Some members of Stanford’s Colombian community are taking action against what they deem an offensive shirt manufactured by Guess? clothing company. The shirt, which reads, “Ski Colombia: Always Plenty of Fresh Powder,” was taken off the market nationwide. Several Stanford faculty members had voiced complaints.

The shirt’s reference to drug trafficking in Colombia “trivializes a really serious problem,” said Ricardo Dolmetsch, associate professor at the School of Medicine.

“Colombians have made a big effort to fight the drug war, which has taken the lives of thousands of people,” he said. “I am personally upset that a company should use a common stereotype to try to sell a shirt.”

Dolmetsch sent an e-mail expressing his dismay and requesting the withdrawal of the shirt from retail locations. Medical Prof. Jose Montoya and Diego Romero, whose wife is a Knight Fellow, followed suit. All three are Colombian nationals.

Although Guess? has taken the shirt off the market, its image is still accessible online.

“It took a lot of letters for them to respond,” Dolmetsch said. “Initially, they didn’t want to do anything, but they realized they had a crisis on their hands. I think it helped that Stanford faculty got involved.”

In a similar situation three years ago, Abercrombie and Fitch caused a public uproar and ended up withdrawing a line of Asian-themed T-shirts, including one that read “Two Wongs can make it white.”

While Guess? sent apologies to all who wrote letters, many — including Romero — are not satisfied.

“They are not real apologies,” he said. “In effect, they say, ‘We are sorry because you are upset.’ They are not taking the blame. They don’t care about us Colombians.”

Romero said he plans to continue publicizing the issue until a public apology is made.

“Why don’t they design another T-shirt saying something good about the country?” he said. “It would be the greatest apology they could ever make.”

Dolmetsch said he feels the same way.

“There are plenty of shirts you can make that are flattering, as opposed to denigrating,” he said. “But I wouldn’t expect that of a clothing company.”

Critics of the Guess? shirt argue that it reinforces the unfair stereotype that Colombia is full of drug-runners.

“There is a historical weight on us, on our predication as the country from which drugs are imported to the United States,” Montoya said. The majority of Colombians are not involved in drug production or sale, he added.

“We have always been stigmatized as a country and as a people,” he said. “Many Colombians have been trying very hard to work to undo all this. It’s offensive when a company sells a commercial product at our expense.”

Freshman Laura Mesa said that it’s difficult to travel with her Colombian passport due to the country’s negative reputation.

“It takes a long time to get through customs,” she said. “Pretty much everywhere, people are wary of Colombian travelers. The officials tend to check my baggage very, very well.”

Romero likened use of a commercial product to make light of Colombia’s drug war to the burning of an American flag.

“Nothing could feel worse,” he said. “It’s something that we all have in our minds and hearts. To have a company like Guess? come up with this T-shirt is demoralizing, to say the least.”

Romero is asking all members of the Colombian community at Stanford to stop buying Guess? products and would like to expand the boycott to the campus at large.

“It could be great if everyone who’s concerned with what’s happening in the world could stop buying Guess?” he said.