A nationwide reckoning is underway over the legacy of Latino civil rights leader César Chávez, as allegations that he may have abused women and minors surfaced earlier this week, prompting cancellations of events and celebrations scheduled for this weekend in his home state of Arizona and around the country.
The United Farm Workers union distanced itself from annual celebrations of its founder amid what it said were troubling allegations.
In a statement Tuesday, the union said allegations of “abuse of young women or minors” were concerning enough to urge people around the country to participate in immigration justice events or acts of service instead of the typical events in March to commemorate Chávez’s legacy.
The union said it has not received any direct reports of abuse and does not have any firsthand knowledge of the allegations. Neither the union nor the César Chávez Foundation responded to requests from The Associated Press for further comment.
“Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on,” the union said in its statement.
The New York Times published an investigation Wednesday morning that details the allegations in depth.
Several César Chávez celebrations in San Francisco, Texas and Chávez’s home state of Arizona were canceled at the request of the foundation, which also said it’s become aware of disturbing allegations about Chávez during his time as president of the union.
A spokesperson for Gov. Katie Hobbs said the state would no longer recognize César Chávez Day on March 31. In Tucson, organizers for the César Chávez and Dolores Huerta March and Rally scheduled for Saturday at Rudy Garcia Park rebranded the event as the Comunidad y Labor Unity Fair. The group canceled the march, but said the rally would continue as scheduled.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who represents Chávez’s home town of Yuma, issued a statement Tuesday in support of the abuse survivors.
“I know that there is a profound sense of grief in our community today that may bring mixed emotions,” Grijalva 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.”
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said in a statement Tuesday that the was “personally devastated” by the abuse allegations and also called for support for survivors.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego issued a statement on Wednesday praising the women for speaking about about their experience, calling the reports “shocking and disappointing about a leader that I for many years had looked up to.”
“No one, no matter how powerful, is above accountability, especially when it comes to abusing young women,” Gallego said. “The farmworkers’ movement has always been bigger than any one man. It belongs to the thousands of hardworking people who have spent decades on the front lines fighting for the dignity of agricultural workers.”
The union and the foundation said they’d be working to establish ways for anyone who might have been harmed by Chávez to share experiences confidentially.
“These allegations have been profoundly shocking,” the union statement said. “We need some time to get this right, including to ensure robust, trauma-informed services are available to those who may need it.”
California became the first state to establish March 31, Chávez’s birthday, as a day commemorating the labor leader. Others followed. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 as national César Chávez Day, urging Americans to honor his legacy.
Streets, schools and parks bear Chávez’s name. Born in Yuma, Chávez grew up in a Mexican-American family that traveled around California picking lettuce, grapes, cotton and other seasonal crops. He died in California in 1993 at age 66.
Chávez is known nationally for his early organizing in the fields, a hunger strike, a grape boycott and eventual victory in getting growers to negotiate with farmworkers for better wages and working conditions.
In 1962, Chávez and Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers of America.
Farmworkers are crucial to agribusiness in California, which grows nearly half the nation’s fruits, nuts and vegetables.
Chávez protested against poor pay and often-miserable work conditions. There were no toilets in the fields for workers, who weeded fields with short-handled hoes that forced them to bend over for hours at a time.
Bosses frequently ignored the health and wages of their workers, many of whom were Spanish-speakers in the country temporarily or illegally and had little political or legal clout to prevent abuses.
Includes reporting by Arizona Luminaria’s Rafael Carranza
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