Trader Joe’s Is Removing Product Names Criticized as Being Racist | Eater

"The grocery chain has begun removing ethnic-themed product names after criticism that branding international foods with modified versions of “Joe” exoticizes and stereotypes other cultures — examples cited include “Trader Ming’s” (Chinese), “Arabian Joe” (Middle Eastern), “Trader José” (Mexican), “Trader Giotto’s” (Italian) and “Trader Joe San” (Japanese). A Change.org petition started by Briones Bedell, an East Bay teenager, accuses the retailer and its founder Joe Coulombe of perpetuating harmful exoticism (pointing to inspirations like the book White Shadows in the South Seas and the Disneyland Jungle Cruise) and had more than 3,400 signatures at the time of reporting. Company spokesperson Kenya Friend-Daniel said the packaging changes have been in progress for several years, that some products have already been updated and the plan is to rebrand international items under the single corporate name soon, stressing the move was meant to correct an originally “lighthearted” approach that can have an alienating effect rather than being a response solely to the petition." - Jenny G. Zhang