Press Release: April 22, 2002

Abercrombie & Fitch: Racially Insensitive

contact: Catherine Kuo, ckuo6@uic.edu

Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch said last Thursday it was pulling T-shirts off the racks that many see as reinforcing negative Asian American stereotypes.

The shirts, part of A&F's new line of seasonal printed T's, include at least four designs that depict stereotypical Asian American cartoons. One shirt shows Chinese laundry worker caricatures with conical hats and the phrase, "Wong Brothers Laundry Service: Two Wongs Can Make It White."

The shirts sparked outrage across the nation, particularly around colleges and universities. They have been called "ridiculous," "backwards," and "racist," in UIC email discussions. Stanford and Northwestern held protests at local stores and have been organizing a national coalition around the issue.

A&F advertises heavily toward college students.

Rena Patel, Chair of UIC's Asian American Coalition Committee, said, "These shirts ignore the serious history of racism against Asian Americans that existed in the past, and Abercrombie markets it as if it were nothing."

"These images target a population that's largely uneducated about [Asian American] history and issues," said first-year LAS student Steven Tham. "For instance, hardly anyone recognizes how hard the Chinese worked when they got to this country and how laundry was one of the only industries available to them. Abercrombie's derogatory T-shirts disrespect that history."

AACC Secretary Catherine Kuo commented, "'Buddha Bash: Get your buddha on the floor' [printed on one of the shirts] trivializes one of the main religions in the world. Would Abercrombie & Fitch ever sell a similar shirt that used 'Jesus' instead?"

College students and other diverse organizations across the nation have backed a petition for A&F to meet five conciliatory demands or face boycott of the clothesline. The demands include complete removal of the shirts from stores, an official public apology from A&F CEO Michael S. Jeffries, and a campaign by A&F to promote positive images of diverse populations.

So far, company spokesman Hampton Carney responded to complaints.

"We're very, very, very sorry," Carney said. "It's never been our intention to offend anyone."

"We personally thought Asians would love this T-shirt."

Some shirts were reportedly still available in A&F stores after the company's announcement of recall on Thursday. Some say that damage has already been done. The T-shirts are now being auctioned on eBay, fetching more than $200 apiece.

"I really don't see how they didn't. pull the shirts before the idea got to the manufacturing stage," said University of Illinois at Springfield first-year student Carly Hawkins.

The New Albany, Ohio-based retailer has come under controversy in the past for incorporating drinking and sexually suggestive images in its advertising.

Third-year UIC student Rabab Moolji remarked, "I already hate that clothing line as it is, but now I can officially say that I'm sick."

Many say how these kinds of incidents indicate greater need for awareness and education in the classroom, and for mainstream textbooks to include the history of Asian Americans. The A&F incident is being cited as another reason why UIC needs to develop an Asian American studies program.