Join forces and let A&F know that we will not tolerate racial jabs at Asian Americans. Sign our petition to boycott Abercrombie & Fitch clothing. Send a message that they cannot ignore - a hit to the wallet!

The rally is over!! It was an amazing success with over 150 protestors, 7 policemen, the entire front of AF and both sides of the street covered at its height! We made news on every channel, making the top story for KOMO News. In every paper, both English and Chinese.

We ask that if you were at the rally, PLEASE SEND US EMAIL so we can keep you updated. If you have home video or pictures you would like to donate, please email as well. Thank you for supporting our efforts! Keep the petition strong! In Unity.

Sign the Petition Now!
Please keep it respectable.

What we plan to do with the petition?The goal of boycott-AF.com in collecting signatures is to show Abercrombie & Fitch, along with other companies and America, the collective power of the Asian American community along with those that support its cause.

The vision is to release the full petition with names, comments and indication of whether or not the signatures are from a college student (their largest consumer group). Given a positive response, it can then be illustrated how our opinions are important for them to be conscious of for financial reasons. In simple terms, we're not going to buy your product if you do us wrong.

Hopefully, this opens the eyes of many companies to the impact we have on their business and may even encourage them to specifically target us with positive advertisements to gain our loyalty.


Unified List of Demands
1. Permanently remove the entire line of offensive "Asian" T-shirts.

2. Publish a public apology from CEO Michael S. Jeffries in the form of a one-page advertisement in all major newspapers. Post this apology in all Abercrombie and Fitch stores, the main
page of the website, and the next issue of the quarterly catalogue.

3. Restore public image and mend relationship with the Asian Pacific American community and consumers through increasing philanthropy and investment in the Asian Pacific American community. In addition, we request that Abercrombie and Fitch work with us to create and hire a new consultant team to ensure sensitivity to minority issues.

4. Develop an educational and advertisement campaign with positive images of Asian Pacific Americans and other people of color. This campaign should promote the diversity of our nation
and encourage understanding of diverse cultures and histories. (An example is Timberland's "Give Racism the Boot" advertisement campaign.)

5. Encourage consumers to return "Asian" T-shirts and guarantee unconditional refund with incentives (ie. vouchers or discount on future purchases).

6. Implement and improve diversity training for all employees and diversify minority representation in its workforce.
While the company might complain that these demands are excessive, one should note that the design of the shirts and the company's insensitivity are truly extraordinary.


What Else Can I Do?
Email the District Managers of A&F:
NORTHEAST: liz_agnew@abercrombie.com
SOUTHEAST: mark_sarajian@abercrombie.com
MIDWEST/WEST: peter_nagle@abercrombie.com
CHICAGO: greg_wynne@abercrombie.com
SAN FRANCISCO: janelle_homer@abercrombie.com

Call 1-800-432-0888. The customer service rep will tell you to WRITE via regular mail...

Mr. Tom Goulet, Customer Service Manager
Abercrombie & Fitch
6301 Fitch Path
New Albany, OH 43054

(614) 283-6500
(614) 283-8977 FAX <--- give them your 2 cents

Send a FEEDBACK RESPONSE on their website HERE and do as they ask: "Tell us what you really think..."

Can't think of anything to say? Use our letter:

To Abercrombie and Fitch from a lost customer:

I was highly disturbed after seeing your latest line of graphic Tees with cartoons ridiculing Asian Americans. I would like to think that in this time and age we, as Americans, have overcome such immature and intolerant displays. I am ashamed and angry that Abercrombie & Fitch, a company I once held in high esteem, would stoop so low as to rely on racial stereotypes to sell T-shirts. I hope that you not only change whatever company climate allowed those products to be released in the first place, but also show that you are sincerely sorry by helping Asian American non-profits, or maybe having Asian men AND women in your marketing.

Sincerely,


What organizations are saying:
Organization of Chinese Americans, National Office

April 18, 2002

Contact: Christine Chen, 202-223-5500

www.ocanatl.org

Washington, DC - The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national nonprofit Asian Pacific American (APA) civil rights and education group is outraged with t-shirts created by retailer Abercrombie and Fitch Company that display demeaning and degrading, stereotypical Asian images and word plays.

Slanted eyes, rice paddy straw hats, and images of subservient workers, are simply a few of the printed designs on this series of six t-shirts. The statement, "Two Wongs can make it white," makes fun of Asian accents and questions the ability of Asians to pronounce "Rs". Also, the statement "eat in or wok out" instead of the correct spelling of "walk" is another reference to the stereotypical belief that all Asian people own fast food Chinese restaurants and have English literacy problems.

Other statements and images on these T-shirts trivialize religion through phrases such as "Buddha Bash, Get Your Buddha on the Floor." One shirt portrays an Asian woman in a stereotypical subservient manner similar to the Cameron pin-up, which was historically painted on war planes during WWII.

According to retailer Abercrombie and Fitch, Company, the new line of t-shirts was supposed to appeal to the emerging Asian Pacific American market with an estimated buying power of over $250 billion. The retailer targets youth in their teen to college years, and utilizes marketing strategies focused on contemporary styles that complement the "classic American lifestyle."

"Unfortunately, in this case, the American lifestyle is neither reflected nor complemented. This new generation of consumers is not interested in wearing pieces of clothing that ridicule Asian Pacific Americans.

Instead, angry complaints, phone calls, and e-mail campaigns spread like wildfire among APA students, community members and leaders nationwide, as well as other consumers of various backgrounds who were equally as offended," said George M. Ong, OCA National President. The OCA National Office was flooded with hundreds of inquiries requesting guidance how to mobilize around this issue. Asian Pacific Americans will not remain silent on this issue."

"In our conversations with Abercrombie and Fitch representatives, we underscored the tremendous outrage of the Asian Pacific American community. We will continue to coordinate a national campaign with APA student leaders and community organizations to ensure that this kind of blatant and racist material is not tolerated," stated Christine Chen, OCA Executive Director. "These racist images were meant to be a parody, and the Asian Pacific American community takes offense that a corporation would use common stereotypes for cheap laughs and profit. Our community has made huge strides in the struggle for equality, but sadly, these derogatory t-shirts use of these images devalues our progress, and are evidence of the racial ignorance that still exists in this country. We still have so much further to go."

After several discussions with Abercrombie and Fitch, OCA was assured by company spokesperson Mr. Hampton Carney, that they would pull this series of offensive t-shirts out of all 311 stores nationwide.

In this instance, Abercrombie and Fitch seems to have recognized its mistake, but it must assure the Asian Pacific American community that it will change its corporate climate so that these types of blunders will not persist.

As we head into May and prepare for the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, OCA will be asking Abercrombie and Fitch for a follow-up meeting to discuss how the company might implement specific strategies such as diversity and cultural sensitivity training for the workforce, establishing a company policy regarding the use of racial stereotypes and the use of Asian Pacific American marketing firms who know and understand the community. By appropriately investing their resources, and taking steps to understand the Asian Pacific American community, corporations can prevent costly mistakes like this from occurring again.

OCA continues to urge community members to visit the Abercrombie and Fitch stores to ensure that all the derogatory merchandise has been removed and use your voice to express your concerns to the local stores and to the Abercrombie and Fitch national headquarters at:

1-800-432-0888 (customer service)
1-614-283-6500 (corporate)

or write to:

Michael S. Jeffries, CEO
Abercrombie & Fitch
6301 Fitch Path
New Albany, OH 43054

abercrombie@abercrombie.com

In addition, all concerned consumers should continue to express opinions and concerns to local media outlets by submitting editorials. You can also initiate dialogue or group discussions around this issue with your friends and family to make sure that our community has a historical perspective on why these images are derogatory and hurtful and have no place in our society.

80-20 Initiative

Asian Pacific American college students and young professionals e-mailed 80-20 asking it to take action. They were outraged because Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), an upscale retailer, put out a new line of 4 T-shirts with derogatory portrayals of Asians.

80-20 called Michael Jeffries, Chairman and CEO of A&F this morning. Two hours later, an executive with A&F responded to 80-20 by saying that those $25 T-shirts have been taken off the market.

80-20 wants to THANK all who e-mailed and assisted 80-20 in this matter. It also wants to applaud those who have already communicated their displeasure with A&F directly. Although 80-20 found those T-shirts offensive, it wants to commend Abercrombie & Fitch for its swift action in realizing its insensitivity and pulling the products immediately.

For those who want to know the events leading to this happy ending, here is a brief description. One of A&F's new T-shirts depicts Asians with slanted eyes and conical hats. The T-shirt, with two Asian men at ``Wong Brothers Laundry Service,'' carries the logo: ``Two Wongs Can Make It White.'' Another T-shirt, called``Buddha Bash'' has a smiling Buddha figure with the logo: ``Get Your Buddha On The Floor.'' [Pictures of the two T-shirts are available at: http://www.80-20initiative.net/tshirts.html , if you want to view them. The pictures will be deleted in a week.]

APA youths began e-mailing 80-20 on Wednesday asking 80-20 to take action. 80-20 investigated the matter and decided to take action. At 10:50 a.m. this morning (Thursday), 80-20 president S. B. Woo called A&F Chairman and CEO Michael Jeffries. Mr. Jefferies was out of his office, so Woo left a message expressing the wish for A&F to withdraw the products. He also requested a call back. About two hours later, at 1:12 p.m., Mr. Seth Johnson, an executive with A&F called back. He said that he was calling on behalf of Mr. Jeffries who was not in town. He said that the products have been pulled off the market, emphasizing however that the T-shirts were meant to add humor, without intending to offend anyone. A&F is issuing a press release to the Associated Press regarding the withdrawal of the T-shirts. A HAPPY ENDING!

Reactions from other
organizations.
A Call to Respond
www.boycottAF.com
www.naascon.org
 
AP, Reuters
Message Board
 
email Boycott-AF.com