To start off Hispanic Heritage Month right, Barbie’s mother company Mattel announced that they are adding two iconic Latinas to its Barbie lineup. Latina role models: the Cuban Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz and Dominican-American author and activist Julia Alvarez. The company shared the news via Instagram introducing the long-awaited dolls to the world.
Barbie expressed that it was time the pair had their own dolls, thanks to their legendary careers contributions to the culture, and courage in self-expression.The one-of-a-kind dolls launch as part of the brand’s Role Model series, which spotlights empowering women past and present in an effort to inspire more girls and show that they too can be anything,”
Afro-Cuban Salsa Star Celia Cruz recorded over 70 albums with 23 albums certified gold and won more than 100 awards during her career that spanned five decades. She’s recognized for her success that crossed over into the U.S. where she helped introduce salsa and Latin music. Celia was honored with a Hollywood star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 17, 1987, and received the National Medal of Arts from the U.S. government in 1994.
In the world of literature, Julia Alvarez is one of the most acclaimed writers whose work is based on assimilation and identity. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, which focused on acculturation and feeling displaced, and In the Time of the Butterflies, a fictionalized account of the Mirabal sisters, are two of her most memorable works of art. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2013.
