THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB’s Claudia Kishi Gets Her Own Documentary

The Baby-Sitters Club is that perfect personality test for young girls. Are you a Kristy, aka a bossy leader with a loyal heart? Are you a Dawn, a lovable hippie passionate about the environment and self-care? Maybe you’re a shy Mary Anne or a fashionable Stacey.

For many, however, the most-loved character in the franchise is Claudia Kishi. And fresh off the heels of their Baby-Sitters Club television revival—which dropped last week—Netflix will release a documentary short all about the artistic tween. Here’s our first look at The Claudia Kishi Club.

The Japanese-American Claudia, whose heritage is central to the original book series and to the new TV show, is a standout not only for her flair for artistic expression. She’s also beloved for her personality. As we hear in the clip above, she inspired young girls because she “was always unapologetic about who she was.”

Here’s the full synopsis for The Claudia Kishi Club from Netflix.

For many Asian American women (and other women of color), Claudia Kishi was the first time they saw themselves in popular media. A main character in the best-selling Baby-Sitters Club books, she was one of the only Asian Americans in 80s-90s popular culture. Not only was Claudia a rare Asian American protagonist, but she also defied stereotypical portrayals of Asian characters: she was creative, popular, and (gasp!) bad at school. For readers who craved seeing themselves in the media they consumed—not as exotic others or token sidekicks, but as fully realized human beings—Claudia was a revelation.
Claudia Kishi details from new documentary short.Netflix
As a blossoming artist, Claudia was a special role model for aspiring young creators—many of whom are now making groundbreaking work of their own. The Claudia Kishi Club features a charismatic cast of Asian American artists and writers including Yumi Sakugawa, Sarah Kuhn, and Phil Yu. With nostalgic readings, personal recollections, and DIY-style stop motion collages, this film is a timely and unique exploration of the importance of representation in media.

The documentary short premieres on Netflix on July 10.

Featured Image: Netflix

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