San Jose officials to weigh new name for downtown plaza

A name change for one of downtown San Jose’s most recognizable public gathering places is moving closer to a decision, after thousands of residents weighed in on what the plaza should be called.

The Parks and Recreation Commission on Sept. 2 is expected to make a recommendation to the City Council on renaming Plaza de César Chávez, following the results of the city’s community engagement process. City staff recommend the space be renamed Plaza de San Jose, which received the most support in the city’s ranked-choice survey. More than 10,500 people participated, with 4,116 selecting Plaza de San Jose as their first choice.

Other names in the running included Plaza del Pueblo, Farmworkers Plaza, Plaza de Quetzalcoatl and Plaza Park. The city council will have the final say on the plaza’s new name at a later date.

“I’m pleased with the process that we put together to make sure that renaming the plaza wasn’t a top-town decision, but a community effort to rename a longstanding, vibrant community space,” Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, whose District 3 includes the plaza, told San José Spotlight. “Our decision should reflect that, because this park belongs to the people of San Jose.”

The results are the latest in San Jose’s effort to rename the nearly 250-year-old downtown gathering place following community listening sessions and a suggested name submission period. Councilmembers voted earlier this year to begin removing Chávez’s name from city-owned sites following allegations that the late labor leader sexually abused women and children. Chávez called San Jose home at various points in his life and has long been celebrated in the city.

Ed Bautista, spokesperson for San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, said the name Plaza de San Jose reflects themes that emerged during the city’s resident engagement process, including community connection, history and legacy, representation, belonging, cultural diversity and shared pride in San Jose.

“The community looked at the names and found one that really fits all those values,” Bautista told San José Spotlight.

The city also made a concerted effort to engage Latino and farmworker communities during the process, Bautista said, including through listening sessions and translated outreach.

But some residents who have long known the space as Plaza de César Chávez have mixed feelings about changing its name.

Jay Tala, a lifelong San Jose resident, said he’s surprised to learn the city is considering renaming the plaza. He questioned whether the city should remove the names of historical figures based on allegations about their past, and said many prominent figures have complicated histories.

Everybody makes mistakes,” Tala told San José Spotlight. “Everyone’s failed at some point in their life and everyone’s made a bad decision.”

Other residents said the allegations against Chávez have changed how they view his place in the city’s public spaces.

Longtime resident Philip Nones said he supports changing the plaza’s name. He said the allegations against Chávez make him an inappropriate person to honor.

“Is that a role model?” Nones told San José Spotlight. “Is that somebody you should hold up as … ‘our kind of guy?’ No, he’s not.”

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.