Made in California business directory allows shoppers to filter by identity, but excludes white men

The state-owned business directory "Made in California" has sparked backlash by removing the owner, white, and male identity categories on its website.

An aerial view of the California Building on February 1, 2023, in Sacramento, California. (Justin Sullivan/Justin Sullivan)

A new state website in California allows people to search for local businesses based on the identity of their owners, but does not offer specific search filters for businesses owned by white or men.

The Made in California website allows users to search by business ownership categories, including Asian-owned, Black-owned, Hispanic-owned, LGBTQ-owned, Native American-owned, Pacific Islander-owned, Veteran-owned, Women-owned.

According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 40% of California's population is Hispanic or Latino, more than 30% is non-Hispanic white, approximately 17% is Asian, and about 6% is black.

Christopher Ruffo, a prominent critic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, criticized the state website at X, noting, “The state government of California has released a 'Made in California' website that allows you to select products based on any identity group except one: white men.

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The official California business directory allows users to search by several ownership categories, but does not include filters specifically for white-owned or male-owned businesses. (iStock)

Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk was surprised by the news and responded to Ruffo's post with a "wow."

The program is designed to help consumers and corporate buyers find products made in the Golden State, the New York Post's small California office manager reported.

“To qualify, a product must have at least 51 percent of its wholesale value added within the state. Approved businesses can appear on the official public directory and use the Made in California seal on their packaging and marketing materials."

"Supporting a local business is not exactly the same as supporting a minority that you like the most," Fry said. “The concept of a database made in California is great and I can use it.

But I guess it's no surprise that California seems to have decided to make it a virtue-signalling exercise about identity, and that shouldn't be the focus of business.

Last time I checked, red tape, untrained labor, and rising prices hurt all small businesses, not just minorities.

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Theo Wold, a former assistant attorney general and assistant White House deputy domestic policy adviser during the Trump administration, warned that such racial discrimination is part of a broader Democratic agenda.

"Race-based preferences — in college admissions or in taxpayer-backed government small business loans — is an abomination. But it's clear: race-based preferences have never been about correcting systemic racism or overrepresenting certain racial groups in society," he said.

"It's always been a tool to manipulate the population and undermine white men," Weld continued. "California's policies show that once in power, the left not only rejects so-called 'color-blind' governance, but actively supports the superiority of certain races over others."

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