Oh no you didn't! Corporations profit from racist stereotypes

"It's not, and never has been, our intention to offend anyone. These graphic T-shirts were designed with the sole purpose of adding humor and levity to our fashion line," said Thomas Lennox, Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F) public relations official.

"It's not, and never has been, our intention to offend anyone. These graphic T-shirts were designed with the sole purpose of adding humor and levity to our fashion line," said Thomas Lennox, Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F) public relations official.

"Wong Brothers Laundry Service: Two Wongs can make it white." This is one of four racist slogans that graced t-shirts at A&F. With fashions geared towards the middle and upper class white suburban and college kids, A&F targets Asians as mere logos and symbolic of "exotic people." I don't know about you, but I was absolutely shocked when I first read about the t-shirts. Then again I shouldn't have been, considering where we live and what companies think they can get away with. But A&F had to yet come toe-to-toe with an angry, militant and organized Asian and Pacific Islander community.

In all of the A&F t-shirts the people were in positions of servitude, further perpetuating the stereotype that the only position for Asians, whether immigrant or American born, is serving the wealthy kids who can afford to the buy $25 t-shirts. The same argument follows for all people of color. We are here at the pleasure of the wealthy who can afford to exploit our labor, capitalize on stereotypes and find humor in twisted charicatures of our cultures. This is engrained in the very fabric of U.S. culture.

I recently attended a workshop with Chinese and Latino high school youth here in the San Francisco Bay area. We took turns writing down stereotypes of each other. Sure enough, some form of media or entertainment reinforced every stereotype listed. Blacks were all perceived as basketball players, great singers or drug dealers. The stereotypes for Asians were Bruce Lee type martial arts experts, math geeks, and passive. The images that came to mind for Latinos were sassy women and Latin lovers. I asked them where they got these images.

The response was not surprising: television and radio, and other forms of media. It was great listening to folks break down these images with their own experiences and lives. One Chinese man admitted, "I'm failing my math class." One Latina said, "Americans feel that we are only good for farming and cleaning toilets."

These same youth participated in an A&F protest three months later on Market Street and Fifth in San Francisco. Thousands of students on campuses and community organizations from all over the country led a media and direct action campaign against A&F "the fastest growing retailer."

The media had a wake up call with the A&F protests because their image of the "model minority" was being turned inside out. Before, the media just clumped all Asians into one all inclusive category of "Asian American." US media has no respect for national origin. Communities like the Chinese, Filipino, Cambodian, Korean and Vietnamese etc. struggle to demystify racist stereotypes while preserving their own unique cultures. This is also the case for the wide range of cultures in the Global South, or developing nations.

The argument that racist corporations make is that they are honoring different cultures, and capitalizing off of the American melting pot. They say we are just overreacting anyway, and that discrimination is a thing of the past.

Student and community groups have initiated boycotts and a letter writing campaign against A&F. The company pulled the t-shirts off the Internet and shelves soon after the media blitz. Among the list of demands, groups demanded that A&F encourage consumers to return the racist t-shirts and give resources to the Asian Pacific Islander community and diversify images that A&F promotes.

But it's just not Abercrombie and Fitch that's exploiting racist imagery. The longest standing struggle against racist ideas and images regards Native Americans and the Washington Redskins, and other racist mascots. Most people do not understand the severity of reducing the complex and beautiful Native American culture to mere sports mascots. Perhaps this is because Native American communities have been isolated and robbed of their culture, separated from mainstream America. Native American tribal councils and organizations have been fighting racist depictions of Native Americans with protests, lawsuits and media campaigns. The owners of the Washington Redskins maintain the ridiculous argument that they are honoring a great and noble people.

Most of us ignore the messages that are being sent via, advertisements, clothing and everything else. We may not want to admit it, but much of what we see is an attempt to profit from racism, at the expense of people of color. Companies make money by pumping out racist notions of what "ethnic culture" is all about. Whether it is the Taco Bell Chihuahua, the Undercover Brotha, the Atlanta Braves or the "model minority."

The focused has changed over the years. Blacks have made significant gains, challenging negative images, but there is still a long way to go. Corporations are targeting Asian and Pacific Islander communities with racist stereotypes, but only because they underestimate their collective power. We, the people of color, are the survivors of comic relief, commodification, xenophobia and gross exploitation. Together, we will not be victims.

For more information on the to boycott visit http://www.boycott-af.com.


Anita Wheeler is the political editor of Dynamic, and a member of the YCL Coordinating Committee.