An Anna May Wong Barbie doll has been released for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the TODAY Show reports.
Wong was born in Los Angeles in 1905 and began working as an extra in movies when she was a teenager. Many consider Wong to be the first Chinese American movie star. The doll is part of the Barbie Inspiring Women series.
“Frustrated with being typecast in stereotypical roles, she founded her own production company in 1924 and continued breaking barriers throughout her career,” Mattel, the toy company that produces Barbies, wrote in its product description, according to the Today Show.
The doll shows Wong in a red dress with her signature bangs and smokey-eye makeup.
“We’re thrilled to share the journey of an incredible icon who was at the forefront of inclusive progress in Hollywood,” Lisa McKnight, executive vice president and global head of Barbie & Dolls at Mattel, said in a statement according to CBS News.
Anna Wong, the niece of Anna May Wong, has been working with Barbie to create the doll.
“When I was growing up, I had Barbie, Skipper and all her friends. But all of those Barbies had blond hair, all of those Barbies had blue eyes,” she said, in an interview with NBC News. “Now I know that my nieces — they’re all going to be able to have Barbies that look different. All of my Barbies sitting in my room looked the same and now, there are more Barbies that look different.”
The doll is available for purchase on Amazon, Target, Walmart and Mattel for $35, CBS News reports.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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