(CNN) More than 1,700 people have signed a petition urging Trader Joe's to change the labeling of some of its international food products, calling the grocery chain's branding "racist." It cites "Trader Ming's," the grocery chain's label for its Chinese products, "Arabian Joe," for its Middle Eastern products, "Trader José," for its Mexican products, and a handful of others as examples. "The Trader Joe's branding is racist because it exoticizes other cultures - it presents 'Joe' as the default "normal" and the other characters falling outside of it," the petition says. The grocery store chain, which first opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967, said it has already "been in the process of updating order labels, and replacing any variations with the name Trader Joe's." Taco shells sold at Trader Joe's branded with "Trader Jose's"

Source: CNN July 20, 2020 00:45 UTC