I received an email regarding a survey last month from Banana Republic stating that “The Banana Republic is looking for a select group of shoppers to become Insiders!” I clicked on the survey link. I was immediately struck by the fact that the wording of the survey epitomized white privilege. Caucasian is the first choice on the race/ethnicity section. Why is it that so many surveys place “Caucasian” or “White” as the first choice for race? The options on this survey are not in alphabetical order and where in the heck is Native American / Alaska Native? Why can we only select one response? Perhaps the folks at Banana Republic didn’t realize that race and ethnicity are not the same thing and that multiracial people do exist!
I guess it’s clear who Banana Republic considers a “select group of shoppers.” Unfortunately, it’s not a huge surprise given the fact that the Banana Republic’s website features 99.9% white models. The only people of color that I could find on the Banana Republic website were on the BR’s parent company, Gap Inc., “Social Responsibility” page in reference to employees and factory conditions. Yuck!
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Could you please tell us which of the following best describes you?
- Caucasian - this is usually easier for White people to check, especially since it’s the first choice.
- African American
- Hispanic or Latino - yes, the Banana Republic does not know that race and ethnicity are not the same.
- Asian - sorry, the Banana Republic does not recognize “Asian American” as an identity.
- Other - as in the Banana Republic does not recognize your identity as being important enough to recognize.
Please select one response.
What can you expect from a corporation that pays brown people low, low wages to make stuff to sell to bourgeois white folks? Gross. If brown people on other continents aren’t worth being fully human, why would brown people on our continent be worth the status of “select” shoppers?
Why are you even on their email list?
I second Michael’s question… and I call on Eric to release his shopping records so that we may
mock him endlesslyget to know our candidatehave a principled debate about capitalism, race and privilege.=)
From what I hear, Banana Republic is just a gateway company. Next thing you know, it’s L. L. Bean and J. Crew!
@ Faris and Dennis - I have
inhaledpurchased items from Banana Republic and apparently I must have given them my email address…When did I become a candidate for anything?
@Corvallist - I have never bought anything from L.L. Bean or from J. Crew.
It’s interesting to me how no one commented on the survey or its construction. Everyone wanted to know about my shopping behavior…
Actually, though I was not explicit about mentioning the survey, I said it was a logical step for such a racist company. I too am indignant about this survey, but perhaps I am also resigned and expect this shit to happen.
The solution seems to me to not shop at these fascistic stores, and to encourage others not to as well. That’s why your shopping behavior came up.
@Michael - Thanks for clarifying. This reminds me of a recent exchange that you had with Orosco on his blog….something about us all being hypocrites.
Perhaps more so than reason, our tendency toward hypocrisy is what makes us human.
Wow….you open a survey, and without an ounce of information on the work that went into putting the survey question (at least not that you reported), you immediately go straight to the conclusion that we have a case of….*pause*….*gasp*…..white privilege! Why? Because “Caucasian” was at the top of the list. The only possible reason they might have put that at the top of their list was white privilege. What evidence to you have to back up this assertion? I would suggest a much more plausible explanation (as if an explanation is even needed to the vast majority of people who will get this survey) is that either a.) Caucasians are the largest represented race in the U.S., blacks are second, Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity represented in larger numbers than black (perhaps this is…..Latino privilege….hmm…) and Asian is fourth. Or perhaps Banana Republic customer profile is reflective of this order? There are many much more likely explanations than “white privilege,” especially when you do not have ounce of evidence, much less proof, for this assertion.
Michael, I would suggest you brush up on your economics. What is a low wage in one locale might not be in another. For example, depending on the site you look at, the average income in India is less than $1000US per year…..PER YEAR. Thus, what would be a pittance in the United States economy would be a fortune in India. To suggest that the absolute wage in another country as compared to that in the U.S. somehow suggests that someone is less than “fully human” is meritless.
Also, Michael, you claim that BR is a “racist” company. Do you have any evidence of this or did you come to that conclusion on the weight of Eric’s survey? If the latter, again, I would suggest that without other evidence, that claim is meritless as well.
FB,
My claims that Banana Republic is racist comes from background knowledge about their unfair labor practices in third-world countries. Perhaps you don’t want to call it racist. Perhaps you want to call it sexist, imperialist, and inhumane.
Some sources:
Repsonsible Shopper’s Profile of Gap
Story about Central American sweatshops
Story about Banana Republic’s sweathshops
YouTube video about Banana Republic, which, I think, showcases how even the name is colonialist and racist, trying to make trendiness out of imperialism.
USA Today story about Gap