A Cesar Chavez protest march from Piru to Oxnard for farmworkers rights is documented by the Ventura College Press on April 2, 1982.
Groups move swiftly nationwide to remove images, honors for César Chávez, while others promote access to sexual assault and mental health counseling services
By Frank X. Moraga • www.Amigos805.com ©2026
OXNARD — Oxnard is joining other cities nationwide in renaming their annual César Chávez celebration in light of the sexual assault allegations linked to the late farm labor leader.
“March for Justice! March for Farmworkers rights!” Sunday March 22, 2026 at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard. The events starts at 3:30 pm.,” according to a Facebook post by Javier Gomez, founder of the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center in Oxnard.
Since early this month, cities across the nation either canceled or renamed their celebrations ahead of the labor leader’s birthday on March 31, 2026. Their actions followed news of a potential explosive story by a national publication that was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News on March 6, 2026. The reports focused on revelations of a “sensitive matter” involving Chavez.
Those reports were confirmed when an extensive story by the New York Times was published on March 18 detailing allegations of years of sexual abuse by Chavez of minors and sexual assault incidents involving farmworkers rights labor leader Dolores Huerta. Huerta confirmed those assaults in the story.
Following the revelations by the New York Times, a variety of public and private entities moved swiftly to erase the Chavez name from their celebrations and honors, including the state of California and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, a variety of local and national individuals and organizations have issued statements on the revelations including the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta and the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
In response to the reported abuses by the victims, links to a variety of sexual assault and mental health services were provided by CAUSE (see below), the Dolores Huerta Foundation (here) and the UFW (here).
See related stories on the reaction to the revelations.
Please see March 18, 2026 New York Times breaking investigative story:
Please see other stories:
- ABC 7 (Los Angeles) — Mayor Bass signs proclamation renaming LA.’s Cesar Chavez Day as holiday to Farmworkers Day
- Arizona Daily Star — Arizona moves quickly on legislation to end Cesar Chavez Day
- Arizona Daily Sun — Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council cancels event honoring César Chávez after sexual assault revelations
- Arizona Republic (subscription) — ‘Troubling’ Cesar Chavez allegations shift plans to honor civil rights leader
- Axios — UFW acts on allegations against César Chávez
- Colorado Sun — Denver replaces César Chávez name with “Si Se Puede” Day
- The Guardian — United Farm Workers union cancels Cesar Chavez events over abuse allegations
- Los Angeles Times — Momentum builds to erase Cesar Chase’s name from Schools, streets and parks
- Los Angeles Times (subscription) — OPINION — And just like that, the Cesar Chavez myth is punctured. What’s next?
- MS Now — OPINION — Take Cesar Chavez name off everything — The years I spent defending Césara Chávez makes me feel like a fool
- NBC News — Officials across the U.S. push to remove Cesar Chavez’s name from streets, parks and holidays
- NBC News Bay Area — César Chávez Foundation ‘deeply shocked’ over civil rights leader allegations
- PBS — California moves to rename César Chávez Day over sexual abuse allegations
- Politico — What Cesar Chavez’s biographer says now
- Sacramento Bee — Sacramento to hold annual Cesar Chavez march amid ‘troubling’ abuse allegations
- San Antonio Express-News — Corpus Christi cancels César Chávez march amid rumors; Dolores Huerta drops out
- San Luis Obispo Tribune — Reckoning with Cesar Chavez and the future of the UFW
- Santa Barbara News-Press — End of days for Calle César Chávez
- Tucson Sentinel — César Chávez march in Tucson canceled over allegations of sexual abuse of minors
- USA Today — ‘Troubling’ allegations against Cesar Chavez prompt UFW to skip events
- Ventura County Star — Oxnard officials weigh pulling Cesar Chavez name from school, street
- Ventura County Star (subscription) — OPINION — What César Chávez cost the movement
- The Washington Post (subscription) — OPINION — César Chavez and the lies the left tells itself. I know them well
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Links to sexual assault, domestic violence and civil rights services provided this week by the Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline:
National Domestic Violence Hotline:
CA Civil Rights Department:
Additional resources and an online chat at: https://www.thehotline.org/ Find local service providers near you using the national directory searchable by zip code: https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/directory-of-local-providers/ |