Adoption and multi-cultural products that will nourish the adoptive family. Our shop is more than a shop. In addition to adoption-specific merchandise, we’re here to let you know about goods from around the world that will enhance and beautify your life while helping out people and families in the Third-world communities that make them. We support Fairtrade organizations and will identify all Fairtrade merchants.
I have listed these dolls based on the best prices and availablility that I have found in my surfing. Happy Shopping!
With the holiday season fast coming around, and my daughter having just turned four years old, I can't help but find my mind turning to dolls. But with all the choices out there, not just any doll. I want to get her a doll that Katherine can hold and say: "She looks just like me!"
I don't remember being such a huge doll fan myself in my young years, although I do have memories of Barbies, (not to mention my brother's G.I. Joes) and a Raggedy Ann that I tied a string around and hung down from the second floor landing to create 'puppet shows' for those on the floor below. But now it's different. Now I have a daughter, and those dolls, as well as what I find in most local toy stores, aren't dolls that look 'just like Katherine.' You see, I adopted Katherine from Vietnam in 2002.
Something as simple as preparing for the holidays has brought to light once again the fact that my daughter is growing up in a culture that epitomizes beauty and success...mostly for people who don't look 'just like her.' Katherine is living in a predominantly white world, a world that I am a part of, and I will never walk in her moccasins as she grows, no matter how much I love her. In so many subtle ways, advertising, TV shows, movies, books and peer pressure will be a constant reminder to her of her difference. Yes, she's only four, but as the years pass, her eyes and intellect will register that the world around her is short on role models and beautiful people who look 'just like her.'
"It's one of our challenges as adoptive parents," says my friend, Carol Galvin, who is an LCSW and has worked in adoption for over twenty-five years. "Especially in children of a different ethnic background than their adoptive parents, and also in children who will be a minority in their adopted culture. It is important for children to grow up knowing that there are kids 'just like them.' It is important to help defuse the sense of shame and rejection that adopted children often feel at some point in their development. Something as simple as being surrounded by objects and toys that help enforce their cultural identity when young can help to foster in a child a sense of connectedness, of belonging. It can boost self-esteem and strengthen their sense of self, which may help them deal with inevitable feelings and issues that will come down the road. It can also help to stimulate discussion with their parents of their differences in a natural and non-threatening way."
This thing, this small gesture of buying a doll for my daughter for Christmas, is just one more conscious effort on my part to help her grow up realizing that we're different without making a big deal that we're different...that's just the way it is. She has friends at school whose skin shades vary, whose eye shapes and color vary. That's just how and who they are and they're all still her friends. How natural to carry that on at home with her pretend 'family' of playfriends.
So online I went, surfing for Asian dolls, and I quickly realized that the world of dolls is a huge one indeed. OK, well, I just didn't know! I bookmarked a few sites, and ended up making a few phone calls. I received what I call my Personal Doll Primer from Yvonne Bluto at www.dollsville.com.
"Fortunately, there has been a lot of progress in the multicultural doll world. It used to be that if a company offered a doll of a different ethnicity than their standard Caucasian model, they just used the same mold and colored the skin," says Yvonne. "Now, companies are recognizing the diversity of our planet and of our population and are really making a great effort to offer authentic doll choices. In addition to offering varied skin tones, they also are reproducing ethnic facial features and hair."
Dollsville offers a wide array of international doll choices, from Asian to Hispanic to African-American. The selection spans from Barbies to Sesame Street to more upscale brands like Middleton, Madame Alexander and Tonner. "Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in vintage dolls," Yvonne tells me, "which are dolls produced from the old molds, so they look just like the dolls that we boomers and gen-xers remember."
In my surfing at Dollsville and beyond for what would interest the international adoption community, I found many dolls with Asian features with costumes that reflected China, Japan, Korea. Interestingly, I only found female Asian dolls in the vinyl/porcelain category, although there were a couple of boys in the soft/rag-doll group. I found Latin dolls, boys and girls, as well as African-American. I found a number of Caucasian dolls in authentic Ukrainian and Russian costumes. My big question was about collectable dolls versus 'cuddle-ables,' what I call dolls that can come off the shelf and survive a four-year-old. Is it just a difference in price?
"Prices can be pretty comparable," Yvonne tells me. "You can find collectables for under fifty dollars, and everyday dolls that can run you a hundred. The primary difference in a doll that is designed to be a 'collectable doll' is their durability. A collectable doll might have paint that won't withstand a lot of handling, or a costume that has a lot of detail and accessories that are only for show. Safety is also an issue. There may be small pieces or buttons that can come off that would make the doll unsuitable for young children. They will be specifically marked as collectables to comply with government regulations."
Indeed, I saw some beautiful dolls that I envisioned in Katherine's arms in the $60-$70 range that I could see myself spending the money on, if it was something that she would get years of enjoyment out of. I would need to look further to see if the doll is for daily use or not. When I pulled the Basic Gracie doll (made by Tonner-Engelbreit) up on my monitor, Katherine happened to wander in the room to climb onto my lap.
"That's Katherine!" she said, pointing to Gracie. And sure enough, Gracie sure does look like my daughter. I just might have to have her at $62.99.
Adora makes a line called 'Name your own baby' that has very beautiful yet durable dolls for hugging and cuddling, including an Asian girl ($77.99, and expected in any day at Dollsville), and Native African boy and a Hispanic boy. On the other hand, Madame Alexander and Middleton make dolls more suitable for collecting. There is an International Ginny line, with 8" Asian, Hispanic and African-American dolls (starting at $19.99). The Asian Ginny is discontinued, but Dollsville has some in stock for $45. And Sesame Street makes a 'Making Friends' and a 'Trunk Set' featuring Hispanic and African-American little girls.
There are Hispanic, African-American and Asian Barbies, and an international Barbie series called 'Model the Moment.' Two weeks ago, at a local discount store, I purchased Lea a 'Brazilian' Barbie that to me had decidedly Asian-looking features. Before presenting her to Katherine, I quickly gave her a bob to shorten her below-the-waist hair to chin-level...just like Katherine's. Katherine loves her. Barbie also has an growing collection called Dolls of the World. Princesses of Cambodia, Mexico and South Africa are available now. Princesses of Imperial Russia and Korea will be released December 6th. Barbie-style Yue-Sai Wa Wa dolls are Asian, and she comes in a variety of Asian costumes, from Chinese and Korean to Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai. She's even a doctor and environmentalist!
The popular 'Bratz' dolls feature Jade, an Asian girl. Her incarnations include Formal Funk Jade, Winterland Wondertime Jade, Flashback Fever Jade (to name just a few!), and even a darker skin-toned Sun Kissed Summer Jade, starting at $9.99 and up. Then there are the Bratz Boyz....
The Groovy Girls collection by the Manhattan Toy Company was developed to celebrate "the power of individualism, diversity, and friendship." These 13" ($9.99 and up) soft dolls come in a variety of skin tones aside from Caucasian. Their Supersize dolls ($60) are 40" tall (not all of the girls come supersized) and come with elastic straps on the bottom of their feet to slip over a child's shoe to become a dance partner, and the Mini's come with a loop to wear around your wrist or hang from a backpack. The ethnic dolls include: Oki, Vanessa, Yvette, Karly, Harper, Cicely, Hadlee, Ayanna, Bindi, Trini and Daphne.
American Girl makes an 18" Hispanic doll named Josephina, (SRP $84 for full size, $20 for the 6 ½" mini) with the expansive collection of books, accessories and accoutrements that go along with the American Girl series. Addy is African-American. American Girl also makes Bitty Babies, 15" infant dolls with a cloth body and vinyl arms, legs and head (SRP $40). You can order Bitty Babies with various features including light skin, black hair with almond-shaped eyes, or light skin, dark brown hair and light brown eyes. American Girl also makes a 'Girls of Many Lands', smaller 9" dolls in traditional costume, currently on sale at the American Girl site. A few of the nationalities are Indian, Ethiopian and Chinese, and each comes with a storybook.
I found several adorable soft, or rag-dolls, as well. Portage Pals are 28" tall, cuddle-able, handmade Asian, African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian dolls, both male and female, for $34.95 made by Portage for Youth. Proceeds support youth programs in St. Paul, Minnesota. Playtime Pals, 18" tall, also come in male and female, and are a very affordable $12.99 on sale at Constructive Playthings. Playtime Pals gets my thumbs up for cuteness and value for the price.
Most of us are familiar with Language Littles, those soft, 16", talking (multilingual!) international dolls. Ling speaks Mandarin Chinese, Lizzie and Ricky speak Spanish and Anna speaks Russian. They retail for $39.99, but I found a couple of places where you can get them for less. They also have smaller versions (with less language capacity), the Language Little Mini, of Ling, Lizzie and Ricky for $12.00. Language Littles has added 'Big Dolls' to their collection, 32" non-speaking versions of the 'Littles,' for $50. The company also has an interactive play site, where children can log on and play games with their favorite language little characters.
Cabbage Patch has Asian, African-American and Hispanic girls as well, each coming with a birth certificate and adoption (!) papers. They retail for $39.99 and there is a very cute international special edition series that runs $59.99.
But before you make your purchase, stop a moment a think about what use the doll will fulfill, and, what you can expect from the child who you will give it to. "Collectable dolls should be kept intact, not played with, and with all of their accessories," Yvonne says. "Collections built over the years can become very valuable, both in an emotional as well as financial sense. But the biggest mistake I see people make (often grandmothers!) is to buy collectable dolls for a child to start a collection at a very young age. It is absolute torture for a small child to unwrap a beautiful doll just to be told that it has to be left in the box and put on a shelf. If you are set on starting a collection for a young child, then plan on giving two dolls: the collectable doll, and one to play with. Better yet, hide the collectable away until the child is old enough to appreciate it and exercise self-restraint!"
I imagine it's like having your favorite ice cream flavor in the freezer calling your name...
Check out China Sprout for your Asian New Year supplies!
Overstock.com has great prices (up to 80% off) on books about your child's birthcountry! Search for 'Books' + 'China'...'Books' + 'Vietnam'...etc.
We are in the process of developing a fantastic group of merchants to fill your adoption and multicultural product needs. Please return soon to view product specials, unique items and more!
Adoption Products:
Books for children
Books for adults
Invitations, announcements, cards and calendars
Clothing and jewelry
Home décor
Adoption Services:
Health services
Adoption Professional Services
Global Goods:
China/East Asia
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Central and South America
Caribbean and Africa
What is ‘Fairtrade’? Producers are paid fairly for their products, which means that workers are paid at least that country's minimum wage. Since the minimum wage is often not enough for basic survival, whenever feasible, workers are paid a living wage, which enables them to cover basic needs, including food, shelter, education and health care for their families. Fair Trade Organizations encourage the production and development of products based on producers' cultural traditions adapted for Western markets. They seek to promote producers' artistic talents in a way that preserves cultural identity.
Finding Katherine... A Spiritual Journey to Vietnam and Motherhood.
"If you know someone who is thinking about international adoption, someone who has an internationally adopted child in their family, or perhaps just someone interested in foreign travel, Finding Katherine makes a great holiday gift!"Read Chapter One HERE.
Multicultural Dolls: 101 - by Ellen Fitzenrider
