Calls are growing to remove Cesar Chavez’s name from buildings, parks, streets

Dozens of schools, streets, parks and libraries in California bear the name of Cesar Chavez – more than statues erected and a holiday established in his honor.

But in the wake of new allegations of sexual harassment against the labor leader, some elected officials and organizations are calling for change.

Dozens of leaders from communities across the state said Wednesday they plan to reexamine the many ways Chavez is remembered.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said no decisions have been made at the federal level about what to do about the general observance of Cesar Chavez Day, but noted that there is a sense of urgency as the March 31 holiday approaches.

“If we need to move, we will do it together,” Newsom said, addressing the state Legislature.

Many officials expressed a desire to continue to honor the broader farmworker movement, even as they downplayed Chavez as an individual. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) and Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare) said they are already working on legislation to rename the holiday “Farmworker Day” — an idea also pushed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Los Angeles city officials said they, too, were debating what to do with the upcoming holiday and upcoming events honoring Chavez.

The moves follow the publication of a New York Times investigation detailing disturbing allegations that Chavez sexually abused two teenage girls in the 1970s, as well as professional farm leader Dolores Huerta in the 1960s.

Huerta, along with one of the girls, said Chavez raped her.

There were also calls to wash Chavez’s name off buildings, streets and other objects.

On Wednesday afternoon, near the intersection where Sunset Boulevard becomes Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, California Rising founder Raul Claros asked the city and elected officials to change the name of the street “as soon as possible.”

Her organization, a coalition of nonprofits, faith groups and community leaders, launched a Change.org petition to gather signatures in support of renaming it Dolores Huerta Avenue.

“We want the city of Los Angeles to show leadership, our school district, our state legislatures and our federal partners to join us in this movement,” he said.

Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday.

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

“We know in the Latino community, a lot of this abuse has been tolerated for generations. In our culture, we are told to be quiet,” she added. “That stops now.”

LA City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, whose district includes Boyle Heights, called for “the renaming of all public spaces and events that bear her name, as we prioritize accountability and stand up to those who are harmed.”

In the agricultural Central Valley, Fresno City Council Member Miguel Arias said he will pursue renaming the area’s Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

“Public streets and building names are meant to honor people who have uplifted our community and stand for high values,” he wrote on Facebook. “Given what we know now, Cesar Chavez’s actions do not meet that standard, and we have an obligation to act accordingly.”

In Long Beach, where a neighborhood park and elementary school are named after Chavez, Mayor Rex Richardson said the city will engage with the community to consider “how we see the farm worker movement in our public spaces, holidays and public life – including revising the design of public facilities – in a way that is responsive to the times and based on our values.”

Bakersfield city leaders also announced they will end efforts to rename H Street in Chavez’s honor, a plan originally proposed in August 2025.

In Northern California, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty announced on X that he is appointing a council subcommittee to oversee the renaming of the city’s city park, named after Chavez.

“We take these allegations seriously and will ensure that the design of our City’s facilities is consistent with our principles,” McCarty wrote.

The revelations also put California school districts — already preparing for annual recognition of Chavez’s memory and contributions — in a difficult situation.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it is aware of the allegations regarding Chavez and is “reviewing curriculum and resources to ensure greater emphasis is placed on the important work of the farmworkers union, not on any one individual.”

“It is important to recognize the collective work of thousands who have advanced social justice, workers’ rights, and community empowerment,” the district said in a statement.

Chavez’s name also adorns buildings and doors at all California colleges, especially those that focus on Latino communities, Chicano studies and labor studies.

Rachel Zaentz, spokeswoman for the 10-campus University of California system, said university leaders are “deeply concerned” about the allegations against Chavez.

“We stand firmly with the survivors and are analyzing these findings internally. We will communicate updates as appropriate,” Zaentz said.

On Wednesday, a UC Davis spokeswoman said the university had renamed the conference to remove Chavez’s name. It will now be known as the Avanza Rising Scholars Conference.

“Since 2001, tens of thousands of elementary, high school and community college students from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have participated in our annual college access conference in partnership with UC Davis’ Avanza Initiative. The conference connects young people with campus resources, information and guidance to support their path to higher education,” said U.C. James.

A statue of Chavez erected on Fresno State University’s campus was covered Wednesday with a black tarp and plastic, Bakersfield Now reported.

University President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened and saddened by these allegations” and noted that the monument at the Peace Garden campus was erected in 1996 “to honor the spirit of peaceful assembly and the broad labor movement that has shaped this region.”

“Due to the seriousness of the current revelations, as a first step, we are closing this image while we determine the appropriate steps to remove it,” he said.

Arias, a Fresno councilman and former farmworker, acknowledged that Chavez “became an idol to us as a community, because he fought for us and for our farmworker parents.” The same, he said, is true of Huerta — “who remains a teacher of our Latino community.”

“When abuelita sits you down at the dinner table and tells you the truth about what happened back in the day, we have a responsibility to listen and act in a way that honors the pain and sets a new standard for all of us to adhere to,” he said.

Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Howard Blume contributed to this report.