Calls grow to remove Cesar Chavez’s name from buildings, parks, roads

Dozens of California schools, streets, parks and libraries bear the name of Cesar Chavez — on top of the statues erected and holiday established in his honor.

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

A steady stream of leaders from communities across the state said Wednesday they planned to reevaluate the numerous ways Chavez has been memorialized.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said no decisions have been made at the state level regarding what to do about the typical observation of Cesar Chavez Day, but noted there’s a sense of urgency as the March 31 holiday approaches.

“If we need to move, we’ll do so together,” Newsom said, referring to the state Legislature.

Many officials expressed a desire to continue honoring the wider farmworker labor movement, even while minimizing Chavez as an individual figure. State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) and Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare) said they were already working on legislation to rename the holiday to “Farmworkers Day” — a concept also pushed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Los Angeles city officials said they, too, were discussing what to do about the upcoming holiday and future events to honor Chavez.

A chain-link fence casts a shadow on the signage in front of Cesar E. Chavez high school in Santa Ana on Wednesday.

(Allen Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The moves follow publication of a New York Times investigation detailing disturbing allegations that Chavez sexually assaulted two underage girls in the 1970s, as well as fellow iconic farmworker leader Dolores Huerta in the 1960s.

Huerta, as well as one of the girls, said Chavez raped her.

There were also calls to purge Chavez’s name from buildings, streets and other features.

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

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

“We’re demanding the city of Los Angeles to show leadership, for our school district, our state legislators and our federal partners 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’re told to stay quiet,” he added. “That stops now.”

L.A. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, whose district includes Boyle Heights, called for “the renaming of all public locations and events that bear his name, as we prioritize accountability and stand with those who have been harmed.”

In the agricultural Central Valley, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias said he would pursue renaming the local Cesar Chavez Boulevard.

“Public streets and building names are meant to honor individuals who uplifted our community and represented its highest values,” he wrote on Facebook. “Given what we now know, Cesar Chavez’s actions do not meet that standard, and we have a responsibility to act accordingly.”

In Long Beach, where a park and neighboring elementary school are named for Chavez, Mayor Rex Richardson said the city would engage the community to consider “how we recognize the farmworker movement in our public spaces, holidays, and civic life — including reviewing the naming of public facilities — in a way that is responsive to this moment and grounded in our values.”

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

In Northern California, Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty announced on X that he is appointing a council subcommittee to guide renaming the city’s downtown plaza park, which is named for Chavez.

“We take these allegations seriously and will ensure the naming of our City facilities aligns with our values,” McCarty wrote.

The revelations also put California school districts — already gearing up for annual commemorative recognitions of Chavez and his contributions — in a difficult position.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it is aware of the allegations related to Chavez and is “reviewing curriculum and resources to ensure the emphasis remains on the important work of the farmworker movement, not on any one individual.”

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

Chavez’s name also adorns buildings and departments across California college campuses, especially those focused on Latino communities, Chicano studies and labor studies.

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

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

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

“Since 2001, tens of thousands of junior high, high school and community college students from predominantly low-income and underrepresented backgrounds have participated in our annual college access conference in coordination with UC Davis’ Avanza Initiative. The conference connects young people with campus resources, information and guidance to support their path to higher education, and that mission will continue,” said UC Davis spokesman James Nash.

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

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

“In light of the seriousness of the current revelations, as a first step, we are covering the statue while we determine appropriate next steps for its removal,” he said.

Arias, the Fresno councilman and a former farmworker himself, acknowledged that Chavez has “been an idol to us as a community, because he fought and advocated for ourselves and our parents who are farmworkers.” The same, he said, is true of Huerta — who “remains a matriarch of our Latino community.”

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

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