San Jose is cataloging its buildings, streets and other landmarks named after Cesar Chavez — and will seek broad public input before deciding whether to rename them — in a process city leaders say must center on survivors of the labor leader’s alleged abuse.
The City Council’s rules and open government committee unanimously directed staff to compile a full accounting of Chavez-named landmarks, following a New York Times investigation that revealed decades of alleged predatory sexual behavior against women and girls.
The memo calls for identifying every city-owned property, facility and piece of public art bearing Chavez’s name, determining who controls those outside city jurisdiction, mapping out the legal steps needed to rename each one and designing a community engagement process that prioritizes Latino and farmworker communities.
The move comes as elected officials across California reckon with Chavez’s legacy.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are pushing to rename the upcoming March 31 state holiday — Chavez’s birthday — “Farmworkers Day.” Richmond this week renamed its holiday Farm Workers Movement Day. San Francisco, San Diego and other cities are also moving to remove his name from public landmarks.
“At the center of our conversation must be survivors,” said Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who co-sponsored the memo. “Our responsibility is to ensure that accountability, dignity and healing guide how we move forward.”
The effort is backed by Councilmembers Pamela Campos, Anthony Tordillos and Domingo Candelas, as well as Mayor Matt Mahan.
Chavez has deep roots in San Jose.
Born in Arizona, he moved frequently with his farmworker family before settling in the city’s Mayfair neighborhood on the east side, where relatives lived. After serving in the Navy, he married and returned to Mayfair.
By the 1960s, he had relocated to Kern County in the Central Valley, where he co-founded the United Farm Workers union alongside Dolores Huerta, herself a celebrated labor leader. The New York Times investigation alleged that Chavez sexually abused Huerta and fathered two of her children.
While the city moved quickly to order an accounting of properties, it is in no hurry to rename them.
The committee’s approval does not immediately place the item on the full City Council agenda. Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox said work is underway and staff will return to the council once the accounting is complete.
Vice Mayor Pam Foley supported the memo but echoed calls for patience.
“It should be thoughtful and methodical,” Foley said. “We should reach out as far as we can to get input.”
Candelas said he wanted the city to engage San Jose-based organizations in the renaming discussion, including La Raza Historical Society, the African American Community Services Agency, the NAACP and LEAD Filipino.
“This is an opportunity to fully recognize the farmworker movement and uplift the contributions of those critical to its success,” Candelas said. “The movement was more than just a single individual.”