Many celebrations and holidays are held in honor of the late agricultural labor leader Cesar Chavez It is renamed, postponed or canceled entirely in the aftermath Allegations that he was sexually assaulted Women and girls as president of the United Farm Workers union.
Workers’ rights activist Dolores Huerta She revealed last week that she was among those who say they were abused by Chavez, who died more than three decades ago.
The allegations sparked rapid repercussions, including from the United Farm Workers, which announced it would not participate in any events bearing the name of the organization’s former leader.
Several states previously recognized Chavez’s birthday on or around March 31 as an annual holiday, and in 2014 President Barack Obama signed a proclamation observing March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day.
On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to Renaming Cesar Chavez Day Such as Agricultural Workers Day. The state Senate approved the legislation earlier in the day with bipartisan support.
Minnesota lawmakers took similar action Thursday, sending a bill to Gov. Tim Walz that would strip Cesar Chavez Day from the state’s calendar.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced last week that his state will not celebrate the holiday this year, and directed all heads of government agencies to comply with this change. Abbott also said he would work with lawmakers to remove the holiday from state law.
Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill to rename the state volunteer holiday there as Farmworkers Day. Denver renamed its annual celebration “Si Se Puede Day” while removing a bust of Chavez from a city park. Officials in Grand Junction, Colorado, renamed the event there “Si, Se Puede Celebration.”
“Sí, Se Puede” translates into a rallying cry for the farmworker movement – Yes We Can.
The Cesar Chavez Commission for Peace and Justice in Denver canceled the celebration scheduled for April 11.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s office said the state would not recognize Cesar Chavez Day, instead focusing on Dolores Huerta Day on April 10, her birthday.
Utah celebrates Cesar Chavez Day, but the state’s legislative session ended at the beginning of March, before the sexual assault allegations surfaced. Canceling or renaming the holiday would require a change in state law.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has refused to recognize March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day as she had the previous two years, Hobbs spokeswoman Liliana Soto said last week. Although it is not an official holiday, some Arizona municipalities recognize it, and close schools or government offices. Officials in Phoenix voted unanimously Wednesday to rename the city holiday as Farmworkers Day.
The city of Lansing, Michigan, has canceled its March 25 Cesar Chavez Legacy Dinner. The featured speaker was scheduled to be Chavez’s granddaughter Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who was campaign manager for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2024.
“We are committed to honoring the Latino community and the service, dignity and rights of farmworkers,” the city said. “We will work to organize more events and celebrations in the future.”
The city of Milwaukee also canceled its annual celebration.
The Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council in Arizona has postponed its annual Cesar y Chavez Community Breakfast, with plans to reschedule it to focus on the contributions and accomplishments of the county’s Hispanic population.
The city of Tucson, Arizona, has renamed its annual celebration the “Community and Labor Unity Fair.”
The mayor of San Jose, the largest city in Northern California, announced the cancellation of its celebration of Cesar Chavez on March 18. Matt Mahan said the city will figure out ways to honor the legacy of the farmworker movement without celebrating “individuals who have caused such profound harm to the community.”
Hispanic lawyers and business leaders in Austin, Texas, announced that the annual march to honor Chavez scheduled for March 28 will no longer be held. Several Austin city leaders have also announced that they support renaming Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
Officials with the AFL-CIO said the allegations came as a shock and that the union federation would not participate in or endorse any activities marking Cesar Chavez Day.
“Our thoughts go first and foremost to any victims of assault and abuse who have described experiencing what no one — especially children — should ever have to endure,” AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler and Treasurer Fred Redmond said in a statement. statement. “No legacy can justify that.”
The organization continues to support farmworkers and said the rights they have earned “cannot be erased by the horrific actions of one person.”
Dozens of schools, streets and other sites across the United States have been named after Chavez, including the Cesar y Chavez National Monument in Keene, California.
Renaming the national monument would require a resolution from Congress, said Dennis Arguelles, director of the National Parks Conservation Association in Southern California. He said the site should continue to honor the farmworker movement and the leaders who fought for dignity, better working conditions and fair wages.
The Los Angeles Unified School Board on Tuesday approved plans to rename schools and recognize Farmworkers Day on March 31 instead of Cesar Chavez Day. The Los Angeles County Board of Commissioners approved similar plans.
The Lubbock Democratic Party in Texas on Wednesday called on city leaders to rename Cesar Chavez Road in honor of Dolores Huerta.
In Wisconsin, Milwaukee City Council Member Jocasta Zamarripa said discussions will begin soon about what to do about a street named after Chavez.
Portland, Oregon, City Councilwoman Candice Avalos said she will start a petition to rename a street in the city after Huerta. City rules require 2,500 signatures to begin the renaming effort, Avalos wrote on social media, urging her constituents to stay tuned for ways to help in the effort.
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, issued a statement Wednesday saying abuse of any kind, especially against children, is indefensible and a betrayal of the values that Latino leaders have stood for for generations.
“His name should be removed from monuments, institutions and honors,” Lujan said of Chavez. “We cannot celebrate someone who has committed such disturbing harm.” ___ Associated Press reporters across the U.S. contributed.