Protesters rallied outside the Wisconsin GOP Hispanic Community Center to denounce the party’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.
The demonstrators called the event a hypocritical attempt to earn Hispanic votes while backing policies they say harm Latino communities.
The holiday commemorates Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is not a federal holiday in Mexico or the United States. However, in the U.S., the beer industry has promoted the day since the 1980s with drink specials on margaritas and Mexican food.
Wisconsin Republican Party officials defended the gathering as one way the party connects with the Hispanic community and hears its concerns.
Chris Lawrence, vice chair of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County, said the event was requested by Mexican American party members. He said members were offended a decade ago that no such celebration existed.
“I had no idea what Cinco de Mayo was until more Mexican Americans our members started requesting,” Lawrence said.
Protesters from Voces de la Frontera, an immigrants rights organization, focused on Republican support for the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill. They said the measure exacerbates health care disparities for Latinos.
Diana Goggins, a Voces de la Frontera organizer, said Republicans celebrate Latino culture while denying communities care. “They want our culture but not our people,” Goggins told the Journal Sentinel.
Guevara added that Cinco de Mayo functions more as a commercial holiday that benefits businesses not owned by Mexicans. She said celebrating a culture requires embracing the whole culture.
At the event, Alfonso Morales, former Milwaukee Police Department chief and a second generation Mexican American, told attendees that Cinco de Mayo represents a story of resilience and courage that Republicans can relate to. Brian Schimming, state chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, also spoke in favor of Tiffany.
The gathering underscores ongoing efforts by Wisconsin Republicans to build ties with Hispanic voters in Milwaukee and across the state as the 2026 governor’s race heats up.
