![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The left grapples with the painful reality of Cesar Chavez’s legacy
March 20th, 2026 12:02 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
dailykos_feedThe New York Times’ yearslong investigation which revealed Cesar Chavez spent decades sexually abusing underage girls and women marks a devastating fall from grace for the fabled leader.
Chavez was long considered a civil rights icon, the face of farmworkers’ rights, a hero at the very center of the labor movement.
He is also woven deeply into the fabric of the nation. In 2014, President Barack Obama designated March 31, Chavez’s birthday, as Cesar Chavez Day, which is also recognized as a holiday in several states.
There are also any number of streets, schools, parks, statues, murals, and libraries that honor Chavez and his legacy. There is even a Cesar Chavez National Monument in Keene, California.
It was immediately clear from the Times’ story that Chavez’s actions could not be waved away as mere rumors or unsourced accusations. Times reporters interviewed over 60 people, and several women who were abused by Chavez as young teenagers came forward to tell their stories.
Because of that, Chavez supporters—which, let’s be honest, includes much of the left—were forced to immediately grapple with what to do about all of the very visible, public honoring of Chavez.
The organizations most closely tied to Chavez and his legacy issued statements right away.
Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers union founded by Chavez, said the allegations were “difficult to hear,” but that the UFW “[does] not condone the actions” of the labor icon.
“It’s wrong,” Romero said.
The UFW Foundation immediately canceled all Cesar Chavez Day activities and called Chavez’s actions “indefensible.”
The Cesar Chavez Foundation called the revelations “shocking, incredibly disappointing, and deeply painful” and told the survivors of his abuse: “We believe you. We honor your courage, and we are very sorry for the harm you have carried in the shadows for so long.”
Democratic lawmakers and blue cities acted swiftly to begin the process of undoing the myriad ways that Chavez is honored.
The same day the news hit, Lansing, Michigan, canceled a dinner celebrating the legacy of Chavez, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, canceled its annual celebration as well.
New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Lujan called for Chavez’s name to be removed from every public site, and Denver has already removed a sign and bust from a park named after Chavez.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said that the governor’s office would not recognize Cesar Chavez Day this year, while the Phoenix City Council has set a vote for next week to rename all the buildings and streets named for Chavez.
House Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández issued a statement saying she was heartbroken and deeply disturbed, but that the caucus would always stand with survivors.
Arizona Democratic Rep. Adelita S. Grijalva said she was “deeply troubled” and then addressed the survivors of Chavez’s abuse directly.
“We hear you, we believe you, and we admire the immense courage it takes to speak out,” she said.
Grijlava also acknowledged the pain and complexity of this shocking revelation about a once-revered figure.
“I know that there is a profound sense of grief in our community today that may bring mixed emotions,” she said. “The betrayal of trust by a leader who had such a significant impact on our community is difficult to comprehend. It is ok to feel angry, shocked, heartbroken, saddened, confused, and dismayed—all at the same time.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott immediately said the state would no longer celebrate Cesar Chavez Day, but also used the opportunity to bash progressives, because why pass up a cheap shot when you’re Greg Abbott?
“Reports 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.”
Texas puts how the left and the right treat the past in stark relief. A replica of Robert E. Lee’s estate is still in the Texas park that bears his name. The GOP fought to keep Confederate statues for “historical preservation and education.”
This isn’t to say Texas shouldn’t remove Chavez’s name and likenesses from anywhere in the state—they are absolutely right to do so, as is the case everywhere else. But the state’s ongoing refusal to step back from glorifying treason in defense of slavery is pretty bleak.
California, the state arguably most entwined with Chavez’s legacy and the first to make his birthday a holiday, has a lot of work ahead to unwind everything honoring Chavez—but they are already making a start.
Lawmakers are planning to pass a bill renaming the state holiday to Farmworkers Day. San Jose officials canceled the city’s planned celebration and announced they would find a way to honor farmworkers without celebrating those who caused “such profound harm to the community.”
And Alex Padilla, the first Latino elected to represent California in the Senate, said Chavez’s actions were abhorrent and that there must be “zero tolerance for abuse, exploitation, and the silencing of victims, no matter who is involved.”
Overall, Democrats accepted the revelations and moved to cancel all gestures honoring Chavez while wrestling with heartbreak. Contrast that with how Republicans deal with sexual abuse allegations on their side of the aisle.
When The New York Times published a detailed investigation into allegations that Brett Kavanaugh, then a Supreme Court nominee, had sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford, with two additional women, Deborah Ramirez and Jule Swetnick, coming forward with their own allegations, the Republican reaction was … different.
The GOP circled the wagons, worked to discredit the victims, and rewarded Kavanaugh with a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump later mocked Ford at a rally, implied she was part of a conspiracy to bring Kavanaugh down, and bemoaned just how hard this was on Kavanaugh.
“They destroy people, these are really evil people,” Trump whined.
And speaking of Trump: This is a man a jury found liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll, a verdict he continues to fight while begging the Supreme Court to make it go away. There is currently a whole-of-government effort to stop any revelations about Trump in the Epstein files from ever seeing the light of day.
Here’s how Fox News sneeringly characterized statements from Golden State lawmakers in the wake of the revelations about Chavez: “California Democrats distance themselves from famed pro-union activist after bombshell report.”
But Democrats aren’t distancing themselves. They are taking accountability—a thing that the GOP simply doesn’t believe in. It’s about grappling with something that hurts, but realizing that Chavez hurt people far more.
It’s hard, and it’s sad, and it’s what has to be done.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
