Statues removed, streets renamed, and holidays rebranded: the legacy of progressive activist César Chávez begins to be dismantled following sexual abuse allegations

The legacy of the progressive activist César Chávez, for decades lauded by Democratic politicians for being one of the great figures of the farmworker movement in the United States, is going through an accelerated collapse after the emergence of serious allegations of sexual abuse against minors revealed recently.

The image of Chavez, who until days ago was a powerful and quasi untouchable figure within the progressive imagination, is now facing an institutional backlash, especially among Democrats, ranging from the removal of statues to the renaming of streets and holidays in his honor.

The impact of the harsh accusations, revealed by The New York Times, has been particularly notable in California, where Chavez is part of the official calendar and educational curriculum.

Two Democratic lawmakers announced they will push a bill to change the name of Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, an initiative that has the backing of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“What Cesar represented was a movement — the farm workers movement, the labor movement — and it’s right to celebrate that movement,” Newsom said. "I support moving in the direction that many are promoting, including members of the legislature, and I look forward to moving that along in an expeditious way."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles' Democratic mayor, Karen Bass, has already signed a proclamation to rename the Cesar Chavez holiday "Farm Workers Day," aiming to maintain recognition of the 1960s movement without aggrandizing who was one of its great boosters.

“I’ve been in touch with the Chavez family, and they support our decision to rename this holiday,” Bass said. "The plight and the struggle of the farm workers continues on, and we will honor that. But we are going to have to take a look at a variety of things, including the naming of holidays, buildings, of streets, all of that."

In an official statement sent to the NYT, Cesar Chavez's family said it was "not in a position to judge" the allegations.

"As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual misconduct," they said. "These allegations are deeply painful to our family."

In addition to the Democratic institutional backlash, monuments of Cesar Chavez are already being covered up or removed in different cities across the country.

At Fresno State University, a statue of Chavez was covered with a black sheet, in an image that reflected the radical change in the perception of the union leader.

In other localities, such as San Fernando, a statue in his honor was directly removed, while institutions such as the California Museum are evaluating the elimination of his statue from spaces of historical recognition.

This discussion is already being transferred to the urban space.

In Los Angeles, the group California Rising proposed changing the name of César Chávez Avenue — one of the city's main arteries — to Dolores Huerta, in recognition of her role in the agricultural movement. Raul Claros, founder of the organization, justified the move: "We know in the Latino community, a lot of this abuse has been tolerated for generations. In our culture, we're told to stay quiet. That stops now."

Dolores Huerta, who was considered Cesar Chavez's greatest ally in the movement, was one of the whistleblowers of abuses by the union leader. According to what she affirmed to the NYT, on two occasions Chavez sexually assaulted her, including a rape inside a vehicle in the winter of 1966 in Delano, California.

Meanwhile, in cities such as San Francisco, Austin and others where there had previously been a push to name streets after Chavez, support is now growing to reverse those decisions.

"We have to be accountable and we have to be respectful to the women victims that were part of his experience during his lifetime and cannot be associated with a person like that," activist Gavino Fernandez maintained in statements to Austin's CNN affiliate station KVUE.

The reactions, however, were not only limited to California.

In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will not celebrate this year's Cesar Chavez Day, an optional holiday.

"Reports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration," the Texas governor said.

Also, in Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston reported that the holiday will be temporarily renamed "Sí, se puede," alluding to the historic slogan of the farm movement, while permanent changes are evaluated. In addition, César Chávez Park will be renamed and a bust and plaque honoring the disgraced union leader will be removed.