Events honoring labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez — including commemoration of his birthday by the United Farm Workers, the union he helped found — were being canceled Tuesday, after the organization cited reports of “deeply troubling” allegations involving young women and girls.
The UFW announced Tuesday that the labor organization will not participate in any activities on March 31, Chavez’s birthday. The allegations against Chavez, who was one of the founders of UFW, involved allegations of “abuse of young women or minors” as well as “family issues,” according to a statement issued by the organization Tuesday.
The union did not share specifics of the allegations, adding that reports have not been made to the organization firsthand. Several media organizations reported that a large investigation of the allegations against Chavez was expected to be published in the next several weeks.
Chavez died at age 66 in 1993.
“Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing,” the union said. “The allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more and provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose.”
The Cesar Chavez Foundation, a nonprofit honoring Chavez’s legacy based in the Kern County town of Keene, also said in a statement Tuesday that it was aware of “disturbing” allegations that the labor leader had “engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior with women and minors” while president of the UFW.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by what we are hearing,” the foundation said. “The Foundation is working with leaders in the Farmworker Movement to be responsive to these allegations, support the people who may have been harmed by his actions, and ensure we are united and guided by our commitment to justice and community empowerment.”
Chavez, born in Yuma, Arizona to a Mexican-American family; they moved to California during the Great Depression and traveled around the state picking seasonal crops.
As he became an adult, Chavez began working in community organizing, co-founding UFW and leading California farm workers in labor movements to push for better working conditions and pay, including the Delano grape strike in the 1960s.
Chavez has long been lauded as a transformative force of social justice and has been honored by several presidents, including with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton and a bust in the Oval Office during President Joe Biden’s term. Parks, plazas and schools across California are named after him.
Chavez lived in East San Jose for several years, including in a house in the 1950s that has since been purchased by a San Jose nonprofit.
The emerging reports prompted concern from some elected officials, who have long praised Chavez’s labor and civil rights work. California Sen. Dave Cortese, whose South Bay district includes the area where Chavez lived, said the allegations are “serious and deeply concerning.”
“We have yet to hear from alleged victims and in the meantime I have reached out to the Chavez family to learn more as the allegations unfold,” Cortese said.
Other elected officials, including the offices of Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, and others did not immediately comment Tuesday on the allegations against one of California’s best-known residents.
Cesar Chavez Day was made a state holiday in 2000 and a federal commemorative holiday in 2014.
The day is usually honored with events across the state and country, including a parade and festival in San Francisco in early April. The event’s organizer did not respond to an inquiry as to whether the parade, which also honors UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, would proceed as scheduled.
Huerta, 95, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Other events planned to coincide with César Chavez Day, including the 32nd Annual César E. Chavez Celebration, hosted by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, are being rescheduled to no longer coincide with the holiday.
“Following the lead of the United Farm Workers, Contra Costa County remains focused on supporting farmworkers and advancing equity, safety, and opportunity in agriculture,” said Kristi Jourdan, director of the Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media. “Our goal is to ensure this event honors farmworkers, highlights urgent issues like fair wages and safe working conditions, and reflects our shared values of dignity and inclusion.”
Across the country, events were also canceled. Texas-based nonprofit La Union del Pueblo Entero, also founded by Chavez and Huerta, pulled out of all Cesar Chavez Day events, according to a statement.
UFW urged people to instead take part in acts of service or actions to “support farmworkers or empower vulnerable people in their own communities.”
The union said it was also working to establish a channel to support those who may have been harmed by Chavez while he worked for the organization. The foundation added that it was working in partnership with the union for that channel, and that it was investing resources into ensuring a welcoming work environment.
“These allegations have been profoundly shocking,” the union said. “We need some time to get this right, including to ensure robust, trauma-informed services are available to those who may need it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.