César Chávez accused of sexually abusing labor rights leader Dolores Huerta

Labor rights person Dolores Huerta says she was sexually abused by César Chavez amid reported allegations of maltreatment by others during his tenure arsenic president of The United Farm Workers union.

In a connection released Wednesday, Huerta said she stayed soundless for 60 years retired of interest that her words would wounded the farmworker movement.

Huerta described 2 intersexual encounters with Chavez, 1 wherever she was “manipulated and pressured” and different wherever she was “forced against my will.”

“I carried this concealed for arsenic agelong arsenic I did due to the fact that gathering the question and securing farmworker rights was life’s work. The enactment of a national was the lone conveyance to execute and unafraid those rights and I wasn’t going to fto Cesar oregon anyone other get successful the way.”

Earlier Wednesday, an probe by the New York Times recovered that Chavez, groomed and sexually abused young girls who worked successful the movement, including Huerta.

Huerta said she did not cognize that Chavez wounded different women and condemned his actions but reminded readers that the farmworker question is bigger than 1 person.

“César’s actions bash not bespeak the values of our assemblage and our movement,” Huerta said successful her statement. “The farmworker question has ever been bigger and acold much important than immoderate 1 individual. César’s actions bash not diminish the imperishable improvements achieved for farmworkers with the assistance of thousands of people. We indispensable proceed to prosecute and enactment our community, which needs advocacy and activism present much than ever.

Latino civilian rights leaders measurement allegations

Latino leaders and assemblage groups are present weighing the interaction of his actions connected the labour rights movement.

In their reactions to the news, Latino civilian rights advocates emphasized that the farmworker question was not conscionable Chavez but thousands of different individuals who came unneurotic to combat for justice.

Voto Latino leaders said successful a connection that nary substance his bequest oregon humanities framing Chavez’ actions are inexcusable. Similarly, LULAC released a connection condemning immoderate signifier of intersexual unit stating that “no individual, careless of statue oregon bequest is supra accountability.”

While the quality of these allegations are devastating to the Latino community, Voto Latino said it does not erase the enactment done by the thousands women and men who built the farmworker movement.

“The women who organized, marched, and sacrificed alongside farmworkers carried this question connected their backs,” Voto Latino said. “Dolores Huerta — a fighter, a elephantine of the labour movement, and idiosyncratic who is among the survivors of this maltreatment — helped physique everything this question stands for.”

U.S. Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández, seat of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a connection Wednesday saying she was heartbroken and profoundly disturbed by the stories of women who accidental they were abused arsenic girls by Chavez and what she described arsenic a achy relationship of what Huerta endured.

Leger Fernández said the farmworker and civilian rights question was built by countless people, including women and families who sacrificed for a amended future.

“Honoring that bequest means facing achy truths and continuing the enactment for justness with honesty and humanity,” the New Mexico congresswoman said. “A question rooted successful justness indispensable code each injustice.”

Leger Fernández said the women’s caucus volition basal with survivors and proceed warring for “a aboriginal wherever each women and girls are harmless successful their communities, homes, and astatine work.”

The United Farm Workers national has already distanced itself from yearly celebrations of its founder, calling the allegations troubling.

In a connection Tuesday, the national said allegations of “abuse of young women oregon minors” were concerning capable to impulse radical astir the state to enactment successful migration justness events oregon acts of work alternatively of the emblematic events successful March to commemorate Chavez’s legacy.

State leaders reconsider celebrations and renamings

Days earlier the allegations were detailed, respective César Chavez celebrations successful San Francisco, Texas and Chavez’s location authorities of Arizona were canceled astatine the petition of the foundation. Organizers of canceled events did not instantly respond to the AP’s requests for comment.

Both groups said they’d beryllium moving to found ways for anyone who mightiness person been harmed by Chavez to stock experiences confidentially.

California became the archetypal authorities to found March 31, Chavez’s birthday, arsenic a time commemorating the labour leader. Others followed. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama proclaimed March 31 arsenic nationalist César Chavez Day, urging Americans to grant his legacy.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom connected Wednesday said he’s inactive “processing” the quality and urged for much reflection. The Democratic politician wouldn’t perpetrate to making immoderate changes to the authorities vacation astatine the extremity of the month.

The farmworker question “was overmuch bigger than 1 man,” Newsom said astatine an unrelated quality conference. “It’s astir labor. It’s astir societal justice, economical justice, radical justice,” helium said.

Following the news, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has declined to admit March 31 arsenic César Chávez Day arsenic she has successful the 2 anterior years, said spokeswoman Liliana Sota.

“The Governor’s Office is profoundly acrophobic by the troubling allegations against César Chávez. As a societal idiosyncratic who worked with stateless younker and victims of home violence, Gov. Hobbs takes allegations of inappropriate intersexual behaviour against women and minors precise seriously.”

César Chávez Day isn’t a authorities vacation successful Arizona.

Calls are already happening to rename landmarks that grant Chavez. El Concilio, a conjugation of Mexican American vicinity associations rooted Austin, Texas is proposing the determination to sanction César Chavez, made a fewer months aft Chavez’s death, beryllium reversed to its archetypal sanction First Street.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexico Democrat, issued a connection Wednesday saying maltreatment of immoderate kind, particularly against children, is indefensible and a betrayal of the values that Latino leaders person championed for generations.

“His sanction should beryllium removed from landmarks, institutions and honors,” Luján said of Chavez. “We cannot observe idiosyncratic who carried retired specified disturbing harm.”

Born successful Yuma, Arizona, Chavez grew up successful a Mexican American household that traveled astir California picking lettuce, grapes, fabric and different seasonal crops. He died successful California successful 1993 astatine property 66.

Chavez is known nationally for his aboriginal organizing successful the fields, a hunger strike, a grape boycott and eventual triumph successful getting growers to negociate with farmworkers for amended wages and moving conditions.

In 1962, Chavez and Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which became the United Farm Workers of America.

___

Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan successful Albuquerque, New Mexico; Trân Nguyễn successful Sacramento, Calif.; Dorany Pindea successful Los Angeles; Felicia Fonseca and Jacques Billeaud successful Arizona contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.