Officials are cataloging the numerous tributes to Cesar Chavez throughout San Jose following recent allegations that Chavez sexually assaulted Dolores Huerta and at least two others, and there will be public hearings on renaming them.
San Jose leaders voted unanimously Wednesday to begin a citywide review of sites bearing Cesar Chavez’s name, with plans to catalog monuments, place names, and public art before considering what changes to make, as NBC Bay Area reports.
According to the New York Times, the process will include public hearings focused on potential renaming. Residents have emphasized to city leaders the importance of preserving the history of the farmworker movement in San Jose and the many people who helped build it.
“The farmworker rights movement has never been about one person alone,” city leaders wrote in a memorandum, per the Times, “It has always been a people-driven movement grounded in dignity, sacrifice, and collective action.”
As we reported Thursday, state lawmakers have already officially renamed Cesar Chavez Day, which was set to happen next Tuesday, as Farmworkers Day.
The Times details how Chavez’s trajectory aligned with the farmworker movement in San Jose. He moved to California at age 11 from Arizona with his family in 1938, where they followed seasonal farm work across migrant camps after they lost their land during the Great Depression. Per the Times, he settled in San Jose in the early 1950s and began his work as a labor organizer, as the city was emerging as a center for Latino culture and activism.
As leaders consider the broader response, smaller actions are being taken to acknowledge the harm done. Chavez’s name on the downtown plaza steps has already been covered in concrete.
At San Jose Community College, a 40-foot mural of Chavez reportedly remains on the library wall, with a sign that reads, “You are not alone,” offering support resources for students affected by sexual violence.
During a recent campus tour at San Jose State, middle school students asked their teacher about the allegations when they came upon a prominent arch depicting Chavez alongside Dolores Huerta and other civil rights figures. Their teacher, Vanessa Valdez-Cruz, told the Times the revelations have been difficult for many families, bringing up conversations about abuse and longstanding silence within the community.
“As many in our community have noted, the movement itself, the workers, the marchers, and the women who stood on our front lines must continue to be celebrated,” Cynthia Teniente-Matson, the president of San Jose State, wrote in a message, via the Times. “Their contributions cannot be dimmed by the actions of one person.”
Previously: Cesar Chavez Day Likely to Be Renamed Farmworkers Day Via Bill Before California Legislature
Image: 'The Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice' by Judith Baca, San Jose State University; Katherine D. Harris
