21–30 of 37 posts
I asked for directions from a fellow who was restocking in a local market. He deferred, explaining that he worked for Goya, not for the store. He was responsible for all the Goya products in the store (and other stores) and that the aisle we were in was dedicated solely to Goya products. I worked for a supermarket when in high school and only store employees handled goods inside the building. Here the store allowed c…
Now who will bring white ethnic food to Han China? Seriously, I get depressed whenever I have to settle for expensive frozen sausage from Nick's or Jenny's in Beijing (our only chance t ethnic food). And let's not even get started on high quality flower needed for real baking. At least they sell green curry packets and jasmine rice at Carrefour.
About a week before I left, they opened up the first Subway restaurant in the city. I went on the first day it was open, and there was a line of white people coming out the door. I used to take Subway (and cold cuts and sandwiches in general) completely for granted, but a year in China will make it sound pretty damn good.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What tedunangst said. If everyone can access the same thing in the same stores, then there is homogeneity in what is available. I don't think homogeneity ought to have any negative connotation, used in this way. I'm also not sure the OP meant it negatively, though he might have.
I took his comment as snark.
What makes the comments on HN small? Yours currently is.
Now who will bring white ethnic food to Han China? Seriously, I get depressed whenever I have to settle for expensive frozen sausage from Nick's or Jenny's in Beijing (our only chance t ethnic food). And let's not even get started on high quality flower needed for real baking. At least they sell green curry packets and jasmine rice at Carrefour.
Haha. When I was in China, one of my American friends there freaked out because he couldn't find a bottle of ranch dressing anywhere. Of all things, ranch dressing. He apparently liked to dip everything he ate in it back home. About a week before I left, they opened up the first Subway restaurant in the city. I went on the first day it was open, and there was a line of white people coming out the door. I used to take…
This article is very east coast biased. For someone that grew up in Northern California I always found Goya is too Spanish and not as common out here than it is in the East Coast. I tend to opt for El Mexicano products, especially since it has a more Mexican flavor and it is a Bay Area company. One of the great things about the Bay Area is that there are a ton of ethnic grocery stores, such as Mi Pueblo and Ranch 99.
And here I thought immigrants did. Silly me, forgetting to thank our corporate overlords.
How'd you get that out of the article? The whole thing was about Goya, an immigrant-founded and immigrant-owned enterprise, relying heavily on immigrant populations to break into predominantly-White areas, and expanding into non-Latino immigrant populations through diversification of products. There's even the bit about continuing to employ and appeal to new immigrants in order to maintain authenticity in the product…
Retail stores are a kind of small scale capitalism, with lots of merchandising. It's all about shelf space. The Korean shopowners don't know what to stock, so they leave it up to Goya.
That's not that different from having Frito Lay stock your snack rack, or having Bimbo USA control a few meters of baked goods, or having Coca Cola dominate your soda fountain. Why does Grumma dominate tortillas when there are dozens of tortilla factories in my city?
It's just a different brand. I see "Fud" brand deli products (it's pronounced "food", and it's kind of a joke), and they do the same thing. The get lots of space to do demos. They're competing with Oscar Mayer and Farmer John. The product is not that different - it's middle-range premium product.
Goya appeals to immigrants for the same reason Fud, Kraft, McDonalds, and Farmer John appeal. They're okay. Not awesome. Not crappy. Just a tad above average. Nobody is fooled.
Now who will bring white ethnic food to Han China? Seriously, I get depressed whenever I have to settle for expensive frozen sausage from Nick's or Jenny's in Beijing (our only chance t ethnic food). And let's not even get started on high quality flower needed for real baking. At least they sell green curry packets and jasmine rice at Carrefour.
Haha. When I was in China, one of my American friends there freaked out because he couldn't find a bottle of ranch dressing anywhere. Of all things, ranch dressing. He apparently liked to dip everything he ate in it back home. About a week before I left, they opened up the first Subway restaurant in the city. I went on the first day it was open, and there was a line of white people coming out the door. I used to take…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Haha. When I was in China, one of my American friends there freaked out because he couldn't find a bottle of ranch dressing anywhere. Of all things, ranch dressing. He apparently liked to dip everything he ate in it back home. About a week before I left, they opened up the first Subway restaurant in the city. I went on the first day it was open, and there was a line of white people coming out the door. I used to take…
Ranch dressing, peanut butter, and root beer: 3 staples you might not find outside of the USA.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Haha. When I was in China, one of my American friends there freaked out because he couldn't find a bottle of ranch dressing anywhere. Of all things, ranch dressing. He apparently liked to dip everything he ate in it back home. About a week before I left, they opened up the first Subway restaurant in the city. I went on the first day it was open, and there was a line of white people coming out the door. I used to take…
Ranch dressing, peanut butter, and root beer: 3 staples you might not find outside of the USA.