When I heard the news talking about the US Olympic team’s uniform being made in China, I found it fascinating because I have also encountered similar things throughout my interior design career. The word “Made in China” has become such a scary word and many furniture companies started to sell their products by telling customers that their furniture was not  made in China but in the US.

I also had been on this fear of Made in China wagon by avoiding specifying furniture that was made in China for the high-end residential projects until one day, I saw a security safe that was recommended by the client was delivered to the job site, and I found multiple defects on it, I started complaining about its poor craftsmanship and low quality and said this safe must be made in China. Then, I saw the tag attached on the safe wall saying “Made in USA”. Besides embarrassing, I started to think what I did was totally stereotyping. I hate people judging me based on stereotypes, so why should I judge a product’s quality based on its origin?

I remember back in the 80’s, people were making fun of the products that were made in Taiwan, but now, Taiwan’s products are famous worldwide for the superior quality. Many Chinese restaurants in the US are owned by Chinese, but the food served by lots of them is actually Americanized. So, I really would suggest interior designers judging the quality and service of a product based on its manufacturer and brand reputation, not by what country it was made at.