I am an American of Mexican descent and a shopper at Trader Joe’s.  I simply want Trader Joe’s to understand their use of the Trader José product line is not offensive in any way.  This is a counter to another change.org petition recently given exposure by the corporate media.

I cannot speak on behalf of anyone but myself on this matter and if somebody should find marketing strategies aimed at specific ethnic minorities offensive, I can do nothing to change their mind, nor do I intend to because they are entitled to their opinions.

That said, a company like Trader Joe’s should know that it has customers that shop for their products that do not mind this type of marketing at all.  It is at best a trifling concern when shopping for their products because the product itself is exemplary.  Altering their trademark to suit the specific ethnic cuisine can even be argued as a sign of their commitment to tolerance and inclusivity because they are creating as authentic a product as possible. One has to respect other cultures in order to emulate the best aspect of those cultures.

The only way they can insult their customers using the Trader José product line, is if these products did not live up to such expectations.  This is not the case.

This is still America, and what makes America different is multiple cultures and people can coexist in the same place.  If this is no longer possible then change the product line to appease the emotional well-being of people searching for reasons to be upset.  But if America is still the multicultural melting pot is purported to be, these products are perfectly acceptable and should remain.