Coors Boycott: The Influence of the Chicano Movement

Juan "Freddie Freak" Trujillo

Freddie is a Colorado raised Chicano and activist who has worked his whole life towards fighting for equality for his people and all of those who have been unjustly persecuted just for existing as who they are. Growing up in a time where hate was established around every corner, Freddie was often told that he was not allowed to be himself. He was told he must speak English, that he must not go by his real Hispanic name (Juan), that in order to be accepted in this country he must acculturate and assimilate. It wasn't until he grew up and went to a place more accepting and open about his culture when he moved to Boulder. Being on a campus and being with other individuals who knew his struggle and who knew what it was like to be a Chicano living in America during this time period. This is when his activism and his pursuit towards justice for his people and all others began.

Multiple times Freddie has had contact with the Coors association, with activist against the association, and the brewery itself. When he was sixteen Freddie remembered first applying to work at the brewery for Coors when they had been looking for help. However before he was able to fully go in for the position he was stopped by another employee and told, "Coors don't hire no Mexicans, ni****s, or dogs." (Dogs implying women in this context.) This was one snapshot that Freddie had witnessed into the atrocities performed against women and people of color at Coors locations. Later on in his life he got involved with the University of Boulder and became an activist on campus for Chicano's working with UMAS and MAP. He hosted multiple love ins (festive sit ins with music and food), spoke at multiple conferences, and worked with people on and off campus to support to the boycott against Coors. He created multiple political cartoons with the help of his friends and actively spoke up for Chicano's and against Coors. He said that by working with other campuses in Colorado they were able to make Coors lose millions of dollars.

Now Freddie does not drink due to issues with alcoholism (discussed in his book) however he firmly believes that no one, at least no Chicano should drink Coors to this day. The strike ended and Coors did not learn their lesson. Multiple attempts to regain their reputation through positive PR may have helped them but they have not gone unnoticed. To this day Coors still participates in discriminatory practices and works with many organizations and politicians that are against the rights of many Chicanos as well as people within the LGBT community.

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