The Awakening Mafia, spurred by Black Lives Matter after George Floyd’s death, has come not only for cities and statues, but also for people and brands. Came for the Washington Redskins, canceled. Came for police shows, canceled. He came for Aunt Jemima, Rice Crispies, Goya, Lady Antebellum, the list never ends. When he recently arrived for Trader Joe’s, the grocery company responded loudly and clearly: We are not bowing to the cancellation mob.
“A few weeks ago, an online petition was launched asking us to ‘remove racist packaging from [our] products, ‘”trader Joe’s said in a statement last week. “The following were inaccurate reports that the request led us to take action. We want to be clear: we do not agree that any of these labels is racist. We don’t make decisions based on requests. “
The petition, which circulates on Change.org, demands that the company “remove the racist brand and packaging.” He says: “The supermarket chain labels some of its ethnic foods with modifications of ‘Joe’ that belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. For example, ‘Trader Ming’s’ is used to mark the chain’s Chinese food, ‘Arabian Joe’ marks Middle Eastern food, ‘Trader José’ marks Mexican food, ‘Trader Giotto’s’ is for Italian food, and ‘Trader Joe San’ marks their Japanese cuisine. “
The petition further regrets the start of Trader Joe’s, claiming it was inspired by a “racist book and controversial theme park attraction” and saying it perpetuates “exoticism.”
Trader Joe’s has none of that. Like any successful business, the company explained that while it gladly makes changes when warranted, “it makes[s] decisions based on what customers buy, as well as feedback we get from our customers and crew members. “When certain products or names stop selling, Trader Joe’s says that’s when he discontinues those items:” It’s what we do. ” .
The company recognized the ethnic brand and said its “purchasing team” began using those names “decades ago.”
“So we thought, and still do, that this product name could be fun and show appreciation for other cultures,” said Trader Joe’s. “For example, we call our Mexican beer ‘Trader José Premium’ and a couple of guacamole products are called ‘Avocado Number’ in a kitsch reference to a mathematical theory. These products have been very popular with our customers, including some budding mathematicians. “
As cancellers continue to sign the petition, Trader Joe’s said it recently received a lot of support for its brand as “customers reaffirm[] that these name variations look very much exactly the way they were intended, as an attempt to have fun with our product marketing. “
“Trader Joe’s has been a unique, fun, and close place to shop for over 50 years,” the company said. “We look forward to serving our wonderful customers for many decades to come.”
It is something they do.
