It turns out that Cesar Chavez wasn’t only bad for the unionized farm workers labor movement, he was bad for women as well. Cesar Chavez Day has now been canceled across the country over some very significant sexual abuse allegations involving very young girls.

Ana Murguia remembers the day the man she had regarded as a hero called her house and summoned her to see him. She walked along a dirt trail, entered the rundown building, passed his secretary and stepped into his office.

He locked the door, as he always did when he called her, and told her how lonely he had been. He brought her onto the yoga mat that he often used in his office for meditation, kissed her and pulled her pants down. “Don’t tell anyone,” he told her afterward. “They’d get jealous.”

The man, Cesar Chavez, one of the most revered figures in the Latino civil rights movement, was 45. She was 13. Ms. Murguia said she was summoned for sexual encounters with him dozens of times over the next four years.

Recently, more than 50 years later, Ms. Murguia learned that a street near her home in the Central California city of Bakersfield was in the process of being renamed. City officials want to name it in honor of her abuser.

She was THIRTEEN and Chavez sexually abused her, and as it turns out, many other young girls. This is a man who has been lauded for years as an icon of unionized farm labor. And sadly, horrifically in my opinion, these women kept silent because they thought or were told the labor movement was much more important than their pain. 

This is from civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, now 96 years old. 

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.

I had experienced abuse and sexual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.

~Snip

I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.

I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of sexual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.

Democrats, including Kamala Harris with her grapetastic tall tales, have been propping up Cesar Chavez for decades now, even while knowing he was against both legal and ILLEGAL immigration. 

But now that the New York Times has published the results of their multi-year investigation, the name Chavez is lower than mud. It’s at the bottom of the sewer. 

As a women-led organization that exists to empower communities, the allegations about abusive behavior by Cesar Chavez go against everything that we stand for. These disturbing allegations involve inappropriate behavior by Cesar Chavez with young women and minors, they are shocking, indefensible and something we are taking seriously.

Recognizing how serious the allegations are, the UFW Foundation has cancelled all Cesar Chavez Day activities this month.

Meanwhile, others are scrambling to figure out how to celebrate unionized labor on March 31 without naming the very ugly elephant in the room. 

A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom said his office would “provide comment once information is shared or reported,” while noting that Cesar Chavez Day is a state holiday codified in law. Barring any legislative action, March 31 will remain a paid day off for state employees, when the Legislature and many state, county and city offices are closed.

Sacramento’s annual Chavez march was still on as of late Tuesday, though organizers said they were discussing a possible “rebrand.” In Fresno, however, the school district said that students and staff would not participate in a planned Chavez celebration today.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation, the successor to the National Farm Workers Service Center founded by Chavez, said it’s working with the UFW to create a “safe and confidential process” for potential victims to share their experiences.

All of that is great and wonderful.

March 31 holiday to be renamed

We are devastated to learn of the allegations of sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez. We stand with those who have suffered sexual abuse and are renaming our Cesar Chavez holiday.

As Tempe has a paid holiday for employees, we will meet with our… pic.twitter.com/3sZ98zMmeu

— City of Tempe, AZ (@Tempegov) March 18, 2026

Except the victims are still left hanging in the wind, and all that some politicians are able to offer is a fence straddling weak sauce statement. 

There is no substitute for the truth. The United Farm Workers movement was historic, and it is real. The fight for justice for America’s farmworkers was life-changing and real. Clearly, there is a painful side to this story and Cesar Chavez that we must face.

Iconic labor…

— Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) March 18, 2026

According to Gavin Newsom, the labor movement is so important that Chavez will be ignored and they ‘might’ be there for the victims. 

The farmworkers movement and labor movement are much bigger than one man.

We’re for justice, truth, and transparency — and we will have the backs of our friend Dolores and all victims. pic.twitter.com/kvJRlrIk5o

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) March 18, 2026

It’s Gavin Newsom, so his word is useless. 

What many are ignoring as they opine on social media, is that the victims suffered for decades because they were either told or they essentially convinced themselves the movement was more important than holding Cesar Chavez accountable then for raping and molesting them. 

The fallout from this will be interesting to watch as Democrats and organizations scramble to cancel Cesar Chavez without actually canceling him while giving lip service to his victims.

Feature Photo Credit: Chavez mural at Oregon State University via Wikimedia, cropped and modified