When Ricardo Alvarado went shopping this week, he had a list of items to buy, but he walked away from Goya Foods. “I was using their beans, but I found a different brand,” he said. “I also changed the olive oil and bought my own spices, not yours.”
A New York City-based performing artist, Alvarado is boycotting Goya Foods. “As long as I help my community, I will do my part. It is important that we demonstrate unity and solidarity. ”
Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue sank the company last week when he praised President Donald Trump at an event announcing the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. “We are all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder,” said Unanue. He compared the president to his grandfather, a Spanish immigrant who founded the company in 1936.
News of Unanue’s words spread quickly, and hashtags like #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya were trending on social media.
For Alvarado, boycotting Goya Foods is personal. “I know that the company employs many Latinos and is very charitable,” he said, “but with everything that is happening with this administration and the border, the family separations and DACA, for Goya to support him and support him.” [Trump] for his work he amazed me. “
“There is a lot of hatred against our communities,” said Alvarado. “And the face of that hatred is Trump. I feel like Goya is supporting hatred by supporting Trump. “
Already in César Chávez’s grape boycotts during the 1970s, consumer campaigns have been a way for Latino communities to amplify their voices. But the Goya episode feels different for many Latinos because it comes at a time when the nation is politically polarized and some Latinos report feeling embattled.
The “Boycott Goya” movement, some Latinos say, is more about taking a stand against the president’s bigotry than punishing a brand that was once loved.
Valerie Halsema, a teacher in Los Angeles, said it relates to both sides of the Goya problem. “I support the boycott, but I also support her [Unanue’s] right to say what you want. If he wants to say that, go ahead, “Halsema said,” but every time you take a stand, there are consequences, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. “
Halsema noted that “where the line would be drawn are death threats, harassment and people trying to totally shut someone down.” The boycott idea is a good one, he believes, because “Donald Trump has not exactly been an advocate for people of color. It has been very divisive. I would say that I support the boycott and freedom of expression. “
Unanue’s comments have led public figures such as Lin Manuel-Miranda, chef José Andrés, actor John Leguizamo, former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro and representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., to express their support for the boycott Goya or criticize Unanue comments
That led to pro-Goya tweets from Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump that have kept the controversy looming.
So far, Unanue agrees with his words. In an interview on “Fox and Friends” last week, she compared violent reaction to “speech suppression.” Speaking of “The Ingraham Angle,” he said, “We have an opportunity to do it well or destroy. And let’s do it well.
Hostess Laura Ingraham asked Unanue if she planned to apologize for being with Trump, and he replied, “Hell, no. Hell no.
Goya Foods, in a sense, participated in a boycott in itself, when the company led other corporations to withdraw support for the Puerto Rico Day Parade in 2017. That year, the organizers of the parade honored Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar López Rivera. , whose sentence for seditious The conspiracy was commuted by President Barack Obama.
Several national Latino advocacy groups have weighed in on Unanue’s recent comments. In a statement Friday, the Hispanic Federation called the comments “painful and insulting.” The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) called Unanue’s words “callous, callous, and disrespectful to workers and consumers who buy Goya Foods products.”
“This is not a party problem”
For Melinda Colón Cox, president of the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the decision to issue a statement regarding Goya Foods was complicated by the fact that the company is based in her state, and the organization is likely to have some members with strong ties to the company. .
“When a problem like this arises, we take it very seriously and do our best to see the full perspective of opinions based on the facts available,” said Colón Cox.
Among other factors, its members believed that Trump has a history of making derogatory comments about Latinos and that Goya Foods prides itself on being part of the Hispanic community and consumer culture.
“It is undeniable that Goya is known for his charity and his philanthropic efforts,” said Colón Cox, “however, Mr. Unanue’s comments caused pain, grief and anger for a very large sector of the Latino community.”
Colón Cox’s group is nonpartisan, with members who have diverse political views. “This is not a party matter,” he said. Although she personally supports the boycott, her group does not support it.
Colón Cox hopes Unanue and Goya Foods can heal anger among some Latinos by reflecting on the reasons behind the boycott. “The words are powerful and impact how the public perceives a company.” Along with other measures, he believes that a statement by Goya acknowledging the boycott itself and why it is happening would be a start to help rebuild community trust.
It is not a decision “taken lightly”
Maria De Moya, an associate professor of communications at DePaul University in Chicago, was surprised by Unanue’s comments. “I feel like Goya has been a brand that has always done a good job of celebrating immigrants and Latino culture, everything this administration seems to be up against.”
Any CEO is entitled to their political views, De Moya explained, but when an executive speaks on behalf of a brand, he owes it to the company, investors and its employees to best represent the brand.
“Giving passionate and public praise to President Trump, and then not backing down from the backlash, doesn’t seem wise to me,” he said.
De Moya added that a boycott does not have to paralyze or bankrupt a company to be considered successful. Consumer boycotts can have the cumulative effect of subjecting a company to increased scrutiny in the press.
“A boycott can also be successful simply by obtaining information about the company’s values,” he said. “While there are Latinos who support Trump who will continue to buy Goya, there are certain customers that the company will probably never get back.”
In New York, Ricardo Alvarado said his decision to boycott Goya Foods was not a decision he made lightly. “I will be honest, it hurts, coming from Goya. It was a hard blow for me. “
“We create Goya, we create them. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Mexican Americans: we made that company, “he said. For Alvarado, it does not matter if others do not continue the boycott or if it is finally extinguished. “I have made my decision. I will keep my word; I’m done with them.
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