Mattel has released a statement acknowledging they "fell short" when it came to the representation of the Asian community with their new Olympic Barbie line.
The toy manufacturer came under fire earlier in recent weeks after unveiling its new range of Barbie dolls in honor of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Per a press release from the company, the news dolls aimed to highlight "inclusivity and innovation, with toys reflecting the five new sports added to the Olympic program in Tokyo ― baseball/softball, sport climbing, karate, skateboarding and surfing ― all to inspire a new generation of athletes and fans around the world."
However, despite each doll being designed with different skin tones and hair colors, some people felt like the company had failed to properly represent the Asian community. This was even more contentious considering the fact that this year's Summer Olympics took place in Asia and that China took home the second-highest number of gold medals after Team USA.
Many disappointed Twitter users would go on to call out the company online, with one person tweeting: "Really @Barbie? Olympics taking place in ASIA. So many AAPI athletes making the headlines in these games. Yet you have no room to create an Asian barbie. But there's always room for two blondes, right?"
Another wrote: "Major failure! Where is the doll that looks Asian? Especially Olympic 2020 [sic] is taking place in Japan which is an Asian country. @Mattel this is a disaster, whether it’s accidental or intentional."
A third said: "The absence of an Asian Barbie is notable despite Mattel’s desire to empower and support diversity and inclusion. This while featuring a (Japanese) karate uniform too!
"What a missed opportunity to access a large and growing consumer market and to fully reflect Mattel’s values."
Following the backlash, Mattel has released a statement, per the Huffpost, admitting that it "fell short" in representing the Asian community with the Skateboarder doll. The statement read:
"Fostering a more inclusive world is at the heart of our brand and we strive to reflect that in our Barbie product line. With our Barbie Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 dolls, we celebrate a range of athletes to inspire kids to find their athlete within."
"However, our intention to represent the Asian community with the Skateboarder doll fell short and we fully receive and recognize the feedback."
The company concluded the statement by saying: "Moving forward, we will work to find more ways to champion all representation and celebrate the amazing achievements of all Olympic athletes, who are showing us that anything is possible."