Months ago, San Francisco decided to strip Cesar Chavez name off a Mission District street in the wake of accusations of sexual assault and misconduct by the famed labor leader. Since then, the debate has raged about what name the street should carry now.
The street used to be called Army Street but was renamed in 1995 to honor labor leader Cesar Chavez. This week, a new name has been proposed: “Las Campesinas”.
Some residents say they appreciate the effort by the city to move quickly.
“I think that it’s good and I’m actually surprised, pleasantly surprised that they’re attending to it so quickly after the news broke,” resident Dina Saadh said.
In April, several firsthand accounts of sexual misconduct by Chavez were published by the New York Times. Among the accusers is co-founder of the United Farm Workers Dolores Huerta.
Almost immediately after those accounts, San Francisco and other cities announced efforts to remove his name from streets and other landmarks.
During Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s regular meeting, Supervisor Jackie Fielder announced the name that has been selected after a month’s long process.
“Today we advance the name ‘Las Campesinas’. When translated, this means women farm workers,” Fielder said.
Word has already got out about the name, but not everyone is happy with the final recommendation.
A petition has been circulating through Mission neighborhood businesses with more than 150 signatures, voicing concerns about people’s ability to spell the new name or postal workers and emergency responders being able to easily communicate “Las Campesinas” and another finalist name that was considered.
Some say it should revert to its old name, Army Street.
San Francisco assessor-recorder Joaquin Torres helped steward this renaming process.
“We had a very substantive conversation with them and many people about the principal and values that were important to them, and all of them have been considered in the final name of ‘Las Campesinas’,” Torres said.
If the board approves the name, it will be submitted to the Department of Public Works to determine the cost of making the necessary changes, including new signs, re-stamped sidewalks and even new transit maps.