According to research done by Tufts University, (Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development | Tufts University), there is a lack of cultural representation in mainstream media, and this is something that is on parent’s minds. In a study examining more than 1500 cartoon characters, 75% of the cartoon characters were white, only 17% were characters of color, and 1/3 of the “bad guy” characters had non-American accents.

As an Asian American woman and mother this pain point deeply resonates with Shoonya Founder & CEO Rashi Bahri Chitnis. With research on minority representation in children’s media suggesting that popular media does a very poor job of showing children characters that look and act like them, Shoonya is determined to change the landscape of language learning with an emphasis on cultural representation. As we honor the contributions of Asian people to America and the world this month, we are bringing attention to the diversity of Asian Americans through the addition of beautifully designed traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Hawaiian clothing.