César Chavez Day events across the United States have been renamed, postponed or canceled as public attention has focused on allegations that Chavez sexually abused women and girls during his time as leader of the United Farm Workers. The changes come after Dolores Huerta, a longtime labor rights figure and Chavez’s longtime partner, revealed last week that she was among those who said they were abused by Chavez, who died more than three decades ago. In response, institutions and local governments have begun reconsidering how they commemorate Chavez and the labor movement’s legacy.
The United Farm Workers announced it would not take part in any events named after Chavez, according to the Associated Press. The fallout also extended into other labor circles, with the AFL-CIO saying the allegations came as a shock and that it would not participate or endorse activities for César Chavez Day. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond said in a statement that their thoughts were first with victims of assault and abuse who described experiences that “especially children — should ever have to survive,” adding, “No legacy can excuse it.”
Governments at the state level moved in different ways. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Thursday to rename César Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day, after state Senate approval earlier the same day with bipartisan support. In Minnesota, lawmakers took similar action, sending a bill to Gov. Tim Walz that would strip César Chavez Day from the state’s calendar.
Other states said they would not observe the holiday this year. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that Texas would not observe the holiday and directed state agency heads to comply with the change, saying he would work with legislators to remove it from state law. In Colorado, lawmakers were considering a bill to rename the voluntary state holiday to Farm Workers Day, while Denver renamed its annual celebration to “Si Se Puede Day” and removed a bust of Chavez from a city park; Grand Junction officials renamed an event there to the “Si, Se Puede Celebration,” where “Sí, Se Puede” translates as the farmworkers movement’s rallying cry “Yes We Can.”
In other places, officials emphasized Dolores Huerta’s birthday instead of Chavez’s. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office said the state would not recognize César Chavez Day and would instead focus on Dolores Huerta Day on April 10, the day of Huerta’s birthday. Utah recognized César Chavez Day, but lawmakers’ session ended in early March before the sexual abuse allegations came to light, meaning eliminating or renaming the holiday would require a change to state law. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declined to recognize March 31 as César Chavez Day in each of the prior two years, according to her spokesperson Liliana Soto, though some municipalities still recognized it with school or government office closures; Phoenix voted unanimously Wednesday to rename the city holiday Farmworkers Day.
Cities also moved to change or cancel specific events. In Michigan, the city of Lansing canceled its Legacy of César Chavez Dinner on March 25; the featured speaker was to have been Chavez granddaughter Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024. The city said it remained committed to honoring the Latino community and the service, dignity and rights of farmworkers, and that it would work on further events and celebrations in the future. In Wisconsin, the city of Milwaukee canceled its annual celebration, and in Arizona the Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council postponed a César E. Chavez Community Breakfast, saying it planned to reschedule it with a focus on Hispanic residents’ contributions and achievements.
Other municipalities altered the wording and emphasis of public celebrations. Tucson renamed its annual celebration the “Comunidad y Labor Unity Fair,” and San Jose, the largest city in Northern California, announced March 18 that it would cancel its César Chavez celebration. Matt Mahan said the city would identify ways to honor the legacy of the farmworker movement without celebrating “individuals who caused such profound harm to the community.” In Austin, Texas, the Hispanic Advocates and Business Leaders said an annual march honoring Chavez scheduled for March 28 would no longer take place, and several Austin city leaders said they supported renaming César Chavez Street.
The scope of the fallout also extended into broader calls to remove Chavez’s name from institutions and public spaces. Dozens of schools, streets and other locations across the United States are named for Chavez, including the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California. Dennis Arguelles, director of the National Parks Conservation Association in Southern California, said renaming the national monument would require an act of Congress, and he said the site should continue to honor the farmworker movement and leaders who fought for dignity, better working conditions and fair wages.
In Los Angeles, the school district’s board approved plans to rename schools and recognize Farmworkers Day on March 31 rather than César Chavez Day, and the Los Angeles County Board of Commissioners approved similar plans. A separate effort in Texas saw the Lubbock Democratic Party call on city leaders to rename César Chavez Drive to honor Dolores Huerta, while in Wisconsin, Milwaukee City Alderperson JoCasta Zamarripa said discussions would begin on what to do about a street named after Chavez. In Portland, Oregon, city councilor Candace Avalos said on social media that she would start a petition to rename a city boulevard after Huerta, noting that city rules require 2,500 signatures to start a renaming effort.
At the federal level, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico issued a statement saying that abuse of any kind, especially against children, is indefensible and a betrayal of the values Latino leaders have championed for generations. Luján said, “His name should be removed from landmarks, institutions and honors,” adding, “We cannot celebrate someone who carried out such disturbing harm.”