6.20.2004

http://www.i-am-asian.com/

McDonalds is asserting a trademark over the sentence "I am Asian" and has launched a website to market to APIs: http://www.i-am-asian.com/

I am beside myself. No one should be laying claim to "I am" anything unless that is what you *are*. What the hell is Asian about McDonalds? I'm not even sure what to make of this. On the one hand they are lending visibility and possibly sponsorship to our heritage month events and pointing links to some Asian American websites etc etc. but on the other hand, it's just so superficial, so contrived, so empty. And I really don't like this "I am" thing. Those are two very powerful words in self definition and self determination and should really be (theoretically since there's nothing stopping them) off limits to some mega American corporation with no real interest in Asian Americans except to capture us as a potentionally untapped market $$$.

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