Labor leader Cesar Chavez speaks at Sacramento State on during the Gallo wine boycott on May 3, 1975.
WARD SHARRER
Sacramento Bee file
Following the New York Times investigation of farmworker activist Cesar Chavez’s allegations of sexual misconduct, communities around the nation have been reevaluating the many statues, street names, community centers and federal holiday honoring the late Chicano and Latino leader.
Chavez, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America, was reported to have sexually abused two underage girls in the 1970s as well as sexually assaulted co-founder of the United Farm Workers organization Dolores Huerta. She said Chavez fathered two of her children.
The United Farm Workers union released a statement on Tuesday, March 17, and said it would not take part in any Cesar Chavez Day activities after the allegations were discovered and are considering a possible “rebrand” for the upcoming Cesar Chavez March on Saturday, March 28, according to previous Bee reporting.
But will Cesar Chavez Day go under a similar rebrand and what schools are scheduled to celebrate the holiday?
Here’s what to know:
What Sacramento-area colleges and universities celebrate Cesar Chavez Day?
As of Wednesday, March 18, six colleges and universities in the area close their campuses for Cesar Chavez Day:
The Sacramento Bee reached out to the colleges and universities scheduled to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day for updates on name changes or cancellations. But the universities and colleges have not responded as of Wednesday, March 18.
The California Department of Education said there are more than three dozen K-12 schools that are named after Chavez — 15 in Northern California alone.
What states celebrate Cesar Chavez’s birthday as a holiday?
California honors Cesar Chavez Day as a state holiday annually on Chavez’s birthday, March 31. The day is not a federally observed holiday, but was recognized as a commemorative holiday in 2014 following a proclamation by President Barack Obama.
These are the seven states that currently observe the holiday:
ArizonaCaliforniaColoradoMinnesotaTexasUtahWashingtonWill the holiday change due to the allegations?
During a Wednesday press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated he would be open to changing the name of Cesar Chavez Day in order to better highlight the farmworkers movement.
Newsom said that as the holiday approaches everyone is “going to have to reflect,” according to reporting by The Bee.
“It’s about the movement. It’s about farmworkers. It’s about labor,” Newsom said. “It’s about social justice, economic justice. All things that the movement has inspired, and we should all be celebrating.”
That same day Republican Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo filed legislation to rename the holiday Farmworker Day, according to a post made on her Facebook account.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
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Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked at the Star Democrat in Annapolis, Maryland. Veronica graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in journalism.