Standing with Immigrants and Refugees

Dr. Bronner’s was founded in the U.S. by Emanuel Bronner who, after losing his parents in the Holocaust, promoted a message of love and unity, not hate and revenge. In what he would call the “Moral ABC,” Emanuel urged us to realize our unity across religious & ethnic divides or perish: “We are All-One or None!” For Dr. Bronner, the tragic consequences of racial and religious division were all too real.

This weekend, Trump closed the country’s borders to refugees, immigrants, and documented residents from around the world based on their country of origin and implicitly, their Muslim faith. Banning people of a particular faith from entering the U.S. is against all the principles that Dr. Bronner’s is founded on. It is also un-American. As Dr. Bronner himself would have put it: “It is utter nonsense, the most destructive half-truth!”

Our company today reflects not only the mixed Jewish and Christian heritage of the Bronner family, but also Muslim leadership at our fair trade sister companies around the world: Serendipalm in Ghana (palm oil, with a largely Christian workforce and farmer base); and Serendipol in Sri Lanka (coconut oil, with a largely Buddhist workforce and farmer base). We source our olive oil from Muslim and Christian farmers in Palestine (Canaan Fair Trade), as well as Jewish, Christian and Muslim farmers in Israel (from the Strauss family farm and Sindyanna). Our company has only gained strength and ingenuity from its commitment to working across international borders and with a diversity of religious faiths.

Our American workforce here in North County San Diego is predominantly of Mexican ancestry—many are proud immigrants, just as Dr. Bronner was, living and contributing to the American dream that our founders fought for.

We are donating today $50,000 to the National Immigration Law Center—and will continue to stand with our diverse community both in the U.S. and internationally, the “children of Abraham-Israel-Baháulláh-Moses-Buddha-Jesus-Mohammed!” We are committed to Emanuel’s words: “Unite! Get done! Fear not, for we’re All-One!”

Author Profile
Michael Bronner

Michael Bronner is President of Dr. Bronner’s, the grandson of company founder, Emanuel Bronner, and a fifth-generation soap maker. A philanthropist and activist, Michael is an advocate for many social and environmental justice causes advanced by the company, including Fair Trade, organic standards, farm animal protection and ocean conservation.

See all stories by Michael Bronner