Cancel culture came for Latino food company Goya Foods last week after the CEO publicly praised President Trump. “We’re all truly blessed…to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder,” Goya CEO Robert Unanue said at the White House last week. Unanue was at the White House to help promote the Administration’s “Hispanic Prosperity Initiative” which promotes economic development.
Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue: “We’re all truly blessed… to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.” pic.twitter.com/2VdG4qAnpK
— The Hill (@thehill) July 9, 2020
The calls for a boycott from some of the Democratic Party’s elite came swiftly after Unanue comments.
We learned to bake bread in this pandemic, we can learn to make our own adobo con pimienta. Bye. https://t.co/qKHNYfkqCq
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 10, 2020
Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling “how to make your own Adobo” https://t.co/YOScAcyAnC
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 10, 2020
.@GoyaFoods has been a staple of so many Latino households for generations.
Now their CEO, Bob Unanue, is praising a president who villainizes and maliciously attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their products. #Goyaway https://t.co/lZDQlK6TcU
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) July 9, 2020
But in what has turned out to be a backfire for the boycott, the right has decided to back Goya Foods by starting what’s being dubbed a “Buy-Cott.”
It started with radio host Mike Opelka who tweeted last week: “My brother came up with a terrific idea and I am encouraging all to join me in purchasing $10 worth of Goya Foods products and donating them to your local food bank. Let’s push a BUY-cott, not a boycott. Let’s show the #Goyaway people what compassion can do.”
That was quickly followed with a GoFundMe campaign launched to feed the hungry using only Goya products. Campaign founder Casey Harper said it was obvious to her what needed to happen. “I’m not surprised we have raised so much because people are tired of having to walk on eggshells in political discourse,” she said.
“Also, Americans are fundamentally generous people, so a chance to feed the hungry and stand up to cancel culture was an easy win.”
The left called on Unanue to apologize for praising Trump but has so far refused to do so. “It’s suppression of speech,” he said.
Here is more of what he had to say about the subject:
“In 2012, 8 years ago, I was called by Michelle Obama to Tampa and they were mentioning to launch a ‘MyPlate’ thing, it’s putting the nutritional pyramid into a plate of portion control. They wanted to approach the African American community, Hispanic community to eat more nutritionally. So, they called on us as the most recognized Hispanic brand in the United States and I went.”
“I went to the White House later and I introduced Hispanic Heritage Month, President Obama. And, so, you’re allowed to talk good or to praise one president, but you’re not allowed, when I was called to be part of this commission to aid in economic and in educational prosperity, and you make a positive comment, all of a sudden that’s not acceptable.”
“So, you know, I’m not apologizing for saying, and especially if you’re called by the President of the United States, you’re gonna say ‘no, I’m sorry, I’m busy. no, thank you.’ I didn’t say that to the Obama’s and I didn’t say that to President Trump.”
Perhaps this will be a tactic employed more often by the right in coming weeks and months.