The United Farm Workers union has distanced itself from annual celebrations of its founder, Cesar Chavez, amid what it said were troubling but unspecified 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 Chavez'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 Cesar Chavez 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.
Several Cesar Chavez celebrations in San Francisco, Texas and Chavez's home state of Arizona were canceled at the request of the foundation, which also said it's become aware of disturbing allegations about Chavez during his time as president of the union. Organizers of canceled events did not immediately respond to the AP's requests for comment.
Both groups said they'd be working to establish ways for anyone who might have been harmed by Chavez 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, Chavez's birthday, as a day commemorating the labor leader. Others followed. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 as national Cesar Chavez Day, urging Americans to honor his legacy.
Streets, schools and parks bear Chavez's name. That includes 23rd Street Trafficway in Kansas City, Missouri, which the City Council renamed in Chavez's honor in 1994.
The mayor's office told KSHB 41 that any plans to rename the street would first have to be introduced at a council meeting. Councilman Crispin Rea (4th District-at-Large) said he is looking at potentially introducing a name change, though nothing is in motion at this time.
Kansas City's Latinx Education Collaborative told KSHB 41 it was connected to the Cesar Chavez Foundation in the past, but it has not partnered with the foundation "in any capacity since."
"We are deeply disturbed by the recent reporting detailing allegations of sexual abuse, grooming, and harm associated with Cesar Chavez. The accounts shared, including those involving young girls and leaders within the movement, are serious and deserve to be met with care, accountability, and a commitment to truth.We want to be clear that the Latinx Education Collaborative and Revolución Educativa do not have a current relationship with the Cesar Chavez Foundation. Our only past connection was a limited-term curriculum agreement that ended in 2023, and we have not partnered with the foundation in any capacity since.Our commitment remains rooted in the safety, dignity, and empowerment of our community, especially young people. For more information on next steps, we encourage the public to review the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s recent statement[chavezfoundation.org] outlining its plans to move forward, including a reconciliation process with the United Farm Workers union and those impacted by this harm."
Chavez visited Kansas City in 1973 to give a talk at Penn Valley Community College. The Kansas City Public Library Special Collections shared documents with KSHB that recounted the 1973 visit, his legacy and the move to rename a street after him. You can view those here.
KSHB 41 has reached out to Guadalupe Centers for comment but has not heard back.
Born in Yuma, Arizona, Chavez 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.
Chavez 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, Chavez and Dolores 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.
Chavez 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.
—
KSHB 41 contributed to this report.
