As California cities consider what to do with the vast set of landmarks named for the late Cesar Chavez, who was accused of sexual abuse in a New York Times story published March 18, Dolores Huerta said she would not like her name used as a replacement.
A spokesperson for Huerta, who cofounded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, told The Standard that streets, schools, and buildings “should not be renamed after her, but the UFW martyrs, organizers, farmworkers, and families who sacrificed everything to build something bigger than any one person.”
The 95-year-old Huerta, who showed up at San Francisco City Hall as recently as January in support of more pay for street cleaners, told The Times that Chavez raped her and coerced her into having sex in the 1960s, encounters that produced two children, which she secretly had others raise. She said she had never told anyone about the abuse, even her children.
Since the revelations about Chavez, officials in San Francisco have been considering how to rename the 3.5-mile Cesar Chavez Street and Cesar Chavez Elementary on Shotwell Street in the Mission.
Supervisor Jackie Fielder, whose district includes the Mission, is working with the community and labor groups to determine a renaming process, according to her chief of staff, Sasha Gaona.
While Huerta said in a recent interview (opens in new tab) that she would prefer that Chavez landmarks be named after individuals associated with the UFW movement, Tuesday’s statement represented her clearest attempt yet to distance herself from the renaming process.
“We understand that this news has stirred deep emotions for many people, and we respect that everyone is processing this in their own way,” said Huerta’s spokesperson, Erik Olvera. “Questions about the naming of public buildings, streets, and schools are local and municipal matters, and we believe those communities are best positioned to have those conversations on their own terms.”
Some have followed Huerta’s suggestion. On Monday, Assemblymembers in Sacramento voted unanimously to change Cesar Chavez Day — a state holiday every March 31 — to Farmworkers Day. The name change requires the approval of the state Senate and the governor.
But other U.S. cities have gone ahead with honoring Huerta. On Tuesday, Tucson renamed (opens in new tab) its March 31 Cesar Chavez Day as Dolores Huerta Day.