Greetings!

We designed this site in order to keep in touch with friends and family who are far away and in order to communicate with other adoptive families from around the world.

When we first started researching this wonderful way to become a family we read everything we could get our hands on. Even though there are a lot of great books out there, nothing was as informative or touching as the blogs we found by adoptees, biological parents, and adoptive families. So we are writing this blog now in hopes of returning the favor. We hope that if you are dear to us you will enjoy keeping up with our adventures. If you are someone out there involved in a part of the adoption triad we hope you will find information and comfort here and provide us with some of your own!

If you would like to get in touch with us we can be reached at: becomingafamily@gmail.com
Feel free to stop by anytime. We're happy to share our family story.

Take care,
Brian and Rosemary

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Asian Baby Dolls

Like most of the educated world I am a big fan of kids having positive representations of their own race. I think they have a right to toys and picture books and role models on Sesame Street who look like them. The professionals tell us it is healthy and we can all see how that is obviously true. As mixed-race families we have to work that much harder because the biggest role models our children will ever have, their parents, are not the same race as them. When I think about that for too long it blows my mind. Actually, it terrifies me.

I know that sometimes we all wish the craftsmanship of these dolls was better or different but hey most white dolls aren't authentic looking either. Anybody really looked at the face of a Cabbage Patch recently? I'm not saying that my kids won't own white dolls. In fact, I hope that we'll own white, black, latino and asian dolls because who made this rule that we could only play with dolls of our own race? The idea of that makes me uncomfortable especially when my family isn't even composed of just one race.

In its most recent issue Adoptive Families did an article on some of their favorite dolls representing diversity. So here is a partial list of some of my favorite Asian dolls that are presently on the "TO-BUY" list. What are your favorites and where can we buy them? BTW - you can find all of these at Live and Learn.


This crib doll is simply beautiful and may make it into our first care package!



I think this "learn to dress" doll is really fun.


This is probably my favorite one design wise. I love her sweet face.



This is a prissy little lady for the girly preschooler!


The hip skater girl for your 4th grade demographic. Mom's last ditch effort when they're almost too old for dolls!


5 comments:

Yoli said...

Those dolls are adorable. We own all race dolls. It is a great tool to our children that diversity not only exists but it is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

i have seen lots of female dolls, though I have been trying to find some asian action men type figures if we are matched with a boy, but I havent even seen any on my travels around Asia - any ideas? Gem

rosemary said...

Gem,
If we get matched with a son I will definitely still purchase both the crib doll and the learn to dress doll from this page because I don't think those are gender specific in any way. But since we don't know who we are expecting yet either I am always on the lookout for things for boys too! There is definitely not as much available.

blackbelt said...

After months and months of searching, I found an East Asian boy doll!! (anatomically correct, too!) He doesn't really look East Asian but there aren't any of the awful stereotypically features.

Rosemary, if you are matched with a boy, please let me gift the doll to you.

Maci Miller said...

Hey, Roses! I bought the dress me doll (girl version) and it is very cute and educational too! My mother-in-law bought Ruby the 3rd one on your list after we saw it at the beach last summer! Mandysmoon.com and dollslikeme.com have a bunch of great multicultural dolls. I even found a mixed race dollhouse family. Will have to find the box and see where I bought that one. Online somewhere...

It's nice to see so many things available out there.