Plastic Latinistas

A selection of fashion dolls with a Latino/a style from the Cummings Collection

September 1-30, 2026

This collection of dolls tells an important story about Latina representation and cultural diversity. María Félix, Peruvian cultural traditions, Ellen Ochoa and Celia Cruz represent different countries, backgrounds, professions and experiences. They demonstrate that there is no single way to be Latina or to contribute to Latino culture.

Dolls serve as powerful educational tools because they allow young people to see scientists, astronauts, musicians, actresses, cultural figures and women from different Latin American backgrounds represented in a familiar and accessible form. Representation matters: when children see people who look like them—or who share their cultural heritage—accomplishing extraordinary things, they can more easily imagine those possibilities for themselves.

In celebration of Latine Heritage Month, Bird Library hosts selections from the collection of Gerardo T Cummings, Spanish instructor with the Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics department.

Curated by Stephen Singer and Abagail Traska.