Say It Isn’t So, Cesar

By A. Govea

alberto@holatexas.us

In the last couple of weeks, troubling allegations involving Cesar Chavez have begun circulating publicly. Some of the early chatter focused on long-standing claims that he was fiercely anti-immigrant—accusations that have surfaced for decades.

For years, I defended him on that point. I would explain that White growers were using undocumented workers to break the union, to maintain cheap labor, to preserve poor working conditions, and to hire and discard workers at will. It was never, in my view, that Cesar himself was anti-immigrant. In fact, the labor contracts he negotiated protected all workers, regardless of citizenship status. Still, I understand why some people interpreted certain actions or rhetoric differently, and I can acknowledge that in the heat of a strike, someone within the union may have acted against undocumented workers.

But the new allegations that have surfaced in the last two weeks are something entirely different.

Any time someone is accused of sexual abuse, the allegations must be taken seriously—especially when minors may have been involved. (except for Trump, I guess) I admit that I did not want to believe any of this. My first instinct was to assume it was a smear campaign, something we have seen before with other civil rights leaders.

That changed when Dolores Huerta issued a statement saying that she herself had experienced sexual violence at the hands of her boss, Cesar Chavez. There is absolutely no reason on earth to believe she would participate in any kind of smear campaign. Quite the opposite—their legacies have always been intertwined as co-founders of the United Farm Workers, an organization that has improved the lives of thousands of workers. Schools, streets, and public facilities across the country bear both of their names.

Here in Fort Worth, we have a long stretch of sign toppers honoring them: Cesar Chavez from 28th and Beach to North Main, and Dolores Huerta from North Main to Jacksboro Highway. Full disclosure: the LULAC Council I serve as president led the nearly ten-year effort to make those signs a reality.

So what happens now?

Given what appears to be overwhelming evidence against Cesar, I believe all signage honoring him should come down. Beyond that, I think many of us are still processing this shocking and painful turn of events. Pero, speaking only for myself and how I feel today, I believe all signage honoring Dolores Huerta should remain—and perhaps even replace the Cesar Chavez signs. Any yearly celebrations should be held in her honor moving forward.

I have many more thoughts on this matter, but for now, I think it is best to keep some of them to myself. In many ways, I believe that I—and many in our community—are in a strange period of mourning. We are grieving not only the allegations, but the loss of a figure we once held up as a symbol of justice.