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2h ago

Chavez Honors Pulled Nationwide as California Moves to Rename Holiday and Congress Rethinks Monument

The rapid pullbacks follow a New York Times investigation that surfaced abuse allegations, including Dolores Huerta’s account from the 1960s.

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A sign marks the entrance to the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument on March 18, 2026, in Keene, Calif. United Farm Workers said it will cancel or withdraw from Cesar Chavez Day events after “troubling” abuse allegations involving its late co-founder, and is working to establish independent channels for potential victims to come forward.
The bust of Cesar Chavez sits outside Cesar Chavez School in Oxnard on March 19. The late union leader and civil rights activist was recently accused of sexually abusing women and girls.

Overview

  • Reports in the New York Times detailed allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused girls and women while leading the United Farm Workers, with Dolores Huerta publicly describing two coerced encounters in the 1960s.
  • California’s legislative leaders proposed renaming the March 31 state holiday to Farmworkers Day, with Gov. Gavin Newsom voicing support as cities cancel celebrations and begin reviewing Chavez-named sites.
  • Texas will not observe Cesar Chavez Day this year, and lawmakers plan to strip the holiday from state law, with Sen. Carol Alvarado exploring an observance on Huerta’s birthday.
  • In Washington, Rep. Raul Ruiz and Sen. Alex Padilla said they will rework legislation tied to the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument to center the broader farmworker movement rather than Chavez’s name.
  • Universities and cities from Fresno to Denver have covered or removed statues, murals and plaques, unions and the Cesar Chavez Foundation expressed support for alleged victims, and local leaders are launching survivor support channels and community forums on renamings.