Maritza Ochoa is one of three American Girl dolls in the new AG doll line World By Us. This post is all about Maritza!
According to the World By Us press release, Maritza is a caring, take-action kind of girl who loves celebrating her Latina heritage—from the delicious food to her community’s music-filled festivals. A leader on and off the soccer field, she finds her passion in advocating for others, especially helping to keep immigrant families together.
The Maritza doll has the Joss mold, medium skin, brown hair with auburn highlights, and brown eyes.
An expert that especially helped with Maritza's story is M. Lucero Ortiz. She is part of Kids In Need of Defense, a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization devoted to the protection of unaccompanied and separated children. She also is a human rights lawyer.
Maritza's accessory set comes with a jacket, a fanny pack, and a water bottle. It costs $35.
Now, let's talk about Maritza's story! I've copied and pasted from the description too many times, but the story is about Maritza's struggle to help gain support for her friend Violeta, whose family member is currently being detained by immigration officials. I haven't read the book yet (even running this blog only gives me advance copies once in a blue moon), but it sounds interesting!
Maritza's name is pronounced mah-REET-zah, and her nickname is Itza.
She goes to DC Bilingual Middle School in Washington D.C and her birthday is on April 10, 2008.
Her mom is named Erika *screams*, her dad is named Enrique, and she has a brother named Javier and a pug named Surete.
Maritza is Bolivian-Mexican and she has two sets of grandparents. The ones from Bolivia are named Abuelo Joaquim and Abuela Silvana, and the ones from Mexico are named Abuelo Julias and Abuela Nora.
Maritza was named after her aunt Mari, and then, there it is.
THE PRIDE FLAG.
IN AN AMERICAN GIRL BOOK.
*screams again*
Okay, I'm done screaming.
Makena has many different favorite foods, and her current favorite is elotes, corn on the cob with queso fresco, which is white cheese in Spanish. She just met Makena and Evette, and she has two friends from school, one named Sierra (just like my sister!) and one named Violeta.
The Maritza: Lead With Your Heart book begins with Maritza at a Hispanic Heritage Month festival in Columbia Heights, Washington DC.
Do you like Maritza? Personally, I love her already!
I got to admit, I think the Joss mold looks even better on Maritza with her medium-tone skin! I have nothing against the Joss mold but I think Martiza makes it even better! Hopefully, we'll get another doll with the Nanea mold, which is one of my favorites out of all the new molds as well as Makena's!
Does anyone know if Maritza's hair is as long as Kanani's?
I've been looking at her for a few days trying to figure out why she looks cross eyed. I think her eye makeup adds too much "white" to the outer edge of her eye. Either that or they chose a dud for the pictures. I don't mind the painted eye makeup on Makena, but I don't care for it on Maritza. Her wig is beautiful, but I think she is too similar to Joss to add her to the shelves right now.
WOW SHE'S SOOOOOOOO AMAZING!!!!!!!!
If all three of the dolls are born in 2008, that would make them exactly one decade younger than me! Yep, I'm that old! (My twenty-third birthday is eight days from now!) To think it's been ten years since I turned thirteen. My gosh I feel old!