After Goya Foods’ CEO praises Trump, boycott tells brand to #goyaway
For Hialeah native Alex Muriel, Goya products are a symbol of his abuela. He grew up eating Goya. So he was heartbroken when he found out company CEO Robert Unanue had sprinkled more than a dash of praise on Donald Trump.
“We’re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder,” Unanue said in a speech Thursday at the White House Rose Garden.
Muriel quickly joined the chorus of consumers on social media who’ve called for a boycott of the company. Then, he called his mother and six aunts and uncles to let them know it was time to cancel the brand.
“Goya is representative of our culture,” said the 45-year-old consultant. “How can you split your support from your consumers? I don’t understand what this CEO was thinking.”
Unanue’s praise for a president who has consistently undermined Latinos through words and actions are tone deaf, Muriel added. He said the president’s lack of action in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and the keeping of children in cages by ICE, should be enough to make any CEO of a brand supported by Latinos think twice before praising Trump.
For Ketty Zi Merino, a graphic designer in Miami, Goya products are a source of nostalgia. Her grandmother frequently stocked her kitchen with the iconic cylinders of yellow Adobo. But Merino said she doesn’t see the point in supporting a brand that is aligning itself with a president who’s shown himself to be anti-immigrant.
“I don’t think this guy deserves to get any money from anyone or any business,” Merino said of Unanue. “Out of all the companies Goya is something that’s mostly used by Hispanic people. I think the whole thing is ironic.”
In his speech, Unanue spoke of his grandfather, an immigrant from Spain who started the company in 1936. On its website the company bills itself as the largest Hispanic-owned company in the U.S. and a premier source for authentic Latin cuisine.
Julián Castro, former presidential hopeful and a Cabinet member in the Obama administration, reminded the company on Twitter that its brand has been a staple in Latino households for generations.
“Now their CEO, Bob Unanue, is praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain,” Castro tweeted. “Americans should think twice before buying their products.”
Unanue appeared on Fox News Friday morning. He said he would not apologize for appearing at the White House.
Goya has a strong presence in Miami. A Goya Foods distribution facility is located at 13300 N.W. 25th St.
The company has been the official Latin food provider for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival for at least seven consecutive years and a title sponsor of the festival’s Grand Tasting Village for several years.
Goya also sponsors the South Beach Seafood Festival, where it presented a Culinary Pavilion last year.
In 2018 Goya sponsored a fashion competition asking students at Miami International University of Art and Design to craft apparel out of Goya products.
As for Muriel, who’s been designing T-shirts with references to Latino culture for several years as a hobby, the Goya brand is such an emblematic part of his upbringing that one of his designs reads “Raised on Goya.” But now, he said, there will be no more Goya inside his house.
