Welcome to The Fill From the Hill, a recurring political column where one University Times writer dissects the key political topics and controversies in the news, from domestic politics to international affairs. This week tackles the recent revelations about Cesar Chavez’s conduct, unveiled by the New York Times. Despite my position, this column is not representative or a reflection of the opinions of the UT Staff nor the UT itself.
On March 18, the New York Times published an investigative story about Cesar Chavez, detailing two instances where he sexually abused underage girls from 1972 to 1977.
Further, Dolores Huerta, who also co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Chavez, revealed that Chavez had assaulted her while they worked together.
The news came just two weeks before the federally recognized Cesar Chavez Day, which became a federal holiday in 2014, when former President Barack Obama made an official proclamation.
The holiday had existed on a state level for many years prior to its declaration as a federal holiday. Still going by the name Cesar Chavez Day, it has been celebrated on a state level across the southwest, especially in states like Arizona, Nevada, and California.
Immediately following the publication of the New York Times’ story, the UFW’s current president, Teresa Romero, said in a statement that the organization would not be participating in any celebrations that were planned. Many other communities and cities that also had celebrations planned had canceled or otherwise postponed their events in light of the news.
People across social media rallied quickly for the victims, especially Huerta, whose message was shared across social platforms en masse.
Lawmakers in California also called for the holiday to be changed to “Farm Workers Day,” a measure which Governor Gavin Newsom also supported. Several city councils across the state also began the process of restoring old street names that were dedicated to Chavez back to their previous names.
Chavez is a very prominent figure across the American Southwest. Many streets, parks, and other fixtures are named after him. He also holds an honorary degree from Cal State Bakersfield, which was awarded in 2023. (The campus also houses the Cesar Chavez Foundation.) Following the publication of the story released by the NYT, the Chavez Foundation published a statement on their official website disavowing Chavez and dedicating themselves to the victims. The rest of the website was also shuttered, and the statement is the only thing available to be read.
Now that the table has been set, let’s get into our views on the revelations about Cesar Chavez.
Samuel Valencia: This news is a massive blow to the Latino community that will continue to be felt over the coming months and even years.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Chavez is an important figure in the same regard as Martin Luther King Jr., and the revelation of his crimes taints a legacy decorated in honor for his efforts to support the immigrant community.
The current administration’s anti-immigrant efforts have made it a tough year for immigrants across the country. So to lose out on such an integral figure at such a critical time is a gut punch.
While the UFW will continue on without Chavez’s image behind them, it unfortunately can never be the same. The movement’s strongest figure has just had his reputation torn to shreds, and at least for the time being, that is what people will focus on, and rightly so. However, this will come at the expense of their actual actions taken today.
Chavez’s work to support farm workers and other labor movements will fade to the background, as he will now be inseparable from his actions. (And that is exactly what should happen when crimes like these are brought to light.)
Too often, people in power get away with doing horrible things, and their victims never receive the justice that they are entitled to. In fact, we’re seeing that happen in real time with Donald Trump and his administration’s cover-up of the Epstein files, and it feels disheartening to see it happen on such a large scale. But when moments like this one occur– where criminal actions are brought out into the public light, and everyone is of the same mind to denounce and ostracize that person– it gives us a chance to create a moment of unity and collectiveness despite the hurt.
It may take time to fully move past this, as it is such a raw betrayal for some that can take longer to process. This is especially true because of how intertwined Chavez had become with the world around us. And that’s okay, since everyone moves at different speeds, and it’s unrealistic to hand-wave all of this off in a day.
Chavez may have ended up being a disgusting person, but the movement he fought for is so much bigger than him, and it will continue to grow beyond him. The UFW has continued long after Chavez’s death to stand up for labor workers everywhere, and once our mourning over the loss of someone we all considered to be so integral has ended, it is there that our attention should return.
As efforts are taken to untangle Chavez’s legacy from our lives, it’s important that we keep our eyes on the present and continue to fight for the same values we have always held. Supporting our labor workers against unfair practices will always be the goal of those willing to fight for it; with or without Chavez, there will always be people there to fight for it.
