California lawmakers voted Thursday to rename Cesar Chavez Day as "Farmworkers Day," marking a dramatic shift in how the state honors the late labor leader following newly surfaced sexual abuse allegations.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill before the March 31 holiday.
The change follows accusations, including from longtime United Farm Workers co-leader Dolores Huerta, that Chavez abused women and girls during the 1960s as he built the farmworker rights movement.
The allegations have prompted a rapid reassessment of Chavez's legacy across the state.
The California State Assembly approved the measure with bipartisan support earlier this week, with lawmakers emphasizing the need to recognize farmworkers broadly rather than celebrate a single figure.
"We cannot ignore wrongdoing," said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. Republican lawmakers echoed the transition, framing it as a way to honor the labor and sacrifice of farmworkers themselves.
The renaming effort is part of a wider wave of actions dismantling Chavez's public legacy. Universities have covered statues, and major cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco are reconsidering landmarks bearing his name.
Some advocates have suggested elevating Huerta or other figures in his place, while several states have already said they will no longer observe the holiday.
For decades, Chavez was one of California's most revered civil rights icons.
The state established a holiday in his honor nearly 30 years ago, and his name became ubiquitous on schools, libraries, and streets.
His reputation only grew after his death in 1993, cementing him as a symbol of Latino political empowerment and labor activism despite being a committed opponent of illegal immigration.
The swift reversal underscores how quickly public memory can shift when new allegations emerge, particularly in an era of heightened scrutiny of historical figures.
"This isn't just about a date on a calendar or a name on a building," Republican Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo said.
"It is about the hands that feed this nation. It is about the men and women who are in the orchards, in the fields, before the sun even touches the horizon, and who are still there long after it sets," she added.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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