The Dilemma of Cesar Chavez Day
By Mira Sundar, Staff Writer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Moreau Catholic High School
In the mid 1900s, California depended on many migrant workers to carry out agricultural work. Huge farms, or agribusinesses, dominated Central Valley California, and the crops being grown included grapes, lettuce, and strawberries that required especially intensive hand-labor. These vulnerable workers were heavily oppressed, seen as outsiders to be moved around and worked to their limit, and had very limited legal protections. Because their wages were so ridiculously low, these farmers worked 10-12 hours a day, employing even their own children in the dangerous lifestyle they were slaves to, just to live in poverty.
So how did these people, living in fear of being fired, blacklisted, or deported, gain the power and strength to retaliate? Collective action under leaders such as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta–but also many others –made this possible, empowering hundreds of dejected farmworkers.
Led by Chavez and Huerta, thousands of primarily Mexican workers united to create the National Farmers Worker Association (NFWA), that would unite with Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, of primarily Filipino workers, to form the United Farm Workers of America, uniting farmworkers of all backgrounds. They quit their jobs during the Delano Grape Strike, making it impossible for growers to replace them. Farmers boycotted grapes nationally and peacefully, under the slogan Sí, se puede.
The media simplified these deeply complicated stories, and one man was named the hero of it all: Cesar Chavez.
Today, Cesar Chavez is dead, leaving Dolores Huerta, the woman not given enough credit for her labor for farmers’ rights all these years, obviously due to sexism throughout history, to be blamed for not working to expose his now resurfaced actions. Yet, she, too, was a victim of Chavez.
In a recent New York Times article, two women, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, daughters of farmers part of the union and movement, accused Chavez of assaulting them, with damning evidence, while they were as young as 12 and 13. Hundreds of documents would be reviewed, uncovering dozens of other alleged victims including Esmeralda Lopez, and even cofounder of the NFWA Dolores Huerta.
Murguia was assaulted at 13, while Chavez was 45. She was groomed by him over four years, “summoned for sexual encounters” dozens of times, so traumatized that she would attempt suicide multiple times by the age of 15, and would later battle heroin addiction. According to her account in The New York Times, Chavez would tell her “not to tell anyone because other girls and women would be jealous of their special bond.”
Rojas was first targeted at 12, as she was in child-like admiration of Chavez as many others were. Her parents, trusting him, let Rojas take part in a march with Chavez where she was raped by him in a motel.
Today, Huerta is the most well-known voice representing these claims and advocating for women and children’s rights as part of the United Farm Workers, taking part in many live interviews, but as a result, in a video from Democracy Now!, journalist (and personal friend of Huerta’s) Maria Hinojosa claims that she has had to stay in hiding due to the criticism. In the same video interview, Huerta claimed to be assaulted by Chavez on at least two occasions, both leading to pregnancy. She had to conceal her pregnancy as protest marches occurred, wearing baggy clothes as she suffered in silence.
Everyone stayed silent for nearly 60 years, including all the bystanders who witnessed the assault, in hopes to give the farmworkers’ movement the legitimacy it deserves, yet many people are blaming this one woman, and victim, for not speaking out.
Huerta’s voice would not guarantee the safety of other women. Only Chavez was responsible for the direct abuse of these girls. He skillfully manipulated all his victims, making them feel trapped: victims had to choose between different kinds of oppression: the movement, that would end the suffering of millions of workers, or speaking out about their sexual assault. They didn’t stay silent in disregard for other victims, but in martyrdom for the cause.
Huerta stayed silent until now, knowing that as a woman, she would not have been believed for her story at the time, and if she was believed and Chavez was punished, she alone could not provide strength for the movement’s success. Huerta feared that American society would stop aligning with farmworkers in the fight for justice as soon as there was a shred of evidence of their leader’s bad character.
Huerta and other victims minimized their pain–and even her pregnancy–for their families’ rights, knowing that being named a “rape victim” carries a heavily stigmatized and negative connotation in society. The entire movement would be discredited, similar to how protests of all kinds are demonized if in any way violent.
Chavez seemingly abused his power with disregard for how his actions would impact the community he represented, and the undermining of this national holiday is what has happened today as a result of his actions ultimately being revealed.
Now, murals of Cesar Chavez are being painted over each day, with discourse over changing the name of the holiday. The day is very specific to one individual and his birthday, while the movement was fought for by so many–Huerta, Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz, Helen Fabela Chávez, Marshall Ganz, and every courageous union member. The day should be renamed and given a different date, but it should not be erased because of Chavez’s crimes.
Cesar Chavez Day should not be overshadowed by rape and pedophilia, but redefined so it encompasses the core of the movement: a fight for basic human rights for underprivileged immigrant workers. This day must be transformed to uplift and support immigrants, who have been disrespected and abused in California, and nationwide, till this day.
Immigrants today face similar struggles to the NFWA, being terrorized by ICE. Immigrants who prop up our economy are so quickly disposed of by the government; they are still seen as aliens, despite shaping American history and culture for so many years.
Americans have quickly taken action to condemn Chavez as soon as his alleged crimes were uncovered, yet other powerful men with numerous sexual misconduct allegations, including against children, hold and have held great power in our country, historically avoiding any consequences. In addition to uplifting immigrants, this controversy should spark investigation and eventual prosecution of those who abuse power at the expense of the vulnerable in our country.
Huerta comments in an interview with ABC News, “This is so prevalent…men get away with it all the time.” Her comments reflect an utter lack of respect for women and girls, as rape is so common. So, why do some lose their entire legacy over rape, while others remain in positions of power?
Ultimately, erasing Cesar Chavez Day won’t erase pedophilia and sexual assault, and erasure won’t charge those in power accused of similar crimes. But to fully erase Cesar Chavez Day will erase the history of millions of labor workers who merely wanted livable working conditions, immigrants who share struggles with hispanic immigrants today.
Cesar Chavez Day should be renamed and redefined to something that honors victims and their families because these women spoke out to end the idolization of a single evil man, not to completely erase everything March 31 stands for.
Sources
https://donewiththehustle.substack.com/p/we-are-all-dolores-huerta-debra-rojas
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/workers-united-the-delano-grape-strike-and-boycott.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/us/dolores-huerta-cesar-chavez-united-farm-workers.html
https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/continuing-cesar-chavezs-legacy-supporting-farmworkers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Farm_Workers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7oRBftgmiw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmcajab4wlw&list=TLPQMjUwMzIwMjbB_CBqY5LsIw&index=1