Wisconsin Latino Businesses Faced Nearly $1.3M In Estimated Loss During "Día Sin Latinos" In February

In February, more than 165 Milwaukee and statewide Latino business owners decided to close during a Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees, which resulted in more than $1.3M in business loss just in one day.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

April 21, 2017

Milwaukee, WI - Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) has confirmed that some businesses including El Rey Products, which generates more than $59M in grocery and product sales decided to close again for the May 1st Immigrant march to allow its employees to participate in the march. The local El Cabrito Restaurant is another business that has confirmed that it will close as well, according to the VDLF Facebook page account. VDLF hasn't released a current list of Latino businesses that will be closing so far, but the list is growing as it did in February.

In February, more than 165 Latino businesses in the Milwaukee and statewide area decided to close and lost more than $1.3M in revenue just in one day. Some Latino businesses who did not close due to keeping their business afloat were facing a boycott by the very community they served.

Many Latino business owners voluntarily close and take a huge loss of business for one day to support the VDLF movement to promote change in immigration reform and other issues affecting the Latino undocumented immigrant community. While other Latino businesses are not left with an option, but to close or face a boycott by the community supporting VDLF, according to some business owners.

It seems that in the last 11 years, Latino businesses have lost more than $14.5M in estimated revenue during the one Day without Latinos, which doesn't effect the very economic base that supports and finance political GOP state and federal legislators that are re-elected or elected with the agenda to oppress the Latino population in Wisconsin today.

VDLF has even created a business owner committee called "Negocios en La Lucha" and the business owners in the committee have decided once again to close their businesses this time around. By closing their business for one day actually effects them more in business loss than those they are trying to fight against, which is the big corporations, manufacturers and shopping stores like Walmart, Menard's, Pepsi, Coors products and the list goes on that actually support the GOP (extreme Republican legislators) today and Trump.

Some might argue that the Latino businesses who decide to close for the one Day without Immigrants actually take a hit in business loss while the businesses that continue to support the GOP welcome Latinos to spend their money at their stores so, it can be use to support those legislators working to oppress the very same Latino consumer.

Latino businesses should remain open for business to generate economic empowerment to reinvest back into the community to oppose and support the fight against any attempt to oppress the Latino community growth, which Latinos and Latino businesses are also major tax contributors and consumers in the state of Wisconsin.

Latinos have not yet grasp the idea that they have an economic empowerment and if they can learn how to manage their economic spending power, immigration reform will eventually take place. Latinos need to spend their hard eatned dollars at Latino businesses and businesses that support and welcomes them and shouldn't spend their money at places thay they are not welcome or do support the GOP and Trump.

VDLF will once again lead a community march from S. 5th St. and W. Washington St. to the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Monday, May 1st starting at noon.
VDLF has not openly advocated for Latino community based organizations and non-profits to close as Latino businesses.

Editors note:

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. has learned that the following Latino Community Based Organizations and non-profit groups will not close on May 1st in support of the Voces de la Frontera immigrant march and none have send out a notice that they will close to allow their employees to march with immigrants.

Why most Latino community base organizations will probably not close on May 1st to support the Voces de la Frontera Immigrant and refugee march?

Could it be that most of these organizations have Republican affiliations preventing them from participation.


• La Causa, Inc.

• United Migrant Opportunity Services, Inc.

• La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha

• The Spanish Center

• United Community Center

• The Roberto Hernández Center U.W. -Milwaukee

• Southside Organizing Committee

• Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee

• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation/Mexican Fiesta