ISLAM IN AMERICA
Muslim Americans Get Dolled Are children affected by playing with toys that don’t look like them? BY SARAH PERVEZ
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rowing up in Pakistan, I played with As an exasperated Canadian Pakistani mother once said, “My 4-year-old daugh dolls that looked nothing like me. They had ter wants blue eyes just like Elsa from Frozen. And I don’t know how to make her blonde hair, blue eyes and porcelain white understand that her brown eyes are just as beautiful, if not more.” skin. I had black hair, which I covered with a hijab when I grew up, brown eyes and coffee-col PUSHING BACK ored skin. Nothing about Barbie resembled my life, Yasmina Blackburn is an activist, doll collector and mother of a girl who loved from the doll itself to her miniskirts to the lifestyle the American Girl doll collection. A little over a decade ago, the Chicago promoted in her books and movies. Her life was a resident wrote a letter to the then American Girl Doll president asking fantasy for a little girl growing up in the suburbs the company to include Muslim American representation in their lineup. Blackburn didn’t want her 8-year-old, who is now 20, to feel left out. of Karachi. American Girl wrote back saying they weren’t planning to introduce a Some 30 years later, I now live on the other side of the world in a country described as a melting pot doll with religious values, despite having one with a Jewish background. of cultures and identities. Here, the evolution of toy Undeterred, Blackburn began advocating in other ways, among them shelves has been painfully slow and we finally have a speaking to various doll owners and building an online community few POC representations. But sometimes, the cultural that kept demanding that companies diversify their products. representations, however well-intended, are so off the Blackburn believes that a company as big as Mattel — the world’s mark and stereotypical that one wonders why they second largest toy maker in terms of revenue — plays a role in influ even bothered. encing and shaping the behavior of society and how non-main So, Mattel’s American Girl’s stream identities are perceived. Seeing Eid al-Fitr celebration outfit different cultural representations on was a bit of a surprise. The outfit the shelves helps to normalize those designed for their 18-inch doll images in homes, classrooms and SEEING DIFFERENT comprises a turquoise abaya, on the playground. If we’ve learned anything dark blue leggings, gold sandals CULTURAL and a bright pink hijab. And over the last few years, it’s REPRESENTATIONS ON that racism and ignorance she even carries an Eidi (cash gift) envelope — a thoughtful continue to break down and THE SHELVES HELPS touch — along with a booklet rip apart this country’s won highlighting the holiday. The TO NORMALIZE THOSE derfully diverse fabric. outfit may have hit its target To counter the growing animosity, IMAGES IN HOMES, audience. companies came together and founded CEO The roughly $8 billion toy CLASSROOMS AND ON ACTION For Diversity and Inclusion, based on a belief that diversity, equity and inclusion company introduced its first THE PLAYGROUND. Muslim Barbie in 2017 to are societal, as opposed to competitive, issues. honor Olympic fencer Ibtihaj These business and marketing leaders saw Muhammad. However, it took that by collaborating and taking bold action — especially at the CEO level — they could a little bit longer for Mattel’s American Girl brand to acknowledge the growing drive change at a large scale. More than 2,000 CEOs, including Muslim market — this $36 outfit was only introduced Mattel, pledged to work on this inclusion. early last year. The high-profile brand already has a American Girl introduced their first doll of color in 2017, the collection of dolls representing dozens of cultures and same year that Mattel launched their Muslim fencer Barbie. As much races with names such as Nanea, Makena and Maritza as this act was celebrated, it was not enough for Blackburn, who told me, The optimist in me believes the American Girl “I could’ve started a petition, but that has such a negative connotation Eid outfit may be a much-awaited step for a society to it. I believe we do better when we build relationships with businesses that celebrates diversity, especially at a time when for the good of the broader community.” we are divided. But can a doll really help us bridge Two years ago, she read a letter addressed to American Girl general the growing gap of differences? And should a young manager Jamie Cygeilman on her podcast, reminding her of Mattel’s girl’s identity be encapsulated by no more than one CEO action pledge and inviting her to have a conversation about a Muslim outfit and a few accessories? American Girl doll. 38 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
