HCCW Announced Partnership With The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel To Publish Visión

The new HCCW Visión newspaper ignites controversy over who will benefit the Hispanic community the most in news publishing.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

January 25, 2015

Milwaukee, WI - On Saturday, Jorge Franco, the President, Chairman and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin (HCCW) during their 25th Annual Awards Banquet at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino announced that the HCCW and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (MJS) in a partnership deal have decided to publish "Visión" another Latino publication focused on the Hispanic community and Latino owned growing businesses. Franco says, that there are more than 10,000 Latino owned businesses in the state of Wisconsin. 

Franco's announcement was not taken to well by Victor Huyke, the publisher of the local Conquistador Newspaper who is also a member of the HCCW and in 1999 was awarded the HCCW Hispanic Owned Business of the Year award. 

Huyke in his Facebook (FB) posting says that he proposed the same idea to Franco about Visión indicating that Franco might have then decided to partnership with the MJS who would have the resources to actually publish the Visión newspaper. Huyke in a FB comment post wrote, "My staff and I were in shock as he (Franco) said this. When he finished speaking, we loudly left the event. Letting everyone around us know our discontent."

Jessica McBribe an independent journalist posted, "I would think the "Hispanic Chamber of Commerce" would support Hispanic-owned businesses, not help non-Hispanic businesses compete against them. That's pretty shocking, really."

Olivia Villareal, one of the owners of El Rey Grocery Stores posted, "This would NOT be first time Mr Franco kicked a Hispanic business or Hispanic organization in the teeth! Ask him why he made the Cesar E Chavez library NOT HAPPENED ON Cesar E Chavez Drive?...El Rey is tired of lip service and no positive action from this organization for us Hispanic businesses but they're the first to put out their hand for donations!"

Julio Maldonado, the César E. Chávez Drive BID executive posted, "I actually said the same thing to my wife while at the banquet, wow another Aqui! Then again, this move from Franco, is not surprising to me. The only business that is gained from the HCCW is that from the board themselves!...maybe it's time to revive Hispanic Entrepreneurs of Wisconsin! He did ask me this last summer "why don't we merge"? I laughed, as I read right through that.... He wanted our membership numbers and to say they "actually" help out small businesses! What a joke!"

According to Huyke, Visión will focus on local news regarding Latino businesses, entertainment, investigative reporting and etc. Most of the members of the HCCW are Republican and GOP supporters, including Huyke. Huyke has admitted that he donated to Governor Scott Walker's (R) campaign and other Democrats as well. But it seems, Huyke has been left out to dry by Franco, according to FB postings. Huyke believes that the HCCW and MJS Visión partnership will effect him economically, but Huyke has survived and keeps publishing.

Currently in Milwaukee, other Hispanic publications and a popular blog exists, El Mañanero Newspaper (Bi-weekly), El Corre Caminos Newspaper (Bi-weekly) and the Spanish Journal (Weekly) continue to publish and the Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA), a Latino informative, investigative and news blog on the Internet that publishes articles before it is news. The Visión newspaper would just be another alternative publication in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and if it follows the same format and publishing as the former publications Guía and Aquí magazine did, it would just fade away in time as well. 

One of the main guests at the HCCW banquet was suppose to be Governor Walker, but he was absent. He received a recognition award by Franco.

A large percentage of the HCCW current membership are White and predominantly White managed corporations and businesses, according to its membership list.

Huyke posted his discontent between the HCCW and MJS partnership to publish Visión in the HCCW Facebook account. Huyke wrote, "I am deeply outraged by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's announcement of their partnership with the non-Hispanic run Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to create Visión, a newspaper to target the Hispanic Community...It seems that El Conquistador is only good enough for free advertisement when it comes to the Hispanic Chamber, while money making ventures are reserved for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which has a staff that employs a very small percentage of Hispanics, with none in leadership positions. I guess it takes a non-Hispanic owned newspaper like the Milwaukee Journal to reach the Hispanic Community...What makes this insult that much hurtful, is that "Visión" mission is what I had proposed to Franco that HCCW do with El Conquistador."

Franco could not be reached by HNNUSA for comment.

HCCW 25th Annual 2015 awards went to:

● Workforce Investment Leader of the Year

Governor Scott Walker

● Hispanic Business of the Year

Physical Therapy of Milwaukee

● Hispanic Small Business of the Year

Stars Landscaping & Snow Removal  Services

● Hispanic Start-up of the Year

Terrazas Cakes and Pastries

● Corporation of the Year

Johnson Controls, Inc.

● HCCW Manufacturer of the Year

Schuette Metals

● HCCW Lifetime Achievement Award

Mike Weller, Group President
Miller Electric Mfg., Co.

● HCCW Lifetime Achievement Award

Major League Baseball Commissioner
Allan "Bud" Selig

Breaking update: Scandal escalates involving the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, El Conquistador Newspaper and third party.

When contacted by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. Robert Miranda, the current editor of the Spanish Journal and former Esperanza Unida, Inc. executive director released the following statement, " Victor Huyke made public comments I sent to him in a private FB in-box message. The language that I used was specifically intended for him. I will not apologize or retract my comments I intended to be used as private. They were not made public by me. It was his choice to make my words public. Anytime Victor Huyke wishes to address my work in the community in a public arena, all he has to do is make the invitation and I will be happy to talk about Esperanza Unida, my years of activism and accomplishments in our community, in front of any crowd he wishes to invite. Until he does. His snake like activities when talking about my community work, will be addressed in private message to him in the same manner I have addressed them to him over the past couple of years--raw and in his face. I have no respect for hypocrites or cowards."