From USA Today:
“American Girl's 2020 'Girl of
the Year' is Joss! She's a surfer and rocks a hearing aid”
American Girl is starting off the
new year with a message of ambition and inclusivity –and a nod to the upcoming
summer Olympics. The Mattel-owned
company has announced its annual "Girl of the Year," and 2020's doll
is Joss Kendrick, a 10-year-old surfer and competitive cheerleader from
Huntington Beach, California. She has two older brothers and a pet bulldog. She
has long brown hair and brown eyes and wears a swimsuit, hoodie and shorts. She
also rocks a hearing aid. Joss is the American Girl's first-ever doll who has a
disability. "She has congenital hearing loss. She was born deaf in her
left ear and can hear a little bit in her right ear," American Girl
president Jamie Cygielman told USA TODAY. American Girl has long offered dolls
that can be fitted with hearing aids and dolls with crutches and wheelchairs,
but Joss is the first character whose disability is part of her story,
Cygielman said. Like many "Girl of the Year" dolls, Joss' story also
is timely: Surfing is making its debut as an Olympic sport in July. Thus,
American Girl has teamed up with real-life surfer Caroline Marks to launch
Joss. Marks, 17, will compete on the inaugural U.S. Women’s Olympic surfing
team. Marks told USA TODAY that she and Joss share a common message. "This
is a chance for to me to help show girls that it's possible to achieve your
goals no matter how high they may be, you know, if you are passionate and
willing to work hard for them." And Joss' hearing loss doesn't define her
or limit or dreams, Cygielman said. The company worked alongside the hearing
loss community to ensure Joss' story was authentic. It specifically partnered
with the Hearing Loss Association of America, an organization that represents,
supports and advocates for consumers with hearing loss. HLAA's executive
director Barbara Kelley believes the doll will help children with hearing loss
feel more confident. "If you have a child with any type of disability or
any type of difference or wearing a hearing aid, to have a doll that mirrors
that image I think goes a long way to help with the stigma and the
stereotypes," Kelley told USA TODAY.
Mattel has had a big year of
introducing inclusive and diverse products.
This summer, Barbie expanded its
Fashionistas line to showcase dolls in a wheelchair and a removable prosthetic
leg. Then in the fall, Barbie also introduced a line of gender-neutral dolls. Also
a maker of games, Mattel adapted UNO to bring the popular card game to the
blind by putting Braille on the corner of each card. Consumers are skeptical as
to whether they would actually purchase these types of products, according to a
survey of more than 700 consumers from Horizon Media. But, Cygielman said that
this trend is nothing new for American Girl who has a 33-year history of
offering dolls with varying skin tones and hair and eye colors. "We have
always been about diversity and inclusion and well continue to do that as part
of the fabric of the brand," she said. The 18-inch Joss doll is $98 and is
available for purchase starting Dec. 31 at americangirl.com and at American
Girl retail stores.
^ This is a step in the right
direction for the industry. Hopefully there will be a much-wider selection of
dolls with different disabilities from American Girl and other toy companies. ^
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