Your cart is currently empty!
- Where are your shirts made?
Our goal is to support Canadian businesses and buy Canadian. I AM NOT AMERICAN® designs are all originals and created in Surrey, British Columbia. Screen printing of the T-shirts is performed by a small business, also located in Surrey.
As for the manufacture of the shirts themselves, sizes SM – 2XL are made in Calgary or Toronto by a Canadian company, and distributed by a company headquartered in Montreal with distribution warehouses at several locations across Canada, including Vancouver.
Due to size 3XL not being a size offered by the Calgary manufacturer at this time, and size XL in black being on a 2-month backorder (at the time of this update), those shirts are made in Mexico, in a facility that holds a SMETA audit certification. For those statistically minded, that means at least 90% of the shirts available on IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com are entirely produced in Canada, by Canadians, while the rest are ethically sourced and support Canadian businesses post-manufacture. Our goal is to get to 100% Canadian made, even as early as when we next refresh our inventory. - Are you a big company?
No. IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com is a one-man operation in Surrey, British Columbia. I am registered as a Sole-Proprietorship business, and have been running the website as an ongoing interest, but in the background to other things that life presents us. So when you buy your I AM NOT AMERICAN® T-shirts from here, you are supporting a local independent business, who in turn supports other local businesses who supply the products you will buy. - What’s the purpose of the I AM NOT AMERICAN® t-shirt?
To get a message across, that message being that the wearer is not an American. It’s intended as a statement of fact and encourage friendly conversation, once the wearer is asked where they come from. - What languages are on this shirt?
The current ‘Canadian Flag’ design features 13 languages: Arabic, Chinese, Danish (yay Greenland!) English, French, German, Greek, Indonesian (or Malaysian, depending on who you’re speaking with), Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and Slovak.
On the original I AM NOT AMERICAN® shirt back in 2000-ish, there were eleven languages: Afrikaans, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Slovak (with a small typo that wasn’t discovered until after the shirt went to print).
I do have a number of other languages ready to go, so custom designs may be made with any combination of languages. - Why didn’t you include X language?
Space limitations. That and finding someone to translate I AM NOT AMERICAN® into the required languages were the two problems I faced. - Why do you feature Arabic on your shirt?
Because it’s a major language and it’s no different to featuring Italian, Chinese, or Spanish. My goal was to have a shirt good for use almost anywhere.
Back to top - I don’t want to use mail order. Which stores sell these shirts?
Sorry, at this time, I AM NOT AMERICAN® T-shirts are distributed only through IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com. I’m hoping you like the designs enough to buy some. I am open to discussions with businesses who may want to wholesale shirts to sell at their location, so if that happens, the site will be updated accordingly. - You’re in Surrey. I’m nearby. Can you deliver, or can I do a local pickup?
For pre-paid orders of at least three (3) shirts, I may consider a local delivery, depending on my availability and where you are. Feel free to send an Email to questions@iamnotamerican.com with details of where you are, and we can see what we can work out. Otherwise, the Canada Post Expedited Parcel or XPresspost are fast shipping options available. At this time I am not considering local pickup, sorry. - I own a store and would love to sell some of these shirts. Do you have any problems with that?
I am open to conversations about wholesale orders of T-shirts, or entering into a temporary agreement to licence the trademark for other merchandise. Please send an Email to questions@iamnotamerican.com if you would like to discuss specifics. Just as a friendly reminder, I AM NOT AMERICAN® is a registered Canadian trademark, and legal action will be (and has been) taken against those infringing upon the trademark. - My social group / association would love a bunch of these shirts. Do you have any problems with that?
I am happy to discuss special pricing for larger orders. You can contact me via Email at questions@iamnotamerican.com to discuss specifics. - I have seen this design or something similar being sold elsewhere. Who copied from whom?
I released the original I AM NOT AMERICAN® T-shirt on a limited basis, in 2000. In 2002, IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com was launched, and sold shirts with the Canadian flag design online, receiving quite a bit of media attention back then.
After that inventory sold out, I partnered with, and continue to have a presence on, a particular ‘on demand’ merchandise printing company. That partnership has enabled me to make available many more unique designs, and translate I AM NOT AMERICAN® into many other languages.
Since 2006, I AM NOT AMERICAN® has been a registered trademark, but unfortunately a number of people have blatantly copied the concept (some even stealing my unique designs to do so), while some others have done so – albeit apparently unintentionally. I do take steps to protect my intellectual property, including legal action where necessary. If you have seen my design or similar shirts elsewhere, please Email me with details as to where, so I can investigate and protect my idea, my investment and of course my intellectual property. There may even be a free shirt in it for ya! - You said you’ve partnered with an on-demand printing company and had other designs and languages available. Can I buy other designs there?
At this time, not easily. That on-demand company is U.S. based (ironic, I know), and while that is one reason to reconsider the partnership, I felt it important to regain control over product quality and customer experience so made the decision to once again sell directly to you, the customer.
So while those other designs and languages are still technically out there and still for sale, with the latest refresh of IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com, I will not be providing links to that on-demand site.
In future, I may bring some of those designs over and sell them directly from IAMNOTAMERICAN®.com, but not just yet.
Back to top
And now, responses to some of the emails I received when the I AM NOT AMERICAN® T-shirt was first released… - Why did you create an anti-American web site?
I didn’t. You won’t find any anti-anything sentiment here. - Why do you hate Americans and why are you putting down such a great nation?
I don’t hate Americans, nor am I putting anyone down. If you think that merely saying “I am not such and such” is a negative comment or a sign of hate, then you should look carefully at all those negative things you say each and every day. I AM NOT AMERICAN® is a statement of fact…plain and simple. If you view such a simple and harmless comment any other way, it is YOU that applies the negative aspect and therefore it is YOU that creates the hate.
Some of my closest friends are Americans. Just like folks from any other country, I think Americans (well, the vast majority of ’em, anyway) are nice people. It doesn’t mean I want to be confused as one. Of course, I’m sure most Americans would absolutely HATE being called “Canadian” (and would most likely be quick to respond with a comment along the lines of “I am not Canadian, I am American”). As a side note, I asked some of my American friends what they thought of my web site and shirt idea…and they loved it. Some even provided translations. - I’m American and I’m offended.
Sorry to hear that. If you’re looking for a web site that’s not offensive to you then, perhaps you may want to go here, instead. Seriously though, no offence was intended. I am certain you wouldn’t have a problem saying “I’m not Canadian” if someone thought you were from Toronto, for example. There’s no difference, except for the fact no-one has come up with the idea to print a shirt saying “I Am Not Canadian”. Hey, wait! I just did… - Why would anyone want to deny they are American?
Just as someone from San Francisco may want to make it clear they are not from Los Angeles, or someone from New York that they’re not from New Jersey, Canadians don’t really like being called ‘American’. It’s a matter of personal – and national – pride.
Furthermore, while the vast majority of Americans are wonderful people, they do have a less than stellar reputation internationally, either in general or as travellers. That imperfect reputation has resulted in people from other countries, mistaken as Americans, getting bad service. Many in that situation have found that just by making it known they’re not from the USA, the quality of service in restaurants, hotels and elsewhere increases greatly. - I don’t like your site, or your shirts.
Thanks for your comments, though I am sorry you feel that way. One of the marvels of the internet though, is that if you don’t like a web site, you don’t have to visit. Of course, if you don’t like my designs, you don’t have to buy one of the shirts. Thanks for dropping by this time, though. Be safe and please accept my very best wishes to you and your family. - I think your shirt is disgusting and I’m going to try to organise a shirt-burning protest.
Of course, if you want to demonstrate that you don’t encourage or respect freedom of speech, you go right ahead. Unfortunately for you however, considering this shirt is not available in stores, you’d be hard-pressed finding any shirts to burn.
But, if you really, really want to get some shirts for your shirt-burning protest, go ahead and order them on the site. I’ll sell you as many as you want.
Back to top - How can you say you’re not American if you are on the continent of North America?
It is generally accepted that an ‘American’ is someone from the United States. People from countries all around the world think of an ‘American’ as someone from the United States of America. Even people from the United States call themselves ‘Americans’. Of course, let’s not forget the saying “God Bless America” – it certainly isn’t intended to refer to the American continents.
Therefore, the meaning of this shirt is “I am not (from the United States of America)”. But you already knew that, didn’t you?