What a doll: Meet American Girl Raquel Reyes from KC, the 2026 Girl of the Year
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- American Girl names Raquel Reyes of Kansas City its 2026 Girl of the Year.
- Raquel links to original doll Samantha Parkington, expanding her legacy.
- Mattel highlights heritage and diversity amid American Girl's 40th year.
Fans of American Girl dolls are celebrating the latest edition to the collection: Raquel Reyes, a 10-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri who is the 2026 Girl of the Year.
Raquel has celebrity lineage in the American Girl world. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Samantha Parkington, one of the first three historical characters issued in 1986 and a fan favorite.
“This year, as we celebrate 25 years of Girl of the Year, we also honor Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing our newest character: Raquel Reyes,” American Girl posted on Instagram Wednesday to introduce the doll.
A little about Raquel. Her father is Mexican-American and her mother is Samantha’s great-granddaughter. She likes to DJ, taste-test paletas (ice pops) at her family’s shop in Kansas City and has a little brother and a rescue Pomeranian named Luzita. She’s passionate about rescuing animals.
Her story revolves around a trip to the East Coast for a summer family reunion and wedding where she plays pickleball for the first time. In New England she visits Mount Bedford, where Samantha lived as a little girl, and finds her great-great-grandmother’s diary.
Collectors were quick to notice the similarity between Raquel’s gingham dress and what Samantha wore. And, she appears to be wearing Samantha’s brooch as a necklace, fans noticed.
“AG, you have done an AMAZING job with your GOTY!” one fan wrote on Instagram. “This is what we were asking for!! Pieces that appeal to both adult and child collectors, more recognition to your original historical dolls, and a doll of color as your girl of the year, especially during dolls of color month!! ... not to mention the doll herself is STUNNING!! Amazing job, I hope to see more amazing GOTYs of color after her!”
Another wrote: “Seriously hit it out of the park with this one.”
Kansas City children’s author Angela Cervantez wrote Raquel’s storybook. “Not sure, but there’s a pretty good chance that I’m the first person in KC to have the 2026 Girl of the Year: Raquel Reyes! Seriously, what a doll,” Cervantez wrote on Instagram Thursday.
“By linking Raquel — Samantha Parkington’s great-great-granddaughter — to a beloved original, we’re expanding both characters’ worlds: Samantha’s legacy gains new chapters through Raquel’s eyes, and Raquel’s contemporary story gains depth and historical context,” Mattel executive Jamie Cygielman told People.
“That connection makes the American Girl universe feel more interconnected, with threads that cross eras and families.
“It’s a welcome dose of nostalgia. For new fans, it’s a fresh on-ramp to a classic. Heritage isn’t only where you come from, it’s what you carry into your family, friendships and the bonds and community you build.”
One of the first six historical characters introduced by Pleasant Company, now American girl owned by Mattel, was Josefina Montoya, a Mexican girl who lived on a rancho in 1824 not far from Santa Fe, New Mexico.
One expert in Latina girls’ media studies told People that tying Raquel to an original American Girl character tells Latina girls they belong at the heart of American stories across generations.
“Media often conflates Latinidad with Latin Americanness and not within the context of the U.S.,” Diana Leon-Boys, an assistant communications professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told People. “Raquel’s story demonstrates that Latinas are part of the fabric of this country.”
Cygielman said that as American Girl approaches its 40th anniversary next year, “we’re energized to expand on what defines the legacy of American Girl — creating beloved characters, from a wide range of eras and backgrounds, that inspire children with courage, confidence and strength of character.
“Just as important, kids should see themselves in our storytelling — and also discover lives and cultures different from their own to build empathy and a broader worldview.
“Girls see that empathy, being kind and speaking up mattered then and still matter now. The years may change, but the questions of who we are, where we belong, and how we use our voice persist. Encouraging girls to learn about history gives them perspective and agency today, and when they see kindness modeled in both eras, which is the very trait parents most want to instill, it moves from a page in a book to a practice in their lives.”
Kansas City has had ties to American Girl dolls in the past.
For a decade, Kansas City was home to one of a handful of American Girl stores in the country until the location at Oak Park Mall in Johnson County closed permanently in 2020 during the pandemic. It was one of the first “experiential” stores that not only sold dolls but invited girls back to get their dolls new hairstyles, pierced ears and custom T-shirts.
The new Raquel doll costs $135 at AmericanGirl.com.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
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