The Fresno City Council held a meeting on March 19 to start the process of removing César Chávez’s name from street signs and restoring them to their original names.
This change comes after victims shed light on the sexual abuse they experienced from César Chávez, a civil rights activist who fought for farmers’ rights.
Fresno City Council President, Mike Karbassi opened the meeting by addressing Dolores Huerta’s statement regarding the sexual assault she faced from César Chávez during the farmworker rights movement.
“Out of respect for her, I feel it’s appropriate that we take swift action to restore Kings County, Ventura and California avenue signage,” Karbassi said. “That way, she and any other victims can continue healing in peace.”
Karbassi said he wasn’t sure that the bill would pass, but assumed it would. At that moment, he brought out the original California Avenue sign and displayed it on the desk.
Councilmember Annalisa Perea said how it is important to not let this overshadow the wins that came from the unions.
“Because of the hard work of thousands, we have workers’ rights for our workers that didn’t exist then,” Perea said.
Perea also said that she stands in solidarity with the other victims of César Chávez, like Dolores Huerta, and that she urges victims of abuse to come forward and that there are resources available for them.
Councilmember Miguel A. Arias then spoke about acknowledging the harm, the victims and the reporting surrounding this event.
“We have to recognise the impact of our community. As a father, as a former farmer for myself, as a son of farm workers, the news has been deeply, painfully, and personally devastating to us,” Arias said.
Arias talked about how this has shaken many within the community, especially those who spent their lifetime fighting for rights and honoring the legacy that was believed in.
Arias then went on to say that the journalism involved in this case should be honored as well.
“We should commend the journalist who spent years investigating and bringing this truth to light,” he said.
He later talked about how farm workers are under attack, and how the current presidency is working to remove wages of farm workers by $5 to $7.
“Let’s not celebrate with this street sign. There will be moments that we will be tested on if we really support farmworkers,” Arias said. “There will be moments in these chambers for farmworkers who need us to stand up with them against federal administration on wage theft.”
Arias emphasized that removing street names is not about erasing history, but about aligning values and honouring the contributions of farmworkers without ignoring them.
Councilmember Nick Richardson also apologized to the small businesses at the time César Chávez signs were made, as they were not addressed on the choice.