Día de Muertos Barbie: Respectful Tribute, or ‘Obviously Cultural Appropriation’?

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Sandra E. Garcia
Mattel's newly released doll, adorned with motifs associated with the Mexican holiday, has raised concerns about the watering down of a 3,000-year-old tradition.
In Mexican culture, the Día de Muertos — or Day of the Dead — is when the gateway between the living and the dead is said to open, a holiday during which the living honor and pay respects to loved ones who have died. A new Día de Muertos Barbie, released on [September 12], was intended less as a portal into the realm of the dead and more as a gateway into Mexican culture. At least that is what Mattel is hoping for. Many have expressed worries about cultural appropriation and the use of a 3,000-year-old tradition for profit. The man who designed the Barbie, Javier Meabe, 34, said he drew from his Mexican heritage and his personal experiences celebrating Día de Muertos as a boy.[More]
The designer of the new Día de Muertos Barbie said the doll’s dress was inspired by outfits he saw his mother wear.