UPDATE: San Jose prepares to strip public tributes to Cesar Chavez

San Jose leaders are advancing plans to start scrubbing late labor leader Cesar Chavez’s name from the city following recent allegations of abuse.

The San Jose Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved moving forward with the early stages of taking Chavez’s name off city-owned sites, such as Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown. The final decision will go before the full City Council at a later date.

“This is about taking a first responsible step,” District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz said during the meeting. “It is not a predetermined outcome, rather (we are directing staff) to inventory all public assets in Cesar Chavez’s name and to bring back a community driven process.”

Under the plan proposed by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmembers Ortiz, Anthony Tordillos, Domingo Candelas and Pamela Campos, the city would first create the inventory of facilities, amenities and public art with a connection to Chavez, and then gather input from residents to help guide any renaming decisions.

“The renaming shouldn’t be swift, it should be thoughtful and methodical,” Vice Mayor Pam Foley said. “We should reach out as far as we can to find input, to get input on appropriate names for these numerous buildings (and) streets.”

Last week, a New York Times investigation revealed allegations that Chavez, the co-founder of the United Farm Workers who died in 1993, sexually abused young women and children, including fellow movement leader Dolores Huerta.

The allegations have sent shockwaves through San Jose, a city Chavez called home at various points in his life. He has long been celebrated in the city, including through the naming of Plaza de Cesar Chavez downtown and an East San Jose elementary school. There are also several Cesar Chavez Day celebrations, including an annual breakfast, march through East San Jose and downtown and a city-sponsored UFW flag raising at City Hall. Festivities for the March 31 holiday have been halted in light of the allegations.

In 2022, nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe, with support from the city, purchased Chavez’s family home in East San Jose — a historic property now being transformed into a community space focused on education, preservation and housing for young adults.

As part of the review process laid out in the plan, city leaders intend to determine the sometimes complicated procedural hurdles that must be cleared in order to rename public assets. Typically, name changes require a review by a number of city agencies and elected bodies before going to the city council for final approval.

“It’s critical that we center the voices of the Latino farmworker community while also being sensitive to survivors and those who were harmed,” Ortiz, who represents East San Jose, told San José Spotlight. “What I hope this process achieves is a thoughtful, community-driven approach that reflects our shared values, one that allows us to honor the broader legacy of farmworkers while ensuring we are not causing further harm.”

Soon after news of the allegations against Chavez broke last week, many San Jose leaders moved quickly to condemn Chavez, pledging to reevaluate how the city honors the farmworkers’ movement in public spaces.

Jessica Paz-Cedillos, CEO of the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza and San José Spotlight columnist, applauded the plan, calling it “the right first step.”

“The farmworkers movement was built by many — especially women and community leaders whose contributions have often gone unrecognized,” Paz-Cedillos told San José Spotlight. “This is an opportunity not to erase history, but to deepen it — to elevate the full story, honor those who carried the movement forward and ensure our public spaces reflect both our values and our collective legacy.”

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

Story updated March 25 at 4:35 p.m. Original story published March 23 at 1 p.m.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misattributed a quote from Vice Mayor Pam Foley.