The United Farmer Workers union said it will halt celebrations of its founder Cesar Chavez amid what the union described as “troubling allegations” against the iconic Chicano figure.
The union, in a statement released Tuesday, did not detail the accusations against Chavez but said they were concerning enough for the organization to take action. Several events around the country honoring Chavez have been canceled in recent weeks.
The claims against Chavez “are incompatible with our organization’s values. Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on. Far more troubling are allegations involving abuse of young women or minors. Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing. We have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations,” the union said.
Canceling events, the union said, would “provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose.”
Chavez is a towering national figure credited with organizing and raising the lives of migrant farm-workers in California and beyond and giving voice to the struggles of Mexican Americans.
Bursting into national prominence in the mid-1960s in the San Joaquin Valley, Chavez galvanized public support on behalf of farm workers. Workers lived in substandard housing and were paid terrible wages, according to a Times obituary.
Those early years were marked by bitter and sometimes brutal incidents involving picketing farm workers who screamed “ Huelga! “ — “Strike!”—and growers who vowed never to give in to Chavez and his followers.
Chavez engineered a 1968 boycott of California grapes. Chavez and his cause earned international attention, especially after he fasted for 36 days in 1968, ending it by sharing bread with then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
The UFW successes made Chavez an almost mythic figure. Posters and murals featuring his beatific brown face sprouted across Mexican American communities. In the years after his death in 1993, schools and streets were renamed in his honor.
The movement struggled in more recent decades amid internal strife and economic downturns.
It’s unclear the source of the new allegations. The UFW said in its statement: “These allegations have been profoundly shocking. We need some time to get this right, including to ensure robust, trauma-informed services are available to those who may need it.”
“We understand this will be tremendously painful for many and we encourage our community to seek mental health support if they experience distress.”
Tuesday morning, the Cesar Chavez Foundation said in a statement, “It has become aware of disturbing allegations that Cesar Chavez engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with women and minors during his time as President of the United Farm Workers of America.”
The Foundation said it is working with leaders in the farmworker movement to be responsive to these allegations and support the people who may have been harmed by his actions.
“In partnership with the UFW, we are establishing a safe and confidential process for those who wish to share their experiences of historic harm, and, if they choose to, participate in efforts toward repair and reconciliation,” the statement said. “In addition, we are investing time and resources to ensure the Foundation promotes and strengthens a workplace culture that is safe and welcoming for all.”
