The Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday said it would work toward renaming federal landmarks and holidays bearing Cesar Chavez’s name, after the late labor-movement icon was accused of sexually abusing minors and women who were part of his activist movement.
“While it’s heartbreaking when leaders are exposed as flawed beyond absolution, a just society has a duty to hold abusers accountable without exception,” the caucus said in a statement. “We stand committed to work toward renaming streets, post offices, vessels, and holidays that bear Chávez’s name to instead honor our community and the farmworkers whose struggle defined the movement.”
The New York Times reported on Wednesday morning that at least two women who were children when they worked with Chavez say they were sexually assaulted by him during their time in the activist movement. Before his death in 1993, Chavez was a leading Latino civil-rights activist who had co-founded the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s.
On Tuesday, ahead of the Times’ reporting, the union canceled its annual events in honor of Chavez’s birthday. There are several parks, schools and streets across the country that bear Chavez’s name, including the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in California’s Tehachapi Mountains.
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Rep. Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said on Tuesday that she was deeply troubled by the reports, adding that “we still have more questions than answers.”
“The betrayal of trust by a leader who had such a significant impact on our community is difficult to comprehend. It is ok to feel angry, shocked, heartbroken, saddened, confused, and dismayed – all at the same time,” Grijalva said in a statement. “El movimiento has always been rooted in justice, and justice demands that survivors are supported and heard. I stand with them unequivocally.”
In a Tuesday statement, the United Farm Workers acknowledged unspecified allegations against Chavez and said the union would not be participating in the annual festivities to honor the activist.
“The UFW has learned of deeply troubling allegations that one of the union’s co-founders, César Chávez, behaved in ways that are incompatible with our organization’s values,” the union said in a Tuesday statement. “Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on. Far more troubling are allegations involving abuse of young women or minors. Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing.”
Earlier this week, the South Texas community organization founded by Chavez and Dolores Huerta, La Union del Pueblo Entero, edited its biography page to remove tributes to Chavez from their mission statement.
Rep. Luz Rivas, a Democrat from California and a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said she would “no longer” participate in events or activities “celebrating the life or legacy of Cesar Chavez.”
“Today’s reporting is painful for generations of us who grew up knowing Cesar Chaves as a household name and learning about his contributions to the labor movement,” Rivas’ statement reads. “However, we must acknowledge that a person’s legacy does not excuse the harm they caused or overshadow the trauma victims have carried for decades.”
A fellow California lawmaker, Sen. Alex Padilla, said in a Wednesday statement that he stands with survivors — but did not publicly endorse the push to rename landmarks or holidays.
“These are heartbreaking, horrific accounts of abuse. I stand with the survivors, commend them for their bravery in sharing their stories, and condemn the abhorrent actions they described,” the statement said. “There must be zero tolerance for abuse, exploitation, and the silencing of victims, no matter who is involved.”
“Confronting painful truths and ensuring accountability is essential to honoring the very values the greater farm worker movement stands for — values rooted in dignity and justice for all,” Padilla concluded.
Huerta, Chavez’s former partner in leading the United Farm Workers, is one of the women named in the Times’ report. Speaking publicly for the first time about such allegations, Huerta said she was abused by Chavez on two occasions that both resulted in her bearing children that she kept secret.
“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for,” Huerta wrote in a statement.
“Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people,” she continued. “We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.”
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