The Inland Empire is reacting to the bombshell allegations that César Chávez, the labor movement icon, sexually abused women and young girls.
A New York Times investigation published this week reported allegations made by several women that Chávez raped them. Two of the women said they were young girls at the time of the alleged abuse.
The third woman is Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with Chávez .
Huerta said in a statement, "As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with César. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn't feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss, and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped."
Huerta said she gave birth to two children fathered by Chávez and arranged for them to be raised by other families.
Now, leaders across the Inland Empire, which has several memorials and streets dedicated to Chávez , are reacting to the allegations.
Mark Ramos, president of UFCW Local 1428 in Claremont, said the allegations are disturbing and disappointing.
"It pivots to sympathy for Dolores Huerta and the other victims, knowing that someone used a position of power to take advantage of others while outwardly portraying themselves as something completely different," said Ramos.
Ramos said the news about Chávez is especially upsetting to him because the labor movement tries to give everyone a seat at the table.
"If I'm totally honest with you… a quote that I would use from César Chávez was that, you know, the fight was never about lettuce, it was always about people," said Mark Ramos, president of UFCW Local 1428 in Claremont. "And I think that here, the fight was never about César. It was always about people."
Ramos said it's easy to make people into heroes, and this news is a reminder that people shouldn't be idolized.
Luz Gallegos with the TODEC Legal Center said the moment is "heavy" and emphasized the courage of survivors and the need to support them while continuing the broader movement for farmworker and immigrant communities. She said silence has never protected farmworkers and called for a path forward rooted in "dignity, safety, and accountability."
"We need to stay focused and not lose that focus of justice, especially right now," said Gallegos. "Our community is already carrying so much fear and uncertainty because of ICE raids and ongoing attacks on our communities and to now sit with these revelations is very painful."
The city of Riverside, which has a statue dedicated to Chávez, said, "Like a lot of Californians, we are shocked by the reports and processing potential next steps."
City officials shared they plan to explore removing or replacing the Cesar Chavez statue downtown and the community center that bears his name.
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said any changes should involve careful review and community input. The city said it will ask its Park and Recreation Commission to review options for the community center, which it owns and is currently refurbishing, while the downtown statue sits on public land but is owned by the Riverside Latino Network. The city also said it will now recognize March 31 as United Farm Workers Day.
In a statement, Councilwoman Clarissa Cervantes online called the allegations "enraging and heartbreaking" and expressed support for survivors, including Huerta and others.
Calls for change are also spreading to local schools. The San Bernardino City Unified School District announced yesterday it has renamed Cesar Chavez Middle School to "Middle School #318" for now. District officials say the change is temporary as they review next steps.
In Rialto, school board Vice President Edgar Montes is urging the district to consider removing Cesar Chavez's name from their Center for Education, and only leaving Huerta's. Like many, Montes said the farmworker movement is about collective struggle that calls for accountability and healing.
Meanwhile, events planned for César Chávez Day have been cancelled, including an annual breakfast hosted at CSU San Bernardino and a breakfast hosted by the Riverside Latino Network. The Latino and Latina Roundtable of the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley have renamed their annual breakfast event.
This is a developing story
