, a company spokeswoman said that they “hoped the doll would validate the experiences of children who have endured racism.” But Chinese people aren’t the only ones being discriminated against. Asian hate has affected all Asians.

     I come from gods and goddesses. From spices that make eyes water, and tongues burn, not just with heat, but also with delight. I come from Bollywood. I come from complicated and colorful saris, and long, long hair. I come from not letting go of my culture. I come from hard work.

     But I also come from french fries, and outdoor malls, strawberry ice cream, and snow days. From short hair and Doc Martens, pink nail polish and Netflix. I come from Hollywood. I come from a country that demands respect. 

      I’m an Indian girl in an American world, and I know that I’m not alone. There are girls out there who have felt this way. American Girl is showing that racism has an impact on others, making equality more important than ever. 

     Racism is real. Equality is important. American Girl has united young women of all cultures, stories, and backgrounds, and made these girls feel seen.

I’m Asian. I am a young woman with a culture, a story, and a background.

     And I want to be seen, too.