Abercrombie shirts

found insulting, offensive
Recently, I was informed about a new line of T-shirt designs that Abercrombie & Fitch created for this season. They featured images of Asian cartoon characters and sayings such as “eat in or wok out,” or “two wongs make it white.”
As a white student here and as Abercrombie & Fitch’s target market, I am completely outraged that these designs were not only considered, but actually chosen and marketed. These T-shirts depict Asian Americans in a stereotypical, racist way. The characters come from a time in American history when anti-Asian sentiment was at an obscene high.
Images like these were used to create hysteria and propaganda about an “Asian” invasion and the threat of “yellow peril.” This hysteria placed many people and communities in danger, barred them from obtaining jobs, housing and equal protection under the law. This is an important and shameful part of America’s past, and for Abercrombie & Fitch to find it a clever way to sell shirts or market their company is insulting and offensive.
I cannot and will not support a company that finds racist images a cool thing to put on shirts. Abercrombie & Fitch should be ashamed of utilizing their T-shirts as a forum to incite racist, bigoted attitudes just to make a buck.
These images do not belong on T-shirts; they are meant to be a part of history classes and discussions, so that we may learn from our racist past, to avoid those same choices in the future.

Nilda Brooklyn

ASUO President

junior, ethnic studies and

planning, public policy & management