State Representative Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist and former chef, addressed a virtual panel at the Wisconsin Leadership Summit, asserting that the service industry is fundamentally rooted in white supremacy and that the practice of tipping has a racist history.
Hong argued that historical tipping practices have suppressed wages for Black workers and that contemporary tip distribution continues to favor certain groups, perpetuating economic disparities within the industry.
Currently the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor, Hong has leveraged her experience as a restaurant owner to advocate for policy changes affecting service‑sector labor standards.
Her public record includes statements describing police as upholding white supremacy, calls to defund and abolish law enforcement, and proposals to cancel Thanksgiving as a celebration of colonialism.
Legislatively, Hong has championed the elimination of Wisconsin’s tipped minimum wage, proposing reforms that would remove the separate wage floor for tipped employees.
Republican leaders have recently advanced measures to eliminate taxes on tips, a policy intended to increase the net earnings of servers, bartenders, and other service workers.
Hong’s remarks reflect her broader approach of interpreting labor and economic issues through a racial equity lens, positioning such perspectives at the forefront of her political platform.
