Native American Representation in the American Girl Doll Company

Originally the stories, dolls and accessories focused on various periods of American history, but were expanded to include characters and stories from contemporary life. Offerings expanded over time and currently include baby dolls (Bitty Baby), Truly Me dolls, which vary by eye color, face mold, skin color, hair texture, and hair length, and Girl of the Year dolls which are contemporary characters traditionally available for only one year. A service for ordering a custom-made doll with features and clothing specified by the owner dubbed Create Your Own, was introduced in 2017. American Girl dolls were introduced in 1986 by the Pleasant Company. The company was founded by Pleasant Rowland in Madison, Wisconsin, and later headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. Its products were originally purchasable only by mail or phone through the company's catalog. In 1998, Mattel purchased the company for $700 million. The company has been awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award eight times and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2021.

• Italic Title — no • Title — American Girl • Imagesize — 250 • Origin — Dolls and books released by Pleasant Company (1986) • Creator — Pleasant Rowland • Toys — Various (dolls and playsets) • Books — See American Girl (book series) • Films — See American Girl (film series) • Shorts — * Maryellen and the Brightest Star (2015) • And the Tiara Goes To... (2015) • Soundtracks — * The American Girls Revue (2000) • Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) • Vgs — See American Girl (video game series) • Owner — Mattel • Otherlabel2 — Clothing • Otherdata2 — Dress Like Your Doll

• Name — American Girl • Type — Doll • From — 1986 • To — present • Inventor — Pleasant Rowland • Company — Pleasant Company/American Girl Mattel • Website — http: www.americangirl.com • Country — United States • Slogan — Find your inner star The Historical Characters line of books and 18-inch dolls, which were modeled after 18-inch dolls made by Götz in West Germany (known as Germany from October 1990) during the late 1980s to the 1990s, were initially the main focus of Pleasant Company, founded by Pleasant Rowland in 1986. The original Historical Characters included Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, and Molly McIntire. Each doll represented a fictional 9-year old girl living during a unique era in American history. Kirsten is a Swedish immigrant in 1854; Samantha, a well-to-do Edwardian-era orphan living in 1904; and Molly, a World War II-era girl in 1944. These original dolls formed the foundation of the American Girl historical collection, which aimed to educate and inspire through storytelling and play. This product line taught important aspects of American history through a six-book series from the perspective of a girl living in that time period. Rowland came up with the idea after she returned from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, where she noticed there was a significant void in the toy market for quality dolls which resembled children, and she saw an opportunity to provide a more educational alternative to baby dolls or adult dolls, like Barbie, which often attracted controversy for perceived sexualization and imposing unrealistic expectations for young girls. The original books were written at a third-grade reading level and intended for girls who are at least eight years old, however, they did not avoid significant topics such as child labor, child abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, animal abuse and war, but endeavored to share those challenges in a manner appropriate to the understanding and sensibilities of their young audiences. In 1991, Felicity Merriman, a spirited girl growing up during the American Revolution, was introduced as the fourth historical character. Addy Walker was introduced in September 1993 as the fifth American Girl historical character and the first Black doll in the collection, debuting at the National Council of Negro Women's Black Family Reunion Celebration in Washington, D.C. Her storyline is set during the American Civil War, focusing on her escape from slavery in North Carolina with her mother to freedom in Philadelphia in 1864. Addy's six-book Central Series, written by Connie Rose Porter and vetted by Black historians, earned acclaim for its educational and culturally authentic portrayal, selling over a million copies within a year of publication. The character marked a groundbreaking expansion in the brand’s diversity, serving as the only Black historical doll for nearly two decades and becoming a powerful tool for introducing themes of resilience, slavery, and African American history to young readers. In 1995, Pleasant Company released a line of contemporary dolls called American Girl of Today. In 2006, the product line was renamed Just Like You; it was changed again in 2010 to My American Girl, and in 2015 to Truly Me. This line has included over one hundred different dolls over the years. Each doll has a different combination of face mold, skin tone, eye color, hair color, length, texture, and/or style. American Girl states that this variety allows customers to choose dolls that "represent the individuality and diversity of today's American girls." A wide variety of contemporary clothing, accessories, and furniture is also available, and there are regular releases and retirements to update this line. Girls of Many Lands was released by American Girl in the holiday season of 2002. Each doll was 9 inches tall and represented a 12-year-old girl from a time in history; in addition, each doll came with an accompanying book. Along with specific ethnicities, the dolls were given a home country and time periods, such as 1592 England, 1711 France, 1846 Ethiopia, and more. Sculpted by Helen Kish, the dolls were meant for display only and were priced from $48 to $54. The doll line lasted until the Fall of 2005. In 2001, American Girl launched a contemporary character doll named Lindsey Bergman, with her own story and accompanying clothing and accessories. A second contemporary character, Kailey Hopkins, was introduced a little over a year later, Her success led the company to develop contemporary characters each year, as part of a new Girl of the Year product line, and to launch those dolls each year on Jan.1. Every year since, a Girl of the Year doll who has her own unique story, challenge or talent has followed. For example, Mia St. Clair, the Girl of the Year for 2008, was an ice skater, and Marisol Luna, the Girl of the Year for 2005, was a dancer. Bitty Baby is a line of 15-inch baby dolls targeted to children aged three and older. They are cheaper than the 18-inch dolls and as of 2024, retail at $60 each. In 2013, American Girl Publishing released Bitty Baby books, picture books aimed at girls ages 3–6. The Bitty Twins line debuted in 2003 to represent slightly older toddlers and/or preschoolers. The Bitty Twins were the same size as the Bitty Baby dolls. They were discontinued in June 2016. Hopscotch Hill School was released by American Girl in 2003. The dolls were 16 in tall, came with jointed limbs and painted eyes, and had a slimmer overall body shape. They, along with the stories which came with the dolls written by Valerie Tripp, were aimed at elementary-age girls from four to six years old and were sold until 2006. A reboot of the Historical Characters line dubbed as BeForever was launched in August 2014, complete with redesigned outfits, a two-volume compilation of previously released books, and a "Journey Book" for each character, with players taking the role of a present-day girl who found her way to the past and met up with one of the Historical girls. The line also coincided with the relaunch of Samantha Parkington, whose collection was discontinued in 2008. The BeForever rebranding was removed in 2019, and the dolls were again referred to as "Historical Characters." Wellie WishersIn June 2016, American Girl unveiled Wellie Wishers, a separate doll line similar to Hopscotch Hill School aimed at younger children and with a focus on nature and the outdoors, positioning it between Bitty Baby and the BeForever/Girl of the Year/Truly Me dolls. As the name implies, dolls from the line wear Wellington (wellie) boots and have a body design distinct from the classic, Götz-derived American Girl dolls. The line was released on June 23, 2016. The names of the Wellie Wishers are: Willa, Camille, Kendall, Emerson, Ashlyn, and Bryant. In February 2017, American Girl released a new line of 18-inch dolls called contemporary characters. The first doll in the line was Tenney Grant, a young aspiring country singer, and songwriter. Other dolls of the modern line include Logan, Tenney's bandmate and American Girl's first-ever boy doll, and Z Yang, who is interested in photography and making stop motion videos. In May 2021, American Girl rereleased the six original historical dolls for their 35th anniversary. The release included Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, Addy, Josefina, and Molly. In September 2021, American Girl released a new line of 18-inch dolls called World by Us. The dolls and their books promote messages of various social justice issues that are age-appropriate for the line's target audience and cover relevant subjects such as racism, immigration, and climate change. The line debuted with three dolls: Makena Williams, Maritza Ochoa, and Evette Peeters. The line also features doll outfits designed by Harlem's Fashion Row fashion designers. In 2025, The Washington Post reported that American Girl continued to attract interest decades after its founding, driven in part by nostalgia among adult fans and ongoing engagement with the brand's historical characters. In 2026, American Girl rereleased eight historical characters for their 40th anniversary: Kaya, Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Kit, and Molly. Additionally, a new line of 14.5-inch dolls was released as the Modern Era Collection, where six historical characters (Felicity, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha, Molly) were redesigned in contemporary designs and outfits.

Girl of the Year is a line created by American Girl where it features one doll year round. The doll has its accessories and merchandise and her own story. The first Girl of the Year was in the year 2001, which was Lindsey Bergman, who was launched at a "contemporary character" and later repopsitioned as the initial character in the Girl of Year series. The current Girl of the Year, as of 2026, is Raquel Reyes. Listed below are the dolls who have been Girl of the Year from 2001 to 2026. • Name — Year • Lindsey Bergman — 2001 • Kailey Hopkins — 2003 • Marisol Luna — 2005 • Jess McConnell — 2006 • Nicki Fleming — 2007 • Mia St. Clair — 2008 • Chrissa Maxwell — 2009 • Lanie Holland — 2010 • Kanani Akina — 2011 • McKenna Brooks — 2012 • Saige Copeland — 2013 • Isabelle Palmer — 2014 • Grace Thomas — 2015 • Lea Clark — 2016 • Gabriela McBride — 2017 • Luciana Vega — 2018 • Blaire Wilson — 2019 • Joss Kendrick — 2020 • Kira Bailey — 2021 • Corinne Tan — 2022 • Kavi Sharma — 2023 • Lila Monetti — 2024 • Summer McKinny — 2025 • Raquel Reyes — 2026

In 2019, American Girl launched the Collector Doll Series. The first doll was the Holiday Collector doll in partnership with Swarovski of which three were produced. In 2020, American Girl again partnered with Swarovski and released three collector dolls; the Sweet as Rose, Boho Chic, and Fuchsia Feathers collector dolls. Only one of each doll was produced, each of which had a gown that included 1,000 or more Swarovski crystals. In August 2023, American Girl released three Disney Princess dolls: Jasmine, Belle, and Rapunzel. In September, they released a series of Nutcracker-related collector dolls, including a toy soldier doll in partnership with FAO Schwarz, and in December, they released The Classic Barbie by American Girl collector doll. In February 2024, American Girl released three more Disney Princess dolls: Cinderella, Tiana, and Ariel. In 2026, American Girl renewed their partnership with Disney, including plans to expand the princess line with an 18-inch Jasmine doll and Frozen dolls.

• Illustration — American Girl Place in The Grove at Farmers Market in Los Angeles, California American Girl Place is a brick-and-mortar store selling American Girl dolls, clothes, and accessories. The first store, the 35,000 square-foot American Girl Place, designed by Nancye Green of Donovan/Green, debuted in Chicago, Illinois, in 1998. The original American Girl Place on Chicago Avenue also had a restaurant and 150-seat theater. It was followed by stores in New York City and Los Angeles, and then by additional, smaller stores across the US. Every store included some form of food service, and several doll services, including a doll hair salon where dolls can get their ears pierced and their nails done and a doll hospital where customers can bring in their doll for repair. Earrings and pretend "hearing aids" are also available to be added on for 18-inch dolls. In May 2014, American Girl opened several new "store in stores" in Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada in partnership with Indigo Books and Music. All American Girl shops in Indigo stores were permanently closed in July 2023. In 2015, the company announced that they were expanding operations in Mexico with two stores at El Palacio de Hierro's Perisur and Interlomas in Mexico City, and a third in Polanco. All three Mexico stores closed in January 2018. In collaboration with Emirati shopping mall conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim Group, two American Girl stores opened in Dubai in 2017 along with one in Manama, Bahrain in 2018. All three stores in the Middle East had closed by 2020. As of February 2025, the company has seven remaining retail stores, all located in the US. The Los Angeles flagship store reopened in summer 2023 at Westfield Century City after moving from its original location in The Grove. In March 2024, the store formerly located at Galleria Dallas in Dallas moved to The Shops at Park Lane. • State — City/town — Shopping center/complex • Illinois — Chicago — Water Tower Place • Texas — Dallas — The Shops at Park Lane • California — Los Angeles — Westfield Century City • Tennessee — Franklin — CoolSprings Galleria • New York — New York City — 75 Rockefeller Plaza • Florida — Orlando — The Florida Mall • Virginia — McLean — Tysons Corner Center

The Pleasant Company ran an official American Girl magazine (not to be confused with the Girl Scouts of America-run publication also titled The American Girl which ran from 1917 to 1979) with its first issue dated November/December 1992. Aimed toward girls ages 8–14, the bimonthly magazine included articles, recipes, advice columns, fiction, arts and crafts, and activity ideas. By the mid-2000s, the magazine reached over 1 million in circulation. American Girl announced in late 2018 that the January/February 2019 issue would be the magazine's last.

American Girl launched Innerstar University, an online virtual world featuring the My American Girl contemporary doll line, on July 13, 2010. Access to the online world was via a Campus Guide, bundled with the purchase of a My American Girl doll, which contained an access code for the creation of a doll avatar that then navigated to various games, shops, and challenges offered on the virtual campus of Innerstar U. In 2015, when the My American Girl line was renamed Truly Me, the Innerstar University website was shut down. In 2023 American Girl collaborated with the Roblox development group Melonverse for a promotional event entitled American Girl World, based on the doll line and its roster of characters.

The launch of Innerstar University was simultaneous with Shine on Now, a fund-raising effort for Kids In Distressed Situations, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, National Wildlife Federation, and Save the Children charities. The company has also donated "almost $500,000" over several years to national non-profit homeless housing group HomeAid. These contributions are mainly through its Project Playhouse program. The American Girl company also donated returned merchandise to the Madison Children's Museum, who then sold the products at an annual benefit sale for the American Girl Fund for Children. This practice and the benefit sale were last held in 2023.

In February 2017 the company announced that they were changing the certain doll's bodies to incorporate permanently stitched panties. Public reaction to the change—the first since the transition to flesh-colored bodies in 1991—was overwhelmingly negative, as fans of the franchise complained that it stifles customization and devalued a well-established brand "from heirloom quality to be passed down for generations to low-quality retail." The company reversed its decision in May 2017, and customers who bought a doll with permanent underwear were eligible for an exchange to have the dolls retrofitted with conventional torsos.

Critics have discussed the issue of representation in American Girl Doll narratives. The company has stated that the "two most significant elements" in the creation of their stories is authentic specificity and universality. The Vice President of Marketing for American Girl has said that "the doll industry has a very heavy responsibility in reflecting what is true about our society". Valerie Tripp, author of many of the books in the American Girl series, says that her goal is to teach children to "challenge assumptions" and to teach them tolerance and compassion towards everyone; she promotes optimism and "cheerful skepticism" rather than "anger, resentment, bitterness, and jealousy." Some critics have argued that these narratives lead to a lack of recognition of injustices, maintaining that all Americans share the same privileges regardless of race or ethnicity. Kaya'aton'my, a Nez Perce character set in 1764, has a story that takes place before American colonization which has been criticized for avoiding the issue of colonialism through pre-Western contact settings. American Girl worked with a Nez Perce advisory board in creating Kaya; the advisory board requested that her storyline take place prior to western settlement, when the culture of the Nez Perce tribe was flourishing. According to senior designer manager Heather Northrop, Kaya's face sculpt was crafted specifically for her, as it needed to vary from the rest of the line in which each doll is smiling just enough to show her two front teeth to accommodate the Nimiipuu's people's beliefs that baring teeth is considered to be impolite. Nanea, a character set in 1941, has a story based on Dorinda Makanaonalani Nicholson, author of Pearl Harbor Child: A Child's View of Pearl Harbor from Attack to Peace. Nanea's character is of split Hawaiian and European ancestry, so American Girl consulted with Nicholson, a woman with the same heritage, as part of an effort to share more inclusive perspectives and authentic stories with their audience.

The 2021 Girl of the Year, Kira Bailey, has a storyline that "focuses on her journey to Australia with her mom, where she plans to work at an animal sanctuary" which is owned by her married aunts Mamie and Lynette. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes attracted controversy from conservative groups such as One Million Moms who viewed it as "attempting to normalize same-sex marriage". In October 2022, the Harry Potter line of themed clothing and accessories for the dolls elicited controversy in relation to series creator JK Rowling's views on transgender people. Peyton Thomas of LGBTQ Nation opined that American Girl's inclusion of Potter-themed merchandise runs contrary to the toy line's stated mission of empowerment and inclusion, in particular its public advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, stating "Is it ethical for American Girl to partner with JK Rowling? And is it ethical for you, the adult doll collector or nine-year-old doll enthusiast, to go along with the partnership? To purchase a Gryffindor sweater for Kit, or perhaps a plush owl for Addy?"

American Girl Dolls were created to provide young girls with role models that were connected to historical events. American Girl Dolls and their stories are written with the mission of encouraging each child to "follow their inner star." The company says that, "we take pride and care in helping girls become their very best today, so they'll grow up to be the women who make a difference tomorrow." Readers have shared expectations that the stories portrayed in these books will reflect this message of feminism. Readers have also voiced disappointment in the way in which feminism specifically in relation to the professional world is addressed through the books. A critique of readers is that the brand offers empowerment through "girl power" and "self-determination" without addressing the system that leads to gender discrimination and inequalities in the workplace. The books address feminism in the professional world through teamwork, leadership, and talent but critics dislike how the books provide limited resources to work through real life issues females face in the workplace such as imposter syndrome and workplace harassment.

The books have been praised for teaching children about different time periods. However, some critics point out that this interpretation of the past is superficial and inaccurate. In response to this, authors have pointed out that these books are meant for children and at most are meant to give them an idea of the "chronology of American history", introduce them to some key events, an understanding of historical change, and give them an understanding that people of different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds have often been treated differently.

Culturally, American Girl is firmly rooted in American historical contexts and belief systems. However, this inherent patriotism prevents the brand from appealing to a global market and attracting international consumers. Moreover, the majority of American Girl products, specifically their films and literature are monolingual, thus limiting multilingual communities from engaging with the brand, while simultaneously fortifying English as the apparent ‘norm’.

AGTubeIn 2015, the practice of creating and uploading American Girl doll-based stop motion videos (AGSM for short) was featured in a news report for BBC News' Trending site. Besides stop-motion animations and music videos set to popular music, the report covers recurring subject matters in said clips, such as cyberbullying and other social issues among children and teenagers, along with doll customization, photoshoots, and unboxing videos. Social media services such as Instagram and Facebook serve as platforms for fans of the toy line, spawning a community called AGIG, or American Girl Instagram, who photograph their dolls and post their photos on the service.

In 2026, after a creation process of two years, the stage musical Girl Dolls: The American Musical debuted at Fringe Arts in Philadelphia, PA. On an estimated budget of approximately $90,000 the musical - written by performance artists Pax Ressler and Jackie Soro - tells the formative stories of two women who grew up in America in the 1990s surrounded by the influence of American Girl dolls and what they represent. Ressler, a transgender woman, and Soro, a queer biracial woman, sing 17 original songs that explore racial and gender identity using the dolls and their assigned identities as a larger metaphor. BroadwayWorld described the show themes as "prisms for the audience to dissect their own childhoods - what dolls meant to them, whether they belong in American culture, and what they're unpacking now as adults." The show is not affiliated with American Girl. It was nominated for five Barrymore Awards.

In 2019, the American Girls Podcast, a book-by-book exploration of the series, was launched. Co-hosted by historians Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney, each episode discusses one book from the series, contextualizing the story presented and making connections to elements of relevant pop culture. The podcast received positive attention from The New York Times. In May 2022, the American Girl Podcast Network was launched. The first series of the network, American Girl 10-minute Mysteries, followed American Girl doll Molly McIntire as she tried to solve mysteries.