Multicultural Barbies: A Changing World

Barbie "So in Style" dolls are different than traditional black play Barbies. Their face molds are more typical of African women: broader noses, fuller lips. They also come in several skin tones and hair styles, with hair ranging from auburn to true black. They were designed by an African American woman who wants her little girl to play with dolls that looked like the girls and women in her community. She designed them to be authentic, but also "cool". These new Barbies are made in the Barbie tradition. Their makeup suits their complexions, but its quite liberally applied -- and they have quite an eye for fashion. What's important -- and what may help us look past the glamor -- is that they are perceived as desirable by young girls of multiple races. Many mothers, too, are grateful for the representation.

The S.I.S line is not without its controversy. Some have criticized the hair. Several have long sleek tresses. Neither her hair nor her figure look like the average woman. Has Mattel gone far enough in teaching young girls to appreciate themselves as they are? I think, at the least, it's a step in the right direction. Little girls want Barbies, and they tend to want pretty ones with fancy tresses. Traditional Barbies probably look less like Caucasian girls than these dolls look like African American girls. If they looked like the average woman in the supermarket, they probably wouldn't compete with the white Barbie -- which don't look like the average woman in the supermarket either. I had to laugh at (or with) the Amazon reviewer who gave the dolls an overall favorable review, saying now her Barbie-obsessed daughter can get her unrealistic notions of beauty from a doll more like herself.

The first three dolls in the collection had light to medium skin tones; Chandra is quite dark. The dolls come in different styles, with different accessories. Some models can be bought for under $15.

I've mixed feelings about little girls and princesses, but there's no doubt they love them. This Cambodian doll, from the line that introduces princesses of the world, has 20 favorable reviews and a five star rating. One is from a woman who is half Cambodian herself.

I think it can be good for Barbie to have a diverse group of friends. Here is a doll that breaks the mold in more than one way. Like many modern Americans, she carries just a bit of extra. weight. The clothes she's pictured in here are far from glamorous. (Similar dolls are available in Caucasian and African American models -- male and female.)

This is another one that's made by Mattel -- Happy Family Grandma. She has a slightly stockier figure, which makes her look more real. There is a black grandpa doll as well. Both are complete with quite a lot of baby accessories.

Career Barbie may only come in black and white,but there's Yue Sai, shown here in physician outfit. Yue Sai was designed by a Chinese woman. Most of the dolls that I've seen have a glamorous look to them. You can find her set to head out into nature as protector of the pandas.

The Only Hearts girls, with their wholesome little-girl look, are sometimes seen as an alternative to Barbie. They represent elementary-aged girls, though, not teenagers. At about nine inches, they fit well in Barbie scale -- as a younger sister, a daughter, a student.

This line portrays modern girls of different races. Two of the eight dolls are African American. (One has black hair, the other auburn.) They have sometimes been criticized for having European features, but I think they do far more good than harm. It looks to me like most dolls have been made from the same face mold. An exception is Hannah Faith, who is of Asian ancestry.