©1980 Oriental/Kira/Marina

In the beginning of the 1980s, Barbie would release the “Dolls of the World” line. In the brand’s attempt to be more diverse, their executives named one of these dolls “Oriental Barbie,” a symptom of the framing of East Asia as a monolith rather than acknowledging the people who live there as distinct individuals in various countries. The sculpt would keep this name until the debut of Kira and Marina. The sculpt has since outgrown its well-intentioned but clumsy and racist origin due to the craftmanship of its designer(s). The sculpt was used during the 80s for Barbie’s friends Dana, Miko, and later Kira (who was named Marina in Europe). In addition to being used as the face for the majority of Kira dolls, the sculpt has proven its prowess in its longevity, as it is still used for playline dolls, and appearances in collector or special edition dolls even to this day.