19-03-29_"I'm Not Your Asian Food Delivery Service" (An answer to Hornbach's "Intiviation" to an "open" dialogue

“I’m Not Your
Asian Food Delivery Service”

Sung Un Gang

HORNBACH allegedly invited me and other “speakers” of #Ich_wurde_geHORNBACHt for an "open dialogue." Me and my sisters and brothers decided not to accept it. I’ll tell you why.

1.    We Are Already in an Open Conversation

I'm confused about the “invitation” because I've been already in a conversation with HORNBACH in an open space since March 25: on Twitter. The company even set the ultimatum—according to them, I and other “speakers” of #Ich_wurde_geHORNBACHt will have to contact the company "until the March 29,—3pm" at the latest.

Meanwhile, an Asian sister told me that HORNBACH already decided on the time and place for the "open dialogue" for April 1 or 2, at its headquarter in Bornheim bei Lindau. What's next, a dress code?

HORNBACH wants Asian faces in the HQ as soon as possible. So that the company can finally get these photos of some middle manager shaking the Asian hands and declare that HORNBACH was proactive and ended the crisis. Sooner the photos come, better for HORNBACH, because the company should calm down its investors, who don’t want to put their money into a racist company that HORNBACH is.

HORNBACH obviously regards Asians in general some kind of Asian food delivery service--quick and ubiquitous. They ordered our faces. But we are not their Asian food delivery service.

This is not an invitation. This is an order, and I will not serve HORNBACH what- & whenever they want. Basically, HORNBACH could have called some actual Asian delivery service, make the photo, and give them some nice tip. I believe HORNBACH is ready to do it. Because in the open dialogue that I and other Asians have been engaged in the last days, HORNBACH either lied to us or ignored our questions. You can easily find the records.

How can you trust HORNBACH after three days of lying and ignoring in the open space? If by any chance I decide to serve my Asian face on their table, how can I be sure that it was not a prank call?

For an “open dialogue,” you need to trust the other. We, who support #Ich_wurde_geHORNBACHt, do not have any trust in HORNBACH. That’s why the online petition was initiated in the first place.

2.    The True Agents of #Ich_wurde_geHORNBACHt are Millions of Asian Women

HORNBACH thinks that once they get me, they would win the game. They want to have this photo of the initiator of #Ich_wurde_geHORNBACHt to declare that they solve the problem. But I don’t think my Asian sisters and brothers would buy that.

Because I'm an Asian man. I’m a part of this campaign, but not the leader or anything.

You can find me very easily, because my name is alphabetized in an uncommon way. Without doing proper research, some media reports bluntly said that the campaign might be only supported by Asian women. No, there are Asian people (Asiat_Innen) of every possible gender, age, and dreams behind this campaign.

Concurrently, it’s true that the campaign is about Asian women. Thus, it would be completely wrong for me to stand before the camera, shaking hands with middle managers of HORNBACH, and help them clear the case. It would produce yet another picture of two men shaking hands over discriminated women’s issue and saying it’s all good.

In human history, there have been all too many women silenced, substituted, thus ignored and forgotten by men who 'made the history.' HORNBACH wants to register the 'open dialogue' into their book of white male history, with a support from an Asian man.

That's not going to happen this time. I took notes of my Asian sisters' screams into the petition. I'm a mere stenographer of Asian women, the true agents of this history.

Don't invite me behind the closed door.

Solve what happened exactly there where it happened—in the public.

Here are actions that we would consider as an apology.

Our Demands

1) We, the petitioners, demand the immediate cancellation of the entire campaign “So riecht das Frühjahr” and removal of related commercials from all channels.

2) We call for a thorough investigation into how such a racist and misogynistic campaign has arisen, in particular the responsibility of Mr. Florian Preuß, the PR Director of Hornbach.

3) We ask for a sincere written apology from John Feldmann (Chairman of the supervisory board of HORNBACH Holding AG & Co. KGaA) and Wolfgang Rupf (Chairman of the supervisory board of HORNBACH Management AG) to Asian women in German media, including FAZ, SZ, taz, SPON, just to name a few.

4) We demand the publication of the test screening process of the advertising campaign "So riecht das Frühjahr," especially ones with the Asian actress. Above all, this publication should explain: How many people with a migration background and/or non-white skin color were involved in the preview? How did they rate the advertising campaign? If no such person was involved, why were the non-white people excluded? Who made the decisions about the preview process?

In addition, we demand the publication of the Diversity Report by HORNBACH HOLDING AG & Co. KGaA and HORNBACH Management AG precisely about race and other minority categories. For instance, provide us with an answer to the question: how many people with a migration background and/or non-white skin color work for HORNBACH?

5) We demand the written declaration of HORNBACH HOLDING AG & Co. KGaA and HORNBACH Management AG for future promotions that they dignify minorities and implement them through proper test screenings.