I never liked dolls.

I've seen these dolls before but I was reminded of them today when I read this on Racialicious.com. American Girls is a company that sells dolls, videos, books, clothing and everything else a rich little girl would want (some of these dolls are priced over US$100). Here's an example of one of their "Historical Characters," and simply put, it creeps me out:

According to the website...

Addy Walker has heard her parents’ whispers about freedom before.
Enslaved on a plantation in 1864, Addy’s family must run away if they hope to be free. When Poppa and her brother, Sam, are sold away, Addy and her mother make the wrenching decision to escape to Philadelphia—to freedom—on their own.
But that means leaving Addy’s baby sister behind—her cries could cost them their lives. Addy must dig deep to find the courage to face a powerful truth: freedom sometimes has great costs.

The whole thing just makes me feel...weird. I agree with the idea of learning and recognizing history but I don't know if little girls who play with dolls are ready to understand concepts like slavery, freedom ... and lynching. How do you explain to a child why Addy's father and brother were sold off? And what the hell did they do to the baby sister?! I'm just so weirded out by this and I can't seem to put it into words. And I wonder, why don't they have an Asian historical doll?

Okay, if they had one, I admit I would be bitching about it on my blog because some aspect of it would probably offend me but aren't Asian Americans also part of American history? Railroads? Laundramats? Sugar plantations? Fish-canning factories? Immigration bans? Wow, I can just see it now.

Ching Ching Wong had always wanted to see America. Shipped over from China in 1880, Ching Ching and her mother were fortunate enough to immigrate to be with her father before the government instituted the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882. Born with the luck of the dragon, she is able to attend public school, where she is taunted daily for her odd accent and funny shaped eyes. Her brother, Ming Ming, however, was not so fortunate. Left behind in China, he is separated from his family and Ching Ching cries for her brother every day as she helps her mother wash endless loads of laundry by hand. Ching Ching must find it in herself to continue to believe in the American Dream and hope for a day where she won't be judged by the colour of her skin or the shape of her eyes.

Teehee. Aren't I cheeky?

And on that note, you can buy dolls from the website that look "Just like you." You can pick from light, medium or dark skin tones and different hair and eye colours. With variety like that, how could you NOT find a doll that looks just like you?? "Light skin, black hair, and brown eyes." Yup sounds like me!

WORD.