#BoycottGoya Suppression of Speech or Accountability for Bigotry?
“Goya, O-Boya.” After bigoted and ignorant remarks from CEO Robert Unanue, Goya is now facing a social media crisis. Goya Foods is a staple in Latinx kitchens worldwide and many like myself feel a genuine betrayal and heartbreak when deciding to say #AdiosGoya.
Many Latinx such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and ex-presidential hopeful Julián Castro, used their platforms to admonish Unanue who praised Donald Trump stating “We’re all truly blessed… to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.” The same Trump that has children in cages and called Mexicans rapists. The backlash was immediate with a twitter storm with hashtags like #BoycottGoya, #AdiosGoya, and #Goyaway. Goya’s reputation as a symbol of Latinidad is in danger and may not improve any time soon.
Unanue refused to apologize for his comments stating that the boycott was “suppression of speech.” Latinx on social media responded that they would suppress their dollars from Goya and look elsewhere for popular products such as beans and spices. Meanwhile, Goya has been quiet on the subject and has been posting recipes as if, the company wasn’t in a reputational crisis.
The Goya boycott could have been avoided if Unanue picked up a newspaper and read Trump’s human rights violations at the southern border or if he gave a damn about the Latinx people his family has made a fortune on. The silverling is that we know where the company’s leadership stands and the Latinx community and its allies can decide how they’re going to use their freedom of speech.
