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.
