Raquel Reyes: The 2026 American Girl Doll of the Year

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

While most people hail in the new year with kisses, champagne, and unkept resolutions, I like to look to what really matters: who is the American Girl Doll of the Year? This year, it is none other than Raquel Reyes.

I have loved American Girl since I was 8 years old, and it holds a special place in my heart. I have been to New York twice. Once at 8 years old and the other at 18, and of course, the mandatory spot to go to is the American Girl store. While I may not have the same passion I had for it when I was younger, I look back at those memories fondly and still root for the future of American Girl. One of my favorite ways to do that is to keep up with the American Girl of the Year!

According to American Girl, Raquel is 10 years old and lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Fun fact: Raquel is the great-great-granddaughter of the very popular American Girl Samantha Parkington! Raquel loves playing pickleball, and her favorite animal is a dolphin. Her story takes place when her family goes to the East Coast for her cousin Harper’s wedding. Raquel hopes to see dolphins on the East Coast beaches, especially since her cousin Harper is a marine biologist.

Her dad is Mexican-American, making Raquel the first Mexican American Girl of the Year. Her family owns a Paleta shop where they reveal two new flavors during Paleta Palooza. “La música” or “the music” is a big part of Raquel’s background. Her Abuela raised her on cumbias, classic Mexican ballads, and everything in between. Raquel is learning how to DJ so she can show everyone at Paleta Palooza what this music means to her.

Now you might be thinking: Why does this matter? I’m way too old for American Girl anyway. While you may be too old, there is a whole generation of girls (and boys!) who are becoming just as obsessed with American Girl as I was.

Everyone deserves representation. Every girl and boy deserves to have someone they can see themselves in.

This world can be heavy, and so can the news. CNN reported that, “Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported nearly 200,000 people in the first seven months of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a senior Homeland Security official, putting the federal agency on track for its highest rate of removals in at least a decade.” Trace Reports showed that as of August 2025, Mexicans have been reported as the top nationality deported, with 103,103 Mexicans deported.

There is much news of immigrants in this country. Unfortunately, most of it is heavy and negative. That’s why we still need to look for the good, in this country and out, such as Claudia Sheinbaum becoming Mexico’s first female President last October, as NPR reported.

American Girl meant so much to me, and I know I am not the only one. There will be so many of the younger generation who will look up to and want to have American Girl dolls. They deserve to have an American Girl that looks like them and that they can identify with. In this climate, we need positive news. We need representation. We need Raquel Reyes.