New York (CNN Business) - The hashtag #Goyaway (a pun on Goya and Go Away, meaning 'go') was trending on social media this Friday after Robert Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods, appeared in the Rose Garden of the White House this Thursday afternoon and praise President Donald Trump.
"We are all truly blessed ... to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder," Unanue said during his White House speech. “We have an amazing builder, and we pray. We pray for our leadership, our president. ”
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The fact that Unanue partnered with Trump was enough to anger some of the most prominent Hispanic leaders in the United States. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested in a tweet that she would boycott Goya.
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
"Oh listen, I'm googling how to make my own Adobo," Ocasio-Cortez said, referring to one of the brand's products.
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro acknowledged Goya's essential place in Latino homes, but encouraged people to reconsider Goya's purchase after the appearance at the Unanue White House.
. @ 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
“@GoyaFoods has been essential for generations in Latino homes. Now its chief executive, Bob Unanue, is praising a president who deals with villains and attacks Latinos for political gain. Americans should think twice before buying their #Goyaway products, "he tweeted.
President Trump is unpopular with Hispanic Americans. Hispanics favor Vice President Joe Biden over Trump in the race for the presidency by a margin of 36 percentage points, according to the latest poll by The New York Times and Siena College. Trump began his campaign criticizing Mexicans for being "rapists" and for bringing drugs to the United States. He has spent much of his presidency trying to build a wall along the southern border of the United States and enacted a policy that separated children from parents when they were detained at the border.
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Unanue was invited to the White House as part of President Trump's Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, a decree aimed at improving Hispanic American access to educational and economic opportunities.
In his brief comments, Unanue announced that Goya would donate 1 million cans of Goya chickpeas and 1 million other food products to US food banks. He said the company wanted to help families affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are very proud to be able to contribute to this nation, to the food banks that are going to need some of those important foods," he said.
A Goya spokesman said the purpose of the Unanue White House appearance was to announce the donation and support the Trump initiative. Goya did not comment on the boycott calls.
Goya was founded in 1936 by Unanue's grandfather, who emigrated from Spain. It remains a private family-owned company.