Trader Joe’s is getting rid of “Trader Ming’s,” “Trader José,” and other “ethnic” product names accused of being exoticizing
Trader Joe’s is changing the names used for some of its “international” food products, e.g., Trader Ming’s, Trader José, etc., amid accusations that such branding is racist.
“The grocery chain labels some of its ethnic foods with modifications of ‘Joe’ that belies a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes,” reads the description of a Change.org petition started two weeks ago by Briones Bedell, an East Bay teenager. “For example, ‘Trader Ming’s is used to brand the chain’s Chinese food, ‘Arabian Joe’ brands Middle Eastern foods, ‘Trader José’ brands Mexican foods, ‘Trader Giotto’s’ is for Italian food, and ‘Trader Joe San’ brands their Japanese cuisine.”
The petition, which has been signed by more than 3,400 people to date, also takes to task the retailer and its founder Joe Coulombe for drawing inspiration from a book (White Shadows in the South Seas) and a theme park ride (Disneyland Jungle Cruise) that have been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes about indigenous people. “The common thread between all of these transgressions is the perpetuation of exoticism, the goal of which is not to appreciate other cultures, but to further other and distance them from the perceived ‘normal,’” the petition reads.
Trader Joe’s spokesperson Kenya Friend-Daniel told the New York Times that the company had already decided “several years ago” to remove the names in question and to rebrand all of its international food with just the Trader Joe’s name. Per NPR: “Friend-Daniel, the spokesperson, stressed that the change was not in response to the petition but was already in progress.” She said that packaging for some products has already been changed, and that the company hoped to complete the process “very soon.”
“While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect — one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day,” the spokesperson said.
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FAQs
Trader Joe's is getting rid of product names such as Trader José's, Arabian Joe's and Trader Ming's that critics say are racist and "perpetuates harmful stereotypes."
What is the Trader Joe's controversy? ›
Nautical-themed grocery chain launches raid on the New Deal
The grocery store chain is arguing that the federal agency prosecuting it for unfair labor practices — including giving union workers worse retirement benefits and barring workers from wearing union pins at work — is unconstitutional.
What is the Chinese controversy with Trader Joe's? ›
In 2020, the brand faced major backlash for labeling its ethnic foods with stereotypical names such as “Trader Jose” for Mexican-inspired food or “Trader Ming” for Chinese-inspired food.
What names are offensive to Trader Joe's? ›
After an online petition denounced the company's use of labels such as Arabian Joe's, Trader Giotto's and Trader Joe San as racist because it “exoticizes other cultures,” Trader Joe's announced that it would keep names that it felt still resonated with customers.
What is hidden in Trader Joe's? ›
If you're like us, and you didn't know, Trader Joe's actually hides stuffed animals all around its stores. Once we let that news sink in, we were on a mission to figure out why.
Does China own Trader Joe's? ›
Trader Joe's was purchased in 1979 by a German conglomerate, is entirely managed in the US, and has never been resold.
What is the dispute with Trader Joe's? ›
In the court action, Trader Joe's alleged that the Union's merchandise infringes on Trader Joe's marks – it was particularly upset about the Union's sale of reusable tote bags. Trader Joe's claimed that the Union was using the marks in a purely commercial fashion that resulted in a likelihood of consumer confusion.
Why are we boycotting Trader Joe's? ›
Trader Joe's has withheld benefits from union stores, fired union supporters, spread misinformation about our union, interrogated workers, and more. TJ's legal assault on the NLRB is a transparent attempt to avoid being held accountable for their unlawful actions.
What is a weakness of Trader Joe's? ›
Limited product variety: One weakness of Trader Joe's is its limited product variety compared to other grocery store chains. While the company is known for its curated selection of unique and innovative products, its offerings may only meet the needs of some customers.
Why can't you buy Trader Joe's online? ›
This is intentional. "There's this treasure hunt that we hope is experienced by customers," says Sloan. Setting themselves apart from other online retailers and competitors who offer online shopping options is important to them. Trader Joe's is "not a big box." They value being a small footprint store.
Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. By 2015, it was a competitor in "fresh format" grocery stores in the United States. It is owned by a German company, Aldi.
Does Trader Joe's still use Trader Mings? ›
Trader Joe's Now Says It Won't Remove Stereotypical Branding from International Foods. Earlier this month, a company spokesperson indicated the opposite in response to a petition to rename items with labels like "Trader Ming's" and "Arabian Joe's." Jelisa Castrodale has been a staff writer with Food & Wine since 2019.
What is the old name for Trader Joe's? ›
The company began in 1958 as a Greater Los Angeles area chain known as Pronto Market convenience stores. Coulombe felt the original Pronto Markets were too similar to 7-Eleven, which he described as the "800-pound gorilla of convenience stores", and was concerned that the competition would be too heavy.
Are Trader Joe's and Aldi brothers? ›
It's a popular question, and the answer is no. They do have a shared history, though.
Is Trader Giotto's the same as Trader Joe's? ›
In 1977, the company began introducing international-sounding variants of its brand for some of its private label ethnic food items, such as "Trader José", "Trader Joe San", and "Trader Giotto" for Mexican, Japanese, and Italian products respectively.
Why does Trader Joes discontinue things? ›
If a product is not earning its spot on our shelves, then we discontinue it to make room for something new. We do not enter into the decision to discontinue a product lightly.
Did Trader Joe's get bought out? ›
Trader Joe's, although it may be based in Southern California, is actually owned by Albrecht Discounts. The company was purchased back in 1979, long before it hit the cultural mainstream.
What did Trader Joe's used to be called? ›
Trader Joe's is named after its founder, Joe Coulombe. The chain began in 1958 as a Greater Los Angeles area chain of Pronto Market convenience stores. The original Pronto Markets were so similar to 7-Eleven that Coulombe felt the competition with 7-Eleven would be disastrous.
