When Elenor Mak shopped around for a doll for her young daughter, the search left her disappointed. "What I found: clichés, stereotypes and a glaring lack of representation," says Mak. So she built a new toy brand, Jilly Bing, that's launching with a doll named Jilly. "Jilly is feisty, fun and fearless. She is not a stereotype. Jilly represents everything we want our Asian American children to be."
The doll, who "has a sweet tooth for tarts, cookies and anything made with red bean," comes with a chef's hat that can be flipped inside-out into a plush egg tart sidekick called L'il Tart; smiling egg tarts also feature on the pattern of Jilly's dress. Priced at USD 68, the first 500 dolls just shipped. Jilly Bing plans to expand with a line of distinct dolls that reflect the diversity of the Asian American community.
