SOME ABERCROMBIE & FITCH RALLIES AND ACTIONS:
Fr: Dawn C Lee dcl216@nyu.edu
Subject: RALLY THIS FRI
Hi everyone,
I have put together the latest info on the A&F rally this Friday. Make sure you read it carefully and do all you can to prepare. Safety is important to us. This rally is peaceful and educational. Please make every effort to support and show up in full force. If you cannot attend, please take a second to forward this info to others who may be interested. A lot of people have put long hours into organizing this so help out in any way you can.
Thank you,
Dawn
**DO NOT DELETE WITHOUT READING**PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY**
*************************************************************
we are calling out for everyone to bring drums
and anything to make
noise (no bullhorns though)
*************************************************************
Plan of Action:
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2002
EDUCATION RALLY On ABERCROMBIE'S BLATANT ACTS OF RACISM
1:30PM
Where: Meet at Asian Avenue offices, 149 5th Avenue, cross street is 21st street
Directions: It's close to the 23rd Street station along the 1 line
Why: IT IS IMPORTANT YOU ATTEND THIS MEETING BECAUSE We'll be going over lots of key things like legal rights, chants, safety and approaches to the rally (how to talk to people who don't understand why we're boycotting a&f).
2:45/3PM
Where: Total Request Live at MTV - Arrive at Times Square
Directions: Take 1/2/3, 7, S, N/R/Q to 42nd Street-Times Square, walk to MTV at about 45th Avenue
Why: National media attention. We will take advantage of the TRL crowd and inform MTV viewers what's up with AandF. THE PURPOSE IS TO EDUCATE! We seek to educate the public and the MTV viewers (the same demographics as AandF) about the AandF's actions. We will offer them an opportunity to be a part of our rally and join the boycott as well. This will also be a great opportunity to flyer the area, home to ABC, Reuters and NY Times among some of the media companies. Also, it being Friday and about the time that people will be heading home, hit up the
subways and educate there too!
****** The rally will last until about 5:30. We will continue to educate passersby in Times Square and at the subway stations. ******
STAY AS LONG AS YOU CAN-LEAVE WHEN YOU MUST.
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
1) BRING YOUR CONTACT INFO --- NAME, SCHOOL, PHONE(s), EMAIL, IM SN, and indicate best way to be contacted AND an estimate on the number of you people you can bring - give me all sorts of numbers -- so we can keep track of everybody and make sure everyone's accounted for
2) PRINT FLYERS
available at www.boycottaf.com and attached to this email PLEASE ASK EACH EDUCATOR TO BRING ABOUT 20 BOYCOTTS SHEETS AND AT LEAST 5-7 OF THE DOUBLE SIDED SHEETS (flyers can be taken back to campus if they are undistributed after the rally, so print AWAY)
3) MAKE SIGNS FOR THE RALLY (don't attach sticks to the signs...)
SOME SUGGESTIONS:
-A&F APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR IGNORANCE
-RACIST IMAGES NOT FOR SALE
-A&F IRRESPONSIBLE
-I RECOGNIZE RACISM
-DON'T TOLERATE RACIST IMAGES/MARKETING
-A&F PROFITS OFF RACISTS IMAGES OF ASIANS
-YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ASIAN TO RECOGNIZE RACISM
-I am not Asian but I know Racism when I see it
-Abercrombie is not cool
-Educate America: Institutional Racism Should Not Be Tolerated
-Abercrombie Discriminates
-BOYCOTT AandF
-BOYCOTT racist marketing
4) SPREAD THE WORD - email the e-flyer, to follow, to people on your campus
5) WEAR YOUR SCHOOL - to show our unity as college students, please make an effort to wear your college clothing if possible
5) BRING INSTRUMENTS AND WATER! - make noise and be able to make noise for the hours that we will be there!
IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND, YOU CENTRAL CONTACT PERSON WILL BE-CANDACE from COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. Her email is listed above if you need to contact a core planner.
If you cannot make the 130pm meeting, when you get there, please make sure you talk to someone who did go to the 130p meeting and get debriefed so you know what's going on.
PLEASE BE PATIENT, PAY ATTENTION, & BE FLEXIBLE
Rallies sometimes don't go smoothly. Sometimes there are lag times. Pay attention because you are also representing all the other people who have put hard work into bringing this issue to light across the US. We need to be a united, organized group because we are going to get media attention.
*PLEASE PASS THIS ON IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND**
* * *
WHAT: Rally protesting Abercrombie T-shirts
WHERE: Abercrombie & Fitch -- DOWNTOWN LOCATION: 1531 4th Avenue (At 4th and Pine -- immediately south of the Bon Marche)
WHEN: Saturday, April 27th, 12:30-3:00 pm (12:30 to gather in Westlake Center Park)
WHO: Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Seattle Chapter Japanese American Citizens (JACL) Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, Asian Pacific American Coalition for Equality (APACE), other Asian Pacific American Organizations, Asian Pacific American College Students, Anyone else concerned about standing up for equality and dignity.
WORKING MEETING: 10am at ARC (Asian Resource Center): 1025 South King St. in Chinatown/ International District
Please spread the word and please note the change of location. Please come and show your support! :)
For further information, please call: 425.895.1086
WHY ARE WE STILL FIGHTING?
Because Abercrombie & Fitch have not met the following national student 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.
We want people to understand that this is *not* about political correctness.
Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and now Korean Americans have been in the United States for over one hundred years Yet still Asian Americans are treated like foreigners, while those who have only recently immigrated from Caucasian countries are considered "American." This practice must stop.
The insensitivity displayed by Abercrombie & Fitch that led to this matter--on the eve of APA Heritage Month--must be addressed.
Please visit www.boycott-af.com and sign the petition.
* * *
Hey everyone,
We're hoping to field a more unified student movement for this national boycott campaign so we've consolidated demands from Stanford, Boston, Columbia, and Northwestern. These demands represent students nationally. The national student demands are listed below.
Abercrombie must:
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 Asian Pacific American 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.
If we all agree to them, we should make sure that these demands are consistent on all the literature, petitions, flyers, and letters we distribute. (These petitions, flyers, etc. will be available on the boycottaf.com site) It will be much more effective if we present Abercrombie and Fitch with a unified set of student demands, which further support those of the Bay Area Coalition. If you or your group/organization agrees with these demands, please email your contact info (name, email, phone, cell, AIM) to: demands@boycottaf.com.
Does anyone already have some letters written up already? Maybe we can also consolidate those and come up with the official letter that all student organizations who endorse these demands can sign? Send these sample letters to the above email also.
If schools also want to write separate letters also, go for it!! But please try using the national list of demands when doing so.
Keep up the work!!!!!
Bethany Li
byli@amherst.edu
413.542.3115
NAASCon National Board
Bryan Kim
brynk@stanford.edu
Stanford University
Margot Seeto
mseeto@wellesley.edu
Wellesley College
Candace Chin
cc1128@barnard.columbia.edu
Columbia University
Howard Lien
h-lien@northwestern.edu
Northwestern University
NATIONAL STUDENT BOYCOTT A&F STRATEGY
Hey everyone!
Once we come to a consensus on unified demands, we need to turn the screws on Abercrombie to meet them.
Boston's petition will be used (with this new set of demands) as the standard petition used at every rally (will be available on the boycottaf website). you should send these petitions to:
Jennifer Choi
c/o Abercrombie Campaign
666 Drackett Tower
161 Curl Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Once these are compiled, the petitions along with the official letter containing the set of national student demands, signed by all supporting student organizations, will be brought to the A&F national headquarters.
Candace has volunteered to make a standard sample flyer to be used at rallies and posted at schools. the main purpose of the flyer and rallies is to educate the public about A&F's racist shirts and to promote the boycott until our demands are met. NAASCon's website (naascon.org) will be used as the main contact website (with contact infolocations/times, etc. of all rallies/events). Boycottaf.com will serve as the website with the organizational materials (flyers, petitions, press releases) and general information about the campaign.
One thing is that we suggest holding off on the boycott idea for now. Because it requires a large number of people to execute, it might be more advantageous to concentrate on promoting the boycott. Also, we should keep some tactics in reserve for use if Abercrombie proves unwilling to respond to our demands.
All of us encourage that you contact your local media wherever you are and tell them what is happening on your campus concerning the a&f boycott campaign. We would also like to start thnking about what to do about other stores with unacceptable products, such as certain urban outfitter t-shirts. However, the abercrombie demands should be the first priority. Also, a lot of people have been inquiring about what exactly they can and cannot do in malls, on private property, etc. within the next day, we will write up guidelines and post it in the "organizing toolkit" section on www.boycottaf.com.
Whhheewwww!!!! Congratulations to all of you if you've read this far. And congratulations on all of the effort so far!!!!!! Remember to forward this to any interested groups/organizations. And let me know if your school is planning any rallies/events in the next week. Keep checking the website for info.
Keep it up!!!!!
Bethany Li
byli@amherst.edu
413.542.3115
NAASCon National Board
* * *
A good article on the A&F tee debacle from Emil Guillermo of the SF Gate:
Humoring Ethnic America: Abercrombie & Fitch Still Doesn't Get It
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 (SF Gate)
Emil Guillermo, Special to SF Gate
Fr: Dawn C Lee dcl216@nyu.edu
Subject: RALLY THIS FRI
Hi everyone,
I have put together the latest info on the A&F rally this Friday. Make sure you read it carefully and do all you can to prepare. Safety is important to us. This rally is peaceful and educational. Please make every effort to support and show up in full force. If you cannot attend, please take a second to forward this info to others who may be interested. A lot of people have put long hours into organizing this so help out in any way you can.
Thank you,
Dawn
**DO NOT DELETE WITHOUT READING**PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY**
*************************************************************
we are calling out for everyone to bring drums
and anything to make
noise (no bullhorns though)
*************************************************************
Plan of Action:
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2002
EDUCATION RALLY On ABERCROMBIE'S BLATANT ACTS OF RACISM
1:30PM
Where: Meet at Asian Avenue offices, 149 5th Avenue, cross street is 21st street
Directions: It's close to the 23rd Street station along the 1 line
Why: IT IS IMPORTANT YOU ATTEND THIS MEETING BECAUSE We'll be going over lots of key things like legal rights, chants, safety and approaches to the rally (how to talk to people who don't understand why we're boycotting a&f).
2:45/3PM
Where: Total Request Live at MTV - Arrive at Times Square
Directions: Take 1/2/3, 7, S, N/R/Q to 42nd Street-Times Square, walk to MTV at about 45th Avenue
Why: National media attention. We will take advantage of the TRL crowd and inform MTV viewers what's up with AandF. THE PURPOSE IS TO EDUCATE! We seek to educate the public and the MTV viewers (the same demographics as AandF) about the AandF's actions. We will offer them an opportunity to be a part of our rally and join the boycott as well. This will also be a great opportunity to flyer the area, home to ABC, Reuters and NY Times among some of the media companies. Also, it being Friday and about the time that people will be heading home, hit up the
subways and educate there too!
****** The rally will last until about 5:30. We will continue to educate passersby in Times Square and at the subway stations. ******
STAY AS LONG AS YOU CAN-LEAVE WHEN YOU MUST.
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
1) BRING YOUR CONTACT INFO --- NAME, SCHOOL, PHONE(s), EMAIL, IM SN, and indicate best way to be contacted AND an estimate on the number of you people you can bring - give me all sorts of numbers -- so we can keep track of everybody and make sure everyone's accounted for
2) PRINT FLYERS
available at www.boycottaf.com and attached to this email PLEASE ASK EACH EDUCATOR TO BRING ABOUT 20 BOYCOTTS SHEETS AND AT LEAST 5-7 OF THE DOUBLE SIDED SHEETS (flyers can be taken back to campus if they are undistributed after the rally, so print AWAY)
3) MAKE SIGNS FOR THE RALLY (don't attach sticks to the signs...)
SOME SUGGESTIONS:
-A&F APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR IGNORANCE
-RACIST IMAGES NOT FOR SALE
-A&F IRRESPONSIBLE
-I RECOGNIZE RACISM
-DON'T TOLERATE RACIST IMAGES/MARKETING
-A&F PROFITS OFF RACISTS IMAGES OF ASIANS
-YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ASIAN TO RECOGNIZE RACISM
-I am not Asian but I know Racism when I see it
-Abercrombie is not cool
-Educate America: Institutional Racism Should Not Be Tolerated
-Abercrombie Discriminates
-BOYCOTT AandF
-BOYCOTT racist marketing
4) SPREAD THE WORD - email the e-flyer, to follow, to people on your campus
5) WEAR YOUR SCHOOL - to show our unity as college students, please make an effort to wear your college clothing if possible
5) BRING INSTRUMENTS AND WATER! - make noise and be able to make noise for the hours that we will be there!
IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND, YOU CENTRAL CONTACT PERSON WILL BE-CANDACE from COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY. Her email is listed above if you need to contact a core planner.
If you cannot make the 130pm meeting, when you get there, please make sure you talk to someone who did go to the 130p meeting and get debriefed so you know what's going on.
PLEASE BE PATIENT, PAY ATTENTION, & BE FLEXIBLE
Rallies sometimes don't go smoothly. Sometimes there are lag times. Pay attention because you are also representing all the other people who have put hard work into bringing this issue to light across the US. We need to be a united, organized group because we are going to get media attention.
*PLEASE PASS THIS ON IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND**
* * *
WHAT: Rally protesting Abercrombie T-shirts
WHERE: Abercrombie & Fitch -- DOWNTOWN LOCATION: 1531 4th Avenue (At 4th and Pine -- immediately south of the Bon Marche)
WHEN: Saturday, April 27th, 12:30-3:00 pm (12:30 to gather in Westlake Center Park)
WHO: Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Seattle Chapter Japanese American Citizens (JACL) Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, Asian Pacific American Coalition for Equality (APACE), other Asian Pacific American Organizations, Asian Pacific American College Students, Anyone else concerned about standing up for equality and dignity.
WORKING MEETING: 10am at ARC (Asian Resource Center): 1025 South King St. in Chinatown/ International District
Please spread the word and please note the change of location. Please come and show your support! :)
For further information, please call: 425.895.1086
WHY ARE WE STILL FIGHTING?
Because Abercrombie & Fitch have not met the following national student 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.
We want people to understand that this is *not* about political correctness.
Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and now Korean Americans have been in the United States for over one hundred years Yet still Asian Americans are treated like foreigners, while those who have only recently immigrated from Caucasian countries are considered "American." This practice must stop.
The insensitivity displayed by Abercrombie & Fitch that led to this matter--on the eve of APA Heritage Month--must be addressed.
Please visit www.boycott-af.com and sign the petition.
* * *
Hey everyone,
We're hoping to field a more unified student movement for this national boycott campaign so we've consolidated demands from Stanford, Boston, Columbia, and Northwestern. These demands represent students nationally. The national student demands are listed below.
Abercrombie must:
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 Asian Pacific American 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.
If we all agree to them, we should make sure that these demands are consistent on all the literature, petitions, flyers, and letters we distribute. (These petitions, flyers, etc. will be available on the boycottaf.com site) It will be much more effective if we present Abercrombie and Fitch with a unified set of student demands, which further support those of the Bay Area Coalition. If you or your group/organization agrees with these demands, please email your contact info (name, email, phone, cell, AIM) to: demands@boycottaf.com.
Does anyone already have some letters written up already? Maybe we can also consolidate those and come up with the official letter that all student organizations who endorse these demands can sign? Send these sample letters to the above email also.
If schools also want to write separate letters also, go for it!! But please try using the national list of demands when doing so.
Keep up the work!!!!!
Bethany Li
byli@amherst.edu
413.542.3115
NAASCon National Board
Bryan Kim
brynk@stanford.edu
Stanford University
Margot Seeto
mseeto@wellesley.edu
Wellesley College
Candace Chin
cc1128@barnard.columbia.edu
Columbia University
Howard Lien
h-lien@northwestern.edu
Northwestern University
NATIONAL STUDENT BOYCOTT A&F STRATEGY
Hey everyone!
Once we come to a consensus on unified demands, we need to turn the screws on Abercrombie to meet them.
Boston's petition will be used (with this new set of demands) as the standard petition used at every rally (will be available on the boycottaf website). you should send these petitions to:
Jennifer Choi
c/o Abercrombie Campaign
666 Drackett Tower
161 Curl Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Once these are compiled, the petitions along with the official letter containing the set of national student demands, signed by all supporting student organizations, will be brought to the A&F national headquarters.
Candace has volunteered to make a standard sample flyer to be used at rallies and posted at schools. the main purpose of the flyer and rallies is to educate the public about A&F's racist shirts and to promote the boycott until our demands are met. NAASCon's website (naascon.org) will be used as the main contact website (with contact infolocations/times, etc. of all rallies/events). Boycottaf.com will serve as the website with the organizational materials (flyers, petitions, press releases) and general information about the campaign.
One thing is that we suggest holding off on the boycott idea for now. Because it requires a large number of people to execute, it might be more advantageous to concentrate on promoting the boycott. Also, we should keep some tactics in reserve for use if Abercrombie proves unwilling to respond to our demands.
All of us encourage that you contact your local media wherever you are and tell them what is happening on your campus concerning the a&f boycott campaign. We would also like to start thnking about what to do about other stores with unacceptable products, such as certain urban outfitter t-shirts. However, the abercrombie demands should be the first priority. Also, a lot of people have been inquiring about what exactly they can and cannot do in malls, on private property, etc. within the next day, we will write up guidelines and post it in the "organizing toolkit" section on www.boycottaf.com.
Whhheewwww!!!! Congratulations to all of you if you've read this far. And congratulations on all of the effort so far!!!!!! Remember to forward this to any interested groups/organizations. And let me know if your school is planning any rallies/events in the next week. Keep checking the website for info.
Keep it up!!!!!
Bethany Li
byli@amherst.edu
413.542.3115
NAASCon National Board
* * *
A good article on the A&F tee debacle from Emil Guillermo of the SF Gate:
Humoring Ethnic America: Abercrombie & Fitch Still Doesn't Get It
Tuesday, April 23, 2002 (SF Gate)
Emil Guillermo, Special to SF Gate
posted by Sabrina Margarita at
4/26/2002 02:47:00 AM
