2026 Girl of the Year American Girl Doll Represents Hispanic Solidarity

In time for Hispanic Heritage Month last September, American Girl announced their 2026 Girl of the Year, Raquel Reyes, through an exclusive People article. 

While many would dismiss her as just a kids’ toy, the 10-year-old Mexican American doll represents more than her toy form may let on. She’s a symbol for the young girls whose status as Americans has been called into question by the Trump administration’s attacks on Hispanic and Latine communities.   

I grew up only a few hours from the original American Girl store here in Chicago. My sisters and I coveted the dolls gifted to us through the joint efforts of our parents and other family members. Like many other girls, the historical dolls were my first introduction to pivotal historical events and the roles women played in them. 

Where education is often focused on the feats of overzealous white men, the historical dolls and their accompanying books provided a tangible window into the lives of the young girls who lived through world-shaping events.

The historical dolls allow young girls to empathize across eras with the often overlooked accounts of women in engaging and entertaining stories. American Girl proves representation in stories and toys is a crucial educational tool. 

Raquel isn’t the only Mexican American doll in American Girl history. Josefina Montoya, originally released in 1997, depicted a young girl navigating grief in colonial New Mexico. She was followed by Girls of the Year Marisol Luna in 2005, Lea Clark in 2016 and Luciana Vega in 2018, who was my personal favorite because of her interest in STEM.

Maritza Ochoa was also a part of their World By Us line, which focused on stories advocating for social justice, though she has since been retired. 

Despite American Girl’s precedent for Hispanic and Latina inclusion through her predecessors, Raquel’s release as Girl of the Year feels poignant. As targeted mass deportations threaten to tear Latine families apart, Raquel’s story offers a reprieve from the hostility Mexican Americans are forced to encounter both in the news and in daily life. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained four children during a raid in South Shore Oct. 3. Children not much younger than Raquel are facing constant hardships because of their ethnicity. 

Conversely, Raquel’s story focuses on family reunion and an exploration of heritage. The United States has always been a melting pot of different cultures and histories. Raquel exemplifies a portion of the varied experiences found in young Mexican American girls’ and their families.

She validates their identities in a time when they’re being questioned and profiled by language and physical appearances. Raquel’s Mexican and American identities exist in harmony, and she fully encapsulates both without doubt. 

It feels essential, too, for her to be directly related to one of the original three dolls released in 1986. Raquel’s great-great-grandmother is Samantha Parkington. The addition of the historical doll to her family tree cements her as an American girl.  

Samantha introduced me to feminism and activism, portraying young girls as advocates in the labor and women’s suffrage movement. Samantha would have been 25 years old when white women won the right to vote, which moved me even at 20 years old.

Raquel’s relation to her also shows how the importance of advocacy stretches through time. It’s a reminder at a crucial point in time — it’s always important to stand up for one’s beliefs. 

Jamie Cygielman, Global Head of Dolls at Mattel, elaborated on this in the announcement interview with People. 

“Girls see that empathy, being kind and speaking up mattered then and still matter now,” Cygielman said. “The years may change, but the questions of who we are, where we belong, and how we use our voice persist.” 

Raquel’s story is incredibly personal as well. Angela Cervantes, author of Raquel’s story, is inspired by her own mixed-heritage home and the Mexican American community in her hometown of Kansas City, Mo.. 

Kansas City has a significant Latine community going back to the 1800s. Their influences on the city are evident in the neighborhoods, restaurants and annual festivals. Even Raquel’s fictional paletería has a place among the many in the city. 

Kansas City’s Latine community also lost radio DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration shooting just over a year ago. Raquel DJs as a hobby, paying tribute to the community’s tremendous loss. 

Although their numbers vary, Latine communities are found everywhere in the Midwest. Within those communities are young girls who find themselves, as women and Latinas, under the constant scrutiny of the Trump administration. 

Raquel carries the hopes of many young Latinas in the current political climate, making her a perfect Girl of the Year 2026.