A lot is going on in politics right now, especially with COVID, but I do want to explain why the Goya CEO Praise of Trump is such a Big Deal

Goya and Trump: A Thread

I'm gonna start with Goya so it's easier for y'all. Goya was founded in 1936 by Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, an immigrant from Spain to Puerto Rico to NYC. Since then, the company is in its 3rd generation of family ownership with Robert Unanue currently at the helm. 1/

Currently, Goya has a net worth 1.1 billion dollars and works with over 258 organizations to improve the lives of the Hispanic and Latino communities. It has strong ties to Houston, NYC, Puerto Rico, along with other cities with large Hispanic/Latino populations. 2/

Since its inception in 1936, Goya has become a staple food of Hispanic and Latino cuisine. If you go to the international food sections in your local store, you can find COUNTLESS products from Goya. Rice, beans, spices. Goya is essentially a standard at this point. 3/

This is why Unanue's statements on July 9th, praising President Trump came as a surprise to the Hispanic and Latino Communities. That he would even think we were "truly blessed" with Trump at the helm. 4/

This is after Trump ran a political campaign targetting Latino populations, particularly Mexicans. He called us "rapists," "pedophiles," and "murderers." He made us targets for harassment by his base. He is continually separating Asylum seeking families from each other. 5/

Trump focused on "building the wall" that Mexico was supposedly going to pay for. COVID-19 continues to run rampant in African American and Latino communities despite having a smaller percentage of the population. You are more likely to get COVID-19 as a minority. 6/

Because of Unanue's comments, Hispanic and Latino communities decided to boycott Goya foods, despite it being a staple of Hispanic cuisine. Unanue then went to Fox News to say that his 1st Amendment right to free speech was being taken away* 7/

*This is factually incorrect. The 1A protects you that you have a right to say what you want, especially the government. The 1A does NOT protect you from the consequences of your words.

Ivanka Trump, followed by her father, President Trump both have since made posts in support of Goya and Unanue. Ivanka's post directly violates the Hatch act. They love to be seen as white-saviours, especially towards their base to help them feel less racist. 8/

Unanue is a member of the 2nd richest Spanish American family in the USA. He has the help of his position as a wealthy Spanish man. Trump's policies don't affect him directly. They affect Latinos and Hispanics of lower Socioeconomic class, particularly immigrants. 9/

Unanue benefits from colorism with the Hispanic community even if he doesn't realize it. He is white-passing. There are issues in the Hispanic community where some Spaniards view Latin Americans as less "pure" due to our mixed heritage. 10/

For example, within Mexico, there is a mix of Spanish, Indigenous, Chinese, Indian, Black, and many other Ethnic genes running through due to different Migration patterns. And that's just Mexico alone. Not including the other 32 counties in Latin America. 11/

This is why the Latino and Hispanic communities feel betrayed by Goya. It's a mix of long-standing issues within the community as a whole, coupled with ignorance from the privileged of us. We are stronger together than we are apart. #BoycottGoya 12/12

*Note for all my non-Hispanic/Latino friends*

Latino/a/x refers to someone who is of Latin American Decent.

Hispanic refers to someone from a Spanish speaking country.

A person from Spain is Hispanic but not Latino.
A person from Brasil is Latino but not Hispanic.

I hope this thread is at least helpful for those who are confused by the situation. If you have questions, feel free to DM me or comment.