WASHINGTON:
Byron Whitehurst designs the plastic busts of American presidents that line the shelves of a gift shop at the National Museum of American History. Priced at $US20 ($19) each, the trinkets are a favourite among tourists, who buy about 1200 a year.
But that was before a visiting senator picked up one of Mr Whitehurst's busts and noticed a small tag proclaiming ''Made in China''. His angry reaction touched off a firestorm that has forced the Smithsonian to clear its shelves of many souvenirs and rethink how it stocks its gift shops.
By July, Mr Whitehurst's lower-priced products - designed in Virginia but made in China - will no longer be sold at the third-floor gift shop near the American Presidents exhibit. The Smithsonian Institution is converting the shop to sell only American-made products, which may mean higher prices but could pave the way for similar ''Buy American'' efforts at other Smithsonian shops.
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The change is far from easy. ''It's challenging to get the range of products that we want to offer that will appeal to our visitors and to buy them in the US, because they're not produced here,'' said Peter Gibbons, who leads the team that is making product selections for the shop.
After a long search, Mr Gibbons found a small Utah company that makes presidential busts that are similar to Mr Whitehurst's.
Mr Whitehurst thinks the effort is misguided. ''They're hurting small businessmen like me,'' he said.
The call for change began when Senator Bernard Sanders went shopping there last year for gifts for his granddaughters. He was outraged to discover that many items had been made in China.
He issued an ultimatum to Smithsonian bosses: either sell more American-made items or risk losing billions in funding.
The senator eventually bought his granddaughters matching ''Rosie the Riveter'' lunchboxes from the museum. Where were they made? China
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/its-not-eas ... z1Jqeg53MH
Even your presidents are made in (not of) China
Even your presidents are made in (not of) China
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
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oldr_n_wsr
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Re: Even your presidents are made in (not of) China
I had a hard time finding an American flag not made in China. Ended up buying one online.