A Girl Scout’s Tribute to Hello Kitty

16-year-old Senior Girl Scout and Los Angeles resident Elizabeth Keller participated in JANM’s first Hello Kitty Girl Scout Program on November 22, 2014. She graciously agreed to share her thoughts on her experience. Thank you, Elizabeth! The essay is accompanied by photos taken at the most recent Girl Scout workshop, held on February 7.

Girl Scouts visit JANM for a special Hello Kitty workshop, February 7, 2015. Photo: Russell Kitagawa.
Girl Scouts visit JANM for a special Hello Kitty workshop.
Photo: Russell Kitagawa. All photos taken on February 7, 2015.

 

To me and many other girls, Hello Kitty is the ultimate symbol of femininity. Her lovely, bubbly, adorable little world full of flowers and hair bows is enchanting. And in a world where being “girly” is frowned upon, Hello Kitty reminds us not to be afraid to be our fabulous selves.

The Scouts get their own private viewing of Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty. Photo: Steve Fujimoto.
The Scouts got their own private viewing of Hello! Exploring the
Supercute World of Hello Kitty
. Photo: Steve Fujimoto.

 

I had never considered the other aspects of Hello Kitty, however, until my Girl Scout troop visited the Japanese American National Museum’s Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty. The exhibition was educational and heartwarming. I learned that Hello Kitty is five apples tall and that her full name is Kitty White. I found that I could have Hello Kitty on everything that I own—my lunchbox, my roller skates, my rice cooker, and even the braces on my teeth.

JANM staff then helped the Scouts to make their own Hello Kitty-inspired artwork. Photo: Russell Kitagawa.
The Scouts making their own Hello Kitty-
inspired artwork. Photo: Russell Kitagawa.

 

After viewing the exhibition, all the Girl Scouts completed a craft. I doodled small pictures of Hello Kitty and watched girls as young as five make beautiful art out of a character that had inspired their creativity.

Photo: Russell Kitagawa.
Photo: Russell Kitagawa.

 

Looking around at more cute, pink, or otherwise charming household objects than I thought I would ever see—everything from clothes to food to headstones—it dawned on me that Hello Kitty is more than a simple little icon splashed on some toys. She represents the idea that we not only own our femininity, but that we also have the right to display it as we please.

A Scout shows off her creation. Photo: Russell Kitagawa.
A Scout shows off her creation. Photo: Russell Kitagawa.

 

Everything a girl does—from wearing makeup to playing video games—is seen as a call for attention, especially male attention. Hello Kitty recognizes no presence or agency except her own. She doesn’t ask anyone’s permission to be her lovely pink self; she simply is.

Photo: Russell Kitagawa.
Photo: Russell Kitagawa.

 

During the Hello Kitty Girl Scout Program, I saw little girls—young Scouts who are still learning about what it means to be a girl—exploring concepts presented in the exhibition, like business, foreign relations, and fashion. They learned about these things in the context of their beloved Hello Kitty. They discovered—and I was reminded—that they can do anything with their own power. And if they want to rule the world in a pretty pink dress, well, nothing can stop them.

Scouts and their troop leaders pause to savor a great day at JANM. Photo: Steve Fujimoto.
Scouts and their troop leaders pause to savor a
great day at JANM. Photo: Stephen Fujimoto.

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