American Girl announced last week that their 2020 Girl of the Year has arrived. This Girl of the Year is unlike any other that American Girl has ever created. Her name is Joss Kendrick. She’s a surfer and cheerleader from Southern California, and she wears a hearing aid.
Joss is the first doll in American Girl history to have a visible disability. The creation of Joss serves a specific purpose: to demonstrate that girls with hearing loss can do anything and defy limits.
“Joss shows girls the importance of trying new things, pushing past stereotypes, and being a good team player.”
American Girl creates dolls, each with a unique backstory. They also sell customizable dolls that can be designed to look just like their owner. The character dolls, or the ones with backstories, have very complete and elaborate profiles. Joss, for example, was born completely deaf in one ear, with partial loss in the other, which is why she uses the hearing aid.
Representation is Important
“A Friend for Every Girl”, the American Girl slogan, just became a little truer today. It may seem like a small thing, but for a little girl, having a doll that looks just like you is a wonderful thing. This is especially true for those who are traditionally underrepresented in entertainment, such as girls with disabilities.
Mattel, American Girl’s parent company, also recently released a line of gender-neutral dolls, another significant step toward the representation of all young people.
When I was a little girl, I had an American Girl doll that looked just like me. So did my sisters. It is a leap forward for representation that now another community of young women can have that experience too. Normalizing hearing loss is a good move for every child struggling with having to wear visible hearing aids. Even if it’s just with something as small as a doll.
In addition to debuting Joss, American Girl also announced a $25,000 dollar donation to the Hearing Loss Association of America, a non-profit representing those with hearing loss.
