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4w ago

California Observes First Farmworkers Day as Arizona Repeals César Chávez Holiday

Officials are replacing personal tributes with movement-focused recognition following abuse allegations.

Members of the city's Public Works Department cover the statue at Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Park on March 19 in San Fernando, California. The removal came after a special city council meeting addressing next steps following the allegations against Chavez, according to CNN affiliate KABC. Mayor Joel Fajardo called for the statue to be taken down, saying the move was a show of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, KABC reported.
A statue of Cesar Chavez, erected on campus 30 years ago, stands covered in a plywood box at Fresno State University in Fresno, California, on March 19. The university’s president, Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, said the monument of Chavez had been removed from the campus’ Peace Garden, which “reflects the gravity of the information that has come to light” after he spent time reflecting and listening to community while personally processing “the collective pain” caused by the allegations against Chavez.
FILE - Pedestrians walk past the parking lot of the Cesar Chavez Learning Center in Dallas, March 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Overview

  • California, which renamed the March 31 state holiday last week, is marking the first Farmworkers Day on Tuesday after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the change on March 26.
  • Arizona lawmakers passed a bipartisan repeal of the César Chávez state holiday on Monday, and Gov. Katie Hobbs says she will sign it, though Democrats criticized Republicans for rejecting a Farmworkers Day replacement.
  • Cities, counties, and school districts are removing or covering Chávez statues and signs and launching formal renaming reviews, with Los Angeles beginning a full inventory and Phoenix already masking plaza signage.
  • Community events have been rebranded to center labor rights and survivors following the mid‑March New York Times investigation, with Tucson scaling back its march into a labor fair and Grand Junction recasting its celebration as the Sí, Se Puede event.
  • Advocates are urging broader recognition of the farmworker movement, including Filipino organizers who sparked the 1965 Delano grape strike, and California’s education leaders are steering schools to teach the struggle as larger than any one figure.