Boycott H&M (sorry, Joy)

Hey guys,

(It's Janice) This is my first post on a blog ever. It is so cool to be able to use this site to stay in touch!!

Congrats to Roze - I want to see pictures!!

Anyway, I wanted to share a press release with you guys since this concerns a racial discrimination lawsuit by a Filipino nurse (a friend of one of my friends) against H&M. When I heard about this incident it made me so angry that I wanted to go to H&M and yell at someone. Fortunately, the victim in question acted more calmly and decided to involve the press after her complaints to the store went unheard. (See press release below):

September 24, 2007Contact: Myron Dean Quon, Esq.AAI Legal DirectorCell: 773-865-6742Work: 773-271-0899myron@aaichicago.org
(Chicago, IL) - Asian American Institute filed a discrimination complaint with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, seeking redress for Frannie Richards, a Filipino American nurse who suffered anti-Asian and sex-based harassment at the Magnificent Mile H&M department store. The harassment included "mail-order bride" comments, ridicule concerning Ms. Richards' ability to understand English, as well as mocking "ching, ching, chang" noises by an H&M employee."Anti-Asian, xenophobic, and misogynist verbal attacks still happen on a daily basis," said Asian American Institute Legal Director Myron Dean Quon. "Asian American women, like Ms. Richards, should never have to deal with this type of harassment, in Chicago no less." This past month, when Ms. Richards entered H&M to go shopping for clothes, she had no idea that she would be the victim of a hostile and threatening environment. "As a registered nurse and retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt., I knew that I had to enforce my civil rights, for myself and other Asian American women. Because H&M refused to discipline this employee, I immediately thought of my own female relatives and friends. The workplace usage of disparaging anti-Asian slurs should require the termination of that H&M employee." Quon noted that Asian Americans should be able to visit retail establishments and other businesses without having to endure a humiliating and offensive environment. Asian American Institute will represent Ms. Richards based on her claim that H&M violated the City's Human Rights Ordinance, when the employee harassed Ms. Richards and also when in it refused her request to file a formal complaint. Chicago's anti-discrimination ordinances guard against discrimination, including anti-Asian and sex-based discrimination, when the discriminatory incident takes place in Chicago and involves employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, or bonding..

I tried to call Andrew to see if he knew the guy who made the ignorant comments since he (at least used to) work at this very same H&M but haven't been able to reach him yet.

Anway, until H&M publicly addresses this issue and fires not only the guilty employee, but changes its corporate policy to take stricter measures against this type of behavior, I refuse to shop there!!