Let’s be honest: Barbie dolls never were a great role model for little girls. It’s no wonder Mattel faced so many criticisms over the years over Barbies. The fact that Mattel has finally touched into reality and created a new Barbie doll prototype is amazing.
For those who aren’t aware of the new line, the new Barbies now feature petite, curvy and tall Barbies that are available in a number of different skin tones, hairstyles and hair color.
As a 22-year-old woman, I have no use for these new Barbies but I can’t deny that I find this change exciting and welcoming. Personally though, I really do wish six-year-old me would’ve had a chance to own a curvy Barbie, with tan skin and brown hair.
For a while during my early childhood, every single doll I was gifted was the unrealistic blonde and blue-eyed bombshell babe and frankly, the diversity completely stopped there. Of course, there were a few brunette and ginger-haired Barbies, but I never had a Barbie doll that looked anything like me. Not only did these dolls look absolutely nothing like me, but the storylines I created for each and every single one of them, were superficial and one-dimensional.
All these dolls lived in this lavish lifestyle that I created for them. Every Barbie absolutely had to have a boyfriend and if one was without, then you can bet she was the odd girl out of the crew.
The only career goals my Barbies had were to either be a housewife, model, actress or singer married to equally blonde and buff Ken, scarf and all. As much as I hate to admit it, this is the sort of imagination I had at the time and frankly, most children’s media at the time wasn’t very helpful in the matter.
I remember one assignment I had to do in first grade in particular. It was one of those assignments where you wrote and drew what you wanted to be when you grew up. Some kids wanted to be an astronaut, some a ballerina and many other cool and adventurous things. Unfortunately, I’m quite ashamed to admit that six-year-old me wanted to be blonde, blue-eyed and own a red convertible. This event in particular threw my poor mother into a state of shock and shame. But who could blame her? My mom was a successful Latina executive, working full-time and who was absolutely nothing like the dolls I owned.
After that dreadful event, my mother decided enough was enough and went on to find toys that not only looked like me, but would also help raise my young self-esteem.
In response to that dreadful assignment, my mom presented me with a brand new American Girl Doll, Josefina Montoya.
For those who aren’t familiar with Josefina or the American Girl Dolls, Josefina was the sixth historical character of the dolls. She represented New Mexican history. American Girl also had many other dolls from different historical periods in the United States such as Molly, a glasses-wearing girl from the World War II time period; Kaya, who represented the Indigenous people of North America and many other dolls. Each doll has a short collection of books about their lives.
I went on to own other dolls, but Josefina was the first and most special to me. She was smart, adventurous, artistic, caring and strong-willed and she looked like me, right down to sharing my maternal abuela (grandmother’s) last name. Josefina taught me to embrace my heritage and diversity, but also served as an example that girls can be independent and caring toward others.
I know she’s just a doll, but you have to remember that I was so young at the time and, like all kids, my imagination was pretty wild. She was very much a real person to me, but most of all, she was my friend.
While, six-year-old me never got a chance to own one of the new curvy Barbies, she’s thankful she had the pleasure of spending her childhood with Miss Josefina Montoya.
I actually still have my Josefina in my possession, and even though she’s missing an arm and a few of her original clothes, I can’t bring myself to get rid of her. My mother has also grown pretty attached to her and every time I’ve ever considered the possibility of donating her, she won’t allow it. I’m sure she has just as much of a connection to that doll as I do, and why wouldn’t she? My mother was the one who gifted her to me and was there with me and Josefina, while she read all of Josefina’s stories to me before I went to bed.
Who knows what will happen to my one arm Josefina in the future, but she’s there as a constant reminder of the great childhood I had. Frankly, I think she’s rather pleased and proud about Mattel’s new milestone and change in their dolls. I know I am.
Photos:
1: Mattel
2 & 4: Teixeira Family
3: American Girl