Taking the "Shop USA Made" Pledge

Our father/husband has been talking to us about “buying American” for years, but it has hit home even more recently as we started really paying attention to labels – gadgets, clothes, shoes, housewares. When was the last time you checked the label to see where a product was made before you bought it? And how often does the label say “Made in the USA”?

Who are we and why do we care?

We are the Clark Girls and we are 1/3rd American and 2/3rds South African. The South African contingent immigrated to the States in 1986 with the hope of living the American Dream. The American contingent is born and bred American with family ties going all the way back to the Mayflower. On Thanksgiving Day 2011 we decided to take a pledge to Buy American and have some fun with it! Let’s make it easier to find great American made products and share them with your friends. We’re going to share all the fun and wonderful products that we encounter during our adventure and we encourage you to do the same with us. Because shopping is fun and sharing is even better – so take the challenge with us!

How can you help?

Next time you go shopping, check the label to see where the product is made first. If you find an alternate that is Made in the USA, consider spending the extra few cents or dollars to support American businesses. And if you don’t, speak up! Say something to the cashier when you leave the store. Send an email to the store’s customer service department or even write directly to the manufacturer. And please share your stories and experiences – both good or bad – with us!

Why does buying American matter?

·         Boost the American economy and reduce the trade deficit

·         Bring manufacturing jobs back to America

·         Support local businesses and the original American Dream

·         Reduce carbon footprint of shipping from overseas

·         Feel good about supporting our country!

Interesting Stats:

·       December is National Made in America Month, proclaimed on December 8, 1986 by President Ronald Reagan[1]

·        5% of clothing sold in the USA is made in this country[2]

·        61% of Americans say they’d rather buy something made in the USA²

·        More than 98% of American-worn footwear is made abroad[3]

·        By some estimates, manufacturing employs about 65 percent of America's scientists and engineers. [4]

·        It has been estimated that we need to create 17 to 20 million jobs in the coming decade to recover from the current downturn and meet upcoming job needs, it’s very hard to imagine where those jobs are going to come from unless we seriously get busy reinventing manufacturing.” This logic has been endorsed by Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric’s C.E.O.; Andy Grove, the former chairman of Intel; and Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical’s C.E.O.³

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[1] http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1986/120886d.htm

[2] Glamour http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/slaves-to-fashion/2011/07/10-fashion-brands-born-and-sti.html

[3] www.okabashi.com

[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/magazine/does-america-need-manufacturing.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all