Panhia Vang - Go Green Week 3!

Black Friday just passed! And, yay me! I didn't go shopping at all. I spent Thanksgiving in Davis, away from family, and attended the Sacramento Hmong New Year Tabling event all day Thursday and Friday. I think my busy schedule is definitely influencing whether or not I shop.

Cyber monday is coming up quick and I'm a little bit disappointed about this - just a little bit! Haha. I tend to do more online shopping that I do physical shopping. On the bright side, I might be missing some amazing cyber monday deals, but I have realized that I need to start saving money for future med school applications. Overall, I guess I'm doing myself a favor by not going online tomorrow! :)

While walking down the stretch of clothing booths at the Hmong New Year, I saw that many folks were selling little dolls in Hmong clothes - from stuffed animals to doll key chains. Among some black-haired dolls, many are blond and brunette dolls. It makes me wonder why? Especially when the Hmong community looks down on Hmong girls that has non-black hair.

This made me think about Abercombie's policy of hiring a certain "look" and discriminating against those who don't have the specific European fitted look that they need. These past years, I've been noticing that not only do many of these dolls have blonde and brunette hair, but also large beautiful eyes. It's what a White person in Hmong clothes would look like.

Lining the walls of my aunt's house is her collection of dolls that she hand-sewn Hmong clothes for. Unlike many of the dolls I see at the Hmong new year, she specifically chooses the darker skinned dolls (Native American dolls), which she says looks most like a representation of a Hmong girl.

I never really thought I'd give another thought about these dolls, but it's always been so apparent that they're not Hmong dolls. They're European dolls dressed in Hmong clothes. It makes me wonder if these designers and doll creators realize that these dolls are quite controversial when you look at them through an Asian American framework.


References:

yellowworld.org. “Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit.” Reader.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/327/8/e/little_chibi_hmong_girl_dolls_by_magicalpockygirl-d5ly5s6.jpg 

Roger Saechao's Be Green Challenge Blog 3 Week 3

            This week’s be green challenge is by far the toughest. I have been browsing through the internet because the holidays are coming up and there are mega sales going on right now. Another reason why I been online browsing is because within the past week, my two favorite sports team the Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors made me a very proud fan. With their victories and all of the excitement, I could not help myself but to look at their merchandises. It’s really hard to resist and I have this strong urgency of purchasing new clothes. While browsing their merchandises I was really surprise that they were carrying size small. In the past I always shop online and most of the time, size small is barely in stock. I was really tempted to buy their clothes, but I had to redeem myself from doing that because I do not want participate in being a consumer and I did not want to be a cycle of the production of sweatshops. Also while I was browsing through the Golden State Warriors website, I noticed that they made a special edition beanie with the Filipino sun surrounding the Golden State Warriors logo. The special edition beanie was made for Filipino heritage night which the Golden State Warriors do every year. This beanie was made to make Filipinos feel proud and something that they can enjoy and appreciate.  However this beanie reminded me of the Abercrombie & Glitch article where they produced derogatory Asian shirts which was supposedly to be funny. In this case the shirts are not funny because it produces the stereo types of Asian Americans. If Abercrombie wanted to produce Asian clothing, they should produce a product like the Filipino Golden State Warriors beanie where Asian Americans can feel proud of.

Sources:

Strasburg, Jenny. “Abercombie & Glitch / Asian Americans Rip Retailer for Sterotypes on T-Shirts”

http://www.warriorsteamstore.com/gsw1031141422.html

Be Green Challenge Week 3: Jillian Mariano

Week three of the Be Green Challenge passes by without so much as a nod or wave goodbye.  Once again, I have not bought anything besides food with flying colors.  However, my mama bought me some Tupperware to contain food.  Does that count as a strike?  But in all seriousness, I had many reasons to stick to my guns and persevere through this challenge, despite the capitalistic holiday season rearing its ugly head.  

The dreaded Black Friday rose from the depths of Hell to lay waste upon consumers, instilling in them a kind of feverish anger that makes them riot in the street and punch their fellow man in the face.  I was steadfast in my convictions, as Black Friday was the day of the Total Blackout for Reform, in which Ferguson protesters urged black and non-black shoppers to not spend a single dime to effect change on the police state or buy from black business owners if need be, and the Black Friday Walmart protests to effect change on Walmart’s exploitative policies.  Although not quite as visibly racist as Abercrombie and Fitch, who openly promote European, fat-phobic beauty standards, have racially discriminatory hiring practices, and stock their shelves with anti-Asian t-shirts, Walmart still overworks and underpays their employees. 

Strasburg, Jenny. "ABERCROMBIE & GLITCH / Asian Americans Rip Retailer for Stereotypes on T-shirts." SFGate. Chronicle, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Barman, Jay. "Protesters Chain Themselves To BART Trains At West Oakland, Temporarily Halt Transbay Train Service [Updated]." SFist. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

Mandy Lew - Blog 3

Be Green Challenge

"Inspirational" Wall Decoration

This past week was Thanksgiving and equally, if not more important to some, the infamous Black Friday. This year many stores boasted about their early opening times. It seems to me as if the opening times of stores are becoming earlier and earlier each year, it won’t surprise me if Black Friday becomes a week-long event in coming years. Although stores opened earlier this year, ABC News reports that online sales have risen 9.5% from last year. The rising popularity of online shopping may convince companies to stop opening their stores earlier and illustrates how consumers have yet another method of purchasing material items. 

It is easy to forget the negatives of mass consumption especially if there are considerable markdowns. Even though some companies are known to be exploitative in their labor practices, this fact is ignored during the season of steep markdowns. These known exploitative companies need to be remembered in order for consumers to demand enforcement of fair labor practices. In this week’s readings on Abercrombie and Fitch’s history of discrimination, I learned about the various occasions and methods employed by the company to marginalize minorities. Prior to reading these articles, I was not aware of the discrimination suit faced by the company but did notice that their advertisements featured mostly white models. Because of this atmosphere I was never interested in this brand and do not remember the last time I entered one of their stores.

Although I didn’t buy anything personally, I did stand in a two hour line with my family. My family members barely go shopping and did not head to stores on Thursday night but even as we arrived at a store close to 1 pm on Friday, there was a line that almost circled the entire store. Although Black Friday is a commercial holiday I was happy to see that the people around us in line were kind and civilized, sharing and complimenting the deals they found and for whom they were for. Many shoppers were grandparents buying presents for their children and grandchildren. I overheard the parents and grandparents’ reasons for standing in this long line to purchase whatever they were there for. Honestly, it was nice to see these people show their affection for their loved ones even though it was through material goods. If only our society placed less value on material goods.

The Associated Press. "Black Friday Sales Fall as Sales Start Earlier." ABC News. N.p., 29 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.

"Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit" News Source. 2004. http://yellowworld.org/civil_rights/280.html

Strasburg, Jenny. “Abercrombie & Glitch: Asian Americans Rip Retailer for Stereotypes on T-shirts.” 

Sophia Lisaius: Blog Three

This weekend was my birthday. This year I broke a lot of traditions, which was sad in some ways, but also very positive because it was for the better. Usually every year I buy a birthday outfit. This outfit relates to what my plans are for that day, such as lunch with friends, a night out, or a hike but no matter what there is always a new piece of clothing in the group. This Saturday I didn't have that, and I wore things that I had worn before. Crazy, I know. 

Thinking about wearing the same thing twice has never been an issue for me. I like my clothing and I try to buy it with quality, so that the number on the price tag, is the number of wears I have to get it. But why is it that I have to have a new outfit when something special happens? This is what surprised me, and with that one thought I broke out a dress that I bought four years ago, and it needed a few more wears to get to its price tag. 

On my birthday I didn't feel dragged down by the clothing that I had worn before, and I still felt great in it. I thought it matched the occasion perfectly, and I like that I could put a dress that was designed for a fancier event to use in a more relaxed environment. It was fun. 

After doing the reading for the class this week I couldn't help but get upset. I am a white female, being female is my only social "flaw" and even so, I am privileged in the sense that I have never been thought of as a minority. Yes my ancestors came to The United States and had to work horrible conditions, but it was people before them that who helped create a horrible standard for many people in the world. When reading the “Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit.” I was pretty bummed. I never grew up wearing that clothing because my mom didn't like the idea, and the stores always gave me a headache. I liked the moose on the sweaters, but didn't get how one small logo could do so much damage. 

Abercrombie and Fitch is for white people. This is now known throughout the world, yet they aren't even for all white people. If you are curvy, are female with muscle mass, or even broad shoulders you should not wear this clothing. I looked up pictures of the store openings, and its always centered around two ab ridden guys, with small white girls clutching his body. Why would a guy allow that? Is that every guys goal? I felt bad, because now every guy in the world had to look like that, and the sad thing is that when you look like that, you aren't actually building strength and you aren't as strong as people think you are. 

When doing a google search, there is always now a non-white person in the photo. I thought this was good to see, yet there was always a white person in every photo, because just in case you missed it, white people should wear Abercrombie and Fitch.

This class is really starting to open my eyes to things I didn't know about. It is startling how obvious things are, but they are buried deep beneath the efforts to oppress and diminish the livelihood of certain people. I know what it feels like to not fit into clothing, but I've never known what it was like to not be accepted in certain clothing. 

Wendie H. Vang - Blog 3

Misrepresentation or Acknowledgement

For this week’s topic I will be discussing the influence of Asian fashion and how ambiguous it is for celebrities and politicians to wear Asian clothing. According to Suzy Menkes, many Asian American designers have gone global if not national. Alexander Wang is one well known. He and many other Asian Americans tell the story of how their mothers were seamstresses and taught them to sew. However, I don’t think that people should assume that all Asian American designers have this background. Yes, many of their parents were immigrants, but not all of them. People shouldn’t generalize all Asians to having one history. If they do, then it should be a very broad history.

In the reading “It’s hip to be Asian,” I read about how famous celebrities and trendsetters were wearing South Asian clothing in the UK. One example that I’ve known was Princess Diana wearing the salwaar kameez when she visited India. Parminder Bhachu lists many women ranging from aristocrats to movie stars, all of European descent, who wear the salwaar kameez suits or Punjabi suits. Bhachu’s reasoning for this is that these women are acknowledging that they live in a multicultural world (55). This makes sense since there are many South Asians in the UK. I also wonder if the reason why Asian fashion is more prominent these days is because there are a few Asians leading the fashion industry.

I understand that Asian fashion is growing, but I don’t think it’s always right for people to wear a national costume. For example, whenever famous people go to visit India or South Asia, they seem to always be wearing the national costume. It’s fine if they are wearing the outfit to show respect for the culture, but I think people over do it. If every time a celebrity went to Asia and wore the national costume, then I would think they’re trying to say that they must wear the countries national costume every time they visit that country. If so, then every time someone from a foreign country visits the western countries, then that foreigner too must wear western clothing. It creates this perpetuating situation where the east is still the other, reinforcing Orientalism. However, what do I know about why celebrities dress a certain way.

Lastly, my progress on being green is doing quite well. For thanksgiving that mainly means buying food to eat which is allowed for this project. On Black Friday, I stayed home all day taking a very VERY long nap. I’ve never gone Black Friday shopping, so me not shopping on that day has no effect on me.

Bhachu, Parminder. “It’s hip to be Asian: The local and global networks of Asian Fashion entrepreneurs in London.” Transnational Spaces. Ed. Steven Vertovec. New York: Routledge Publishing, 2004. 40-59.

“Mark Zuckerburg in a sherwani, Princess Diana in a salwar kameez: 20 photos of foreign celebrities who looked stunning in traditional Indian attire.” Ibnlive.in.com. 27 October 2014. Web.

Menkes, Suzy. “The Asian Wave.” New York Times. Web. 8 February 2013.

Mahanaz Ebadi Blog 4

Mahanaz Ebadi

Blog 4

November 30, 2014

“All in the Family? Kin, Gifts, and the Network of Fashion.” The Beautiful Generation.

“”Material Mao”: Fashioning Histories Out of Icons.” The Beautiful Generation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/asian-style-icons-photos_n_3619283.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkkDQ7e8YI

I always considered myself an expert in fashion.  Purchasing the newest trends, and combining them with vintage looks for the past.  Yet little did I know there was a whole universe of fashion; with millions of outlets.  In the beginning of this challenge, I had my doubts.   Being a shopaholic, I doubted my capability on whether or not I’d be able to be green.  Yet after watching various documentaries on companies I help thrive on a daily basis paying their workers 3 cents on the hour made my stomach turn.  Thus this newfound realization and information aided me in my green challenge, to protest and boycott such organization.  I found a sense of control and strength in being green.  I truly felt as though it cured me of my illness when it comes the newest clothes on the market.   While I was on my path to recover, the various readings materials required of the class continued to fuel my interest and educate me on the world of fashion and how the Asian Culture is such a dominate figure and influence.  In reading the book The Beautiful Generation (Asian Americans and the cultural economy of fashion) by Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu informed its reader about the amount of influence Asian American culture has on the fashion world.  I was unaware that our first lady wore a dress to the inauguration ball by a new designer who was also an Asian American.  Asian American Culture is truly taking the fashion world by storm, influencing each corner of the fashion market.  Nevertheless this challenge was one that changed my outlook on fashion completely.  Who knew your favorite outfit could come out of a thrift store, or your best friends closet.  Being green truly saves your greens.   I will continue to be green every year for at least two months out of the 12 because its truly an amazing and empowering experience. 

Kevin Lee - Blog #3

Be Green Challenge Week 3

            It is the end of week 3 of the “Be Green” challenge, and I am glad to say that I did a pretty good job this week. Since this week was Thanksgiving weekend, and Black Friday was this week, many people went to shops to buy everything they could since almost everything was on sale. However, it is safe to say that I did not give in to the pressure because I have NEVER been Black Friday shopping. Never in my life have I gone Black Friday shopping, and I do not know when I will start. However, during this past week, the term “Black Friday” got me thinking. What exactly is Black Friday? Where and when did this term come of be? Since I had these questions in my mind, I decided to research on the history of Black Friday. “Black Friday” was officially used during the 1960s in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia police when they were dealing with the traffic jams and accidents during the day after Thanksgiving. Since people were starting to do Christmas shopping, the streets of Philadelphia became crowded with people going to many retail stores, thus causing traffic accidents and jams. The police referred to this day as “Black Friday” because it was a dark day full of chaos. The term “Black Friday” stayed within Philadelphia until it finally spread nationally in the 1970s, when retailers realized that they could draw in big crowds by discounting prices, thus the start of sales throughout many stores.

Black Friday explained in 60 seconds

Looking back at this week’s readings, this research tied into the A&F lawsuit article. For Black Friday, retail companies will do anything to make sure their items sell. A&F decided to be discriminant towards non-whites because they believed that white people were the best at marketing their products. This goes to show that A&F does not think about how their marketing strategies will affect the other racial groups because all they want to do is sell their products. Black Friday contributed to this discrimination because since everything is on sale, A&F wants to be able to sell everything, thus using the best possible marketing strategy, which in turn was not the best. However, it finally took a lawsuit to make them realize that “diversity makes a good business sense.” Black Friday is a dangerous day where anything can happen or will cause certain events/problems to happen.

            As Thanksgiving comes to a close, I just want to say that I am really thankful and grateful to my family because they have been taking care of me ever since I was born, and they still are today. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my family. As gradation draws near, I hope to be able to repay them for their kindness and support in the future through my hard work and determination with whatever I find.

Sources:

http://www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2014/the-real-history-of-black-friday/#.VHpMzDEc6-I

https://blackfriday.com/pages/black-friday-history

Youtube Video: “What is Black Friday? We explain all in 60 seconds

yellowworld.org. “Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit.” Reader.

Mark Cayabyab Blog # 3

It's the end of Week 3 of the Be Green Challenge and I'm happy to report that I resisted purchasing any new items over Thanksgiving break. However, it was very hard to not purchase all the clothes in the mall after viewing the dramatic price reductions and new winter inventory. It's was difficult to avoid the mall because most of my cousins wanted to catch up with me while going shopping. I explained my Be Green challenge to them and they respected my choice, but they did not want to leave me alone. 

As I was going through the stores and seeing all of the shoppers trying to get the heavily discounted items, I realized that I was happy to be going on this Be Green challenge because I took myself out of the chaotic environment that is often called "Black Friday." Seeing my cousins forget their manners and basic civility in exchange for a discounted bag or jackets caused me to see how the pursuit of consumer products can make even the most level headed individual go crazy. I left the shopping mall feeling accomplished. 

I liked reading about the articles in class this week that dealt with ethnicity and identity through clothing. For example, reading about the discriminatory practices perpetrated by Abercrombie & Fitch was fascinating and disturbing at the same time. I could believe at this day in age that we are still dealing with racial insensitivity in the form of clothing that negatively depicts Asians in a stereotypical image and a young girl asked to take her hijab off in order to operate under a ridiculous policy. The article reminded about the recent incident involving jewelry sold at Top Shop that perpetuated an negative Asian stereotype that is often depicted in the form of Fu Man Chu. 

I feel that the company was not being racist, but more likely ill-informed about the Asian community. Many people jump into the racist conclusion too quickly without hearing out the other side. Often times people or companies just make mistakes and I'm open to having a civilized discussion in order to educate them about Asians and our culture. On the other hand, I did not appreciate the backlash the store received once the necklace was pulled out of stores. Reading the comments such as "Asian are so sensitive" or "Can they just take a joke?" upset me because I feel our society has not grown after years of racial inequality. 

All in all, I want companies to know that clothing and accessories come with a certain power in our society. They can be symbols for socioeconomic status or catalyst for discussion about deeper societal problems such as the Fu Man Chu necklace. 

Sources:

"Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit" News Source. 2004. http://yellowworld.org/civil_rights/280.html

"Well, This Yellow Face Necklace is Just Awful" Source. 2014. http://www.refinery29.com/2014/07/70907/topshop-racist-charm-necklace

Be Green Challenge Week 3- Alicia

This past Black Friday in San Francisco has been filled with political turmoil. While crowds of people were cruising though store aisles trying to spot the best deal of the weekend, another crowd was marching through the streets trying to bring awareness to the events taking place in Ferguson and igniting participation in these public demonstrations. 

  

Revolution News- #blackoutblackfriday facebook.com/revnews

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/28/activists-protest-ferguson-decision-ahead-of-union-square-black-friday-tree-lighting-san-francisco-macys-michael-brown-shooting-police-killings-embarcadero/

It seems that capitalist consumer behavior is magnified on major holiday sales and our concern for the social injustices that happen within our neighborhoods come second to our desire of material items. Protesters shouted "Black Friday doesn't matter, Black lives matter," (CBS) but how many people acted upon those words? How many people turned their heads away from the protest to watch the Christmas tree be lit on Union Square? And how many customers turn their heads away from the working conditions of low wage laborers to purchase a new sale item? 

We shouldn't be ignoring other peoples hardships in order us to enjoy the things that we buy. We shouldn't be supporting establishments that actively discriminate against people due to race or religious beliefs etc. (NewsSource) We should concern ourselves with unfair and unethical practices and find ways to solve those problems.

Protests are reminders that social problems still exist but that there are also people who are willing fight back. The Ferguson protest is a reminder that people should matter more than material objects and we should realign our ethics to create a community that is not only accepting towards others but stands up for each other in times of need.

Challenge Update: I didn't buy any new items this Black Friday but I did go to the mall with my mom. We didn't go towards the area of the protests because they usually turn violent.

Sources

"Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit" News Source. 2004. http://yellowworld.org/civil_rights/280.html

"Black Friday Protest Over Ferguson Turns Ugly, Clashes in Union Square, Mission District" CBS News. Nov 28, 2014. Web

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/11/28/activists-protest-ferguson-decision-ahead-of-union-square-black-friday-tree-lighting-san-francisco-macys-michael-brown-shooting-police-killings-embarcadero/

Venice Santos Blog #3

Be Green Challenge

It is the end of Week 3 of the Be Green Challenge and unfortunately I cracked, I cracked, I cracked. I gave into retail sales and bought new clothes. What began as spoiling my little sister became an all out shopping spree between the two of us. In my failure, one huge, subtle moment got me thinking. And thinking alot. While in Champs at the Glendale Galleria, as I was walking out the store empty handed I witnessed a boy holding a new box of shoes. As he scurried to search for a seat to sit down and try on the fresh pair, I noticed not only the excitement in his eyes, but the happiness in his sister and especially his mother's eyes. I knew that certain glimmer in her eyes because I see it in the eyes of my parents and I knew exactly what she was feeling. It got me thinking about how thankful I am of my parents because whenever I see that glimmer in their eyes I know they're proud and genuinely happy. My parents work tireless hours at jobs they did not ask for but were blessed to get the opportunity to work at to be able to provide a roof over my siblings and my heads, food on the table and the occasional shopping sprees like the exchange I saw between that boy and his mother. 

After reading this week's readings, it got me thinking about just how power hungry many, if not all, retail companies are. Some owners are just plain inconsiderate and closed-minded about the diversity of people in the world. When A&F lost its lawsuit, Kimberly West-Faulcon, Director and WEstern Regional Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said "Abercrombie now realizes diversity makes good business sense." WELL, OBVIOUSLY. Actually, not completely obvious if it took a lawsuit for Abercrombie to realize that, but nonetheless it is wrong for the company to fire or not hire people because of their cultural backgrounds or beliefs. 

As I grow older and wiser, this Thanksgiving season, I am more than thankful for the life I have that my parents continuously work hard to provide for me. I am thankful for the unconditional love and support my family and friends give me everyday that push me to become a better person everyday. As the end of the quarter nears, I am taking with me a motivation to finish strong and continue to work towards graduation so one day I'll be able to provide the same financial support and unconditional love I have received to my whole family.

Citations:

yellowworld.org. “Abercrombie and Fitch Settles $40 Million Discrimination Suit.” Reader.

Youtube Video: "Abercrombie & Fitch Loses Discrimination Suit".

Kristina Gong, Blog #3

This week by definition should be the most difficult in terms of sticking with the Be Green Challenge since today is Black Friday. However, as someone who has worked three Black Fridays in the past four years, I am pretty against shopping on this day. Four years ago, I worked at Target and had to open on Friday at 4 a.m., which I thought was ridiculously early. However, the following year Target opened at Friday, 12 a.m. Last year I worked at the Gap in Davis, which opened at 6 a.m. (not as bad), but I live in the Bay Area so having to travel back to Davis just to work and then commute back home was annoying, to say the least. This year, my former Gap co-workers told me the store opened at 4 p.m. on THANKSGIVING, and I found out that Target opened at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving day. I was always against the idea of “Christmas coming early.” Examples of this would be: 1) selling Christmas decorations way before acceptable holiday season (i.e. before Halloween in October), 2) playing Christmas music prior to Thanksgiving, 3) Black Friday Christmas shopping intruding on Thanksgiving.

Personally, my family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving the “traditional American way” with home cooked food and everyone gathering at someone’s house. We usually just go out to eat at the same Chinese restaurant we go to for every celebration, so Thanksgiving is not a big deal to me. However, I know that Thanksgiving is a big deal to most other people. It’s a time to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of work and school and really reflect on all the people and things we should be thankful for that we take for granted. It’s a time to be thankful for what we already have, yet Black Friday completely defeats the purpose of Thanksgiving. In a frenzy to get items we really do not need for cheap, we’ll leave family Thanksgiving dinners early just to line up to buy a discounted flat screen tv, or a new game console to add to our existing collection. Many people, such as the author of this Inquisitr article (author unknown), are saying that this phenomenon of opening stores on Thanksgiving day will lead to the extinction of Black Friday. This recent occurrence of stores opening earlier is apparently due to “customer demand’, but what worries me is that what if customer demand becomes so great that it eventually takes over Thanksgiving day itself, and shopping starts Thanksgiving morning (“Black Thursday” prior to dinnertime??)

Not only do these store openings affect customers, who at least have the choice to stay home, but retail workers as well who do not have a choice and are pulled away from their families on Thanksgiving Day. So, as a former retail worker, I’m pretty against the Black Friday tradition and will not shop so long as it intrudes on set aside Thanksgiving time with family.

Aside from this newly formed shopping-on-Thanksgiving tradition, as a consumer and someone who exchanges Christmas gifts, I love all of the promotional efforts retailers put out around this time. As stated in the readings this week, “dress has become a significant status indicator” (Yamani), which is why consumers will jump at the opportunity when brand name retailers knock prices during Black Friday. That rush you get when buying a designer label for a less-than-designer price is exciting, so its understandable why consumers are so willing to go out at the peak of dawn to snag these deals. However, I wish retailers wouldn’t continue to encourage this behavior by opening on the holidays. I’m hoping that Cyber Monday and online shopping will secede in-store shopping so people will be able to at least stay at home and better spend their time with family and friends.

Black Friday 2014: Thanksgiving Hours Could Spell End Of Black Friday Shopping Forever. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.inquisitr.com/1552430/black-friday-2014-thanksgiving-hours-could-spell-end-of-black-friday-shopping-forever/

Yamani, Maii. “Changing the Habits of a Lifetime: The Adaptation of Hejazi Dress to the New Social Order.

Be Green Challenge, Blog #3: Tammy Hsu

Today is probably the hardest day. Even though I usually do not like buying, I still want to check out Black Friday deals. There were some items I really want, such as a phone case for myself and some presents for my relatives, but I had to remind myself that I cannot buy them. As I was walking around, I saw people putting at least one television in their carts. This made me think: do people really need that many television in their house? Or is it that people cannot resist the good deals?

After I got home from Black Friday window shopping, I decided to find the origin of Black Friday. Based on the article by Amadeo, Black Friday used to have bad connotation. “Black” day is used to refer to bad days in history, such as the beginning of an economic depression. But as Black Friday becomes a common practice, “Black Friday” becomes a positive term (at least, for companies). Even though Black Friday brings profit for companies, there are some dark sides. For example, many fights break out during Black Friday because people want to fight or because people shoplift. In addition, I also find the idea of Black Friday weird. Before, Black Friday actually occurs on Friday. But for the past few years, Black Friday occurs on Thanksgiving. It seems Thanksgiving is becoming a profit day, rather than a day to give thanks.

In Mai Yamani’s reading, the author discusses how outfits can indicate one’s status. As I look back to Black Friday, I do notice that people have the tendency to go to branded stores. By having certain brands, people would be associated with certain social status. Black Friday seems to be the perfect day for people to go to branded store since it is also discounted; however, I feel like this is just one of the strategies that companies use to lure people. Even though they claim that they are having a big clearance sell, the material and labor cost for each branded item is still much lower than the price that is listed.

References:

Amadeo, Kimberly. "How Black Friday Got Its Name." About News. About.com, 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2014.

Yamani, Maii. “Changing the Habits of a Lifetime: The Adaptation of Hejazi Dress to the New Social Order.”