Page 163 - Purchasing Power Black Kids and American Consumer Culture

148 . Ethnically Correct Dolls

commodities, children in Newhallville spoke about their experiences of
race in multiple ways, using a vocabulary that included more than just
words of mouth. In the case of a number of girls, powerful commentaries
on the limits, boundaries, and flexibility of racial categories and racial-
ized experiences emerged when I began to pay attention to their inter-
actions with their dolls. The way that Newhallville girls dealt with and
thought about their dolls allowed them to express things that they could
not, for a variety of reasons, discuss verbally. One of the fundamental
reasons that these girls' observations found expression away from the
realm of words and conversation is that the themes and problems they
articulated did not fit easily into the dominant models for talking about
race. It is precisely because these observations and actings-out remain
unarticulated speech in the conventional sense of the term that these girls
were able to "say" what they understood in a way that retained the com-
plexity and subtlety of their perceptions. Conversely, however, it is pre-
cisely because these observations and actings-out remain unarticulated
speech that what these girls were doing is also unlikely to enter public
discussions of the topic, even among themselves, much less to enlarge
and deepen the astonishingly leaden and concrete vocabulary that used
to talk about race in the United States.

The Unbearable Whiteness of Barbie

Welcome to Our World of OLMEC Toys
Almost seven years ago, my son sent shock waves through my body
when he said he couldn't be a super hero because he wasn't white.
"What!" I thought. At the tender age of three, my boy was already
limiting his fantasies because he thought some dreams didn't come in
his skin color.
That was my inspiration to create Sun-Man, the world's greatest
super hero. Since then we at OLMEC have expanded into girls and
preschool toys. We've got one thing in mind with all our products—
let's build self-esteem.
Our children gain a sense of self importance through toys. So we
make them look like them.
Now that he's 10, my son's dreams and goals soar. Playing with
toys that look like him make him feel good.
I hope you'll buy something from us that will expand your child's
dream.
Product packaging, Olmec toys