{"id":210711,"date":"2026-03-19T01:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/210711\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T01:31:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T01:31:17","slug":"texas-gov-greg-abbott-cancels-states-cesar-chavez-day-celebrations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/210711\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott cancels state’s C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Day celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TexasTexas Gov. Greg Abbott appears at the Republican National Convention. Credit: Shutterstock \/ Maxim Elramsisy<\/p>\n

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared Wednesday that the state wouldn\u2019t observe C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Day on March 31 in response to a bombshell report in the New York Times that accused the late Latino civil-rights leader of grooming and sexually abusing underage girls.<\/p>\n

In a tweet, Abbott said he\u2019s directing all Texas state agencies to comply with the ban, and said he will work with state lawmakers in the next legislative session to \u201cremove Cesar Chavez Day from state law altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n

The state of Texas will not observe the Cesar Chavez Day holiday. I am directing all Texas state agency heads to comply. In the upcoming legislative session, I will work with Texas lawmakers to remove Cesar Chavez Day from state law altogether.<\/p>\n

Reports of the horrific and widely\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Abbott\u2019s order came moments after, San Antonio District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, along with the support of the AFL-CIO union, on Wednesday filed a memo requesting that the City of San Antonio\u2019s C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Day holiday honor someone else. Her memo also asks for the city\u2019s C\u00e9sar E. Ch\u00e1vez Boulevard downtown to be renamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering the allegations against Cesar Chavez and the accused abuse of girls, I am requesting that these Listening Sessions be prioritized and scheduled within the Spring of this year,\u201d Castillo wrote in her memo.<\/p>\n

Castillo also asked City Staff to explore creating a fund for residents to absorb the financial burden of the street name change. These costs could include changing residents driver\u2019s licenses, business cards or other alterations brought about by the renaming.<\/p>\n

Indeed, San Antonio residents made similar complaints<\/a> in 2011 when Durango Boulevard was renamed after the now-disgraced civil rights icon. That change cost the city $100,000 in signage, and many business owners had to replace stationery and other materials to reflect their new address.<\/p>\n

Castillo is the latest local official to call for renaming the downtown thoroughfare. State Rep. Josie Garcia, D-San Antonio, and Poet Laureate Antonio Eddie Vega have also said Ch\u00e1vez\u2019s name should be stripped from the map. <\/p>\n

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