L.A. begins a formal review of all city-owned assets named after César Chávez

The City of Los Angeles is one step closer to the renaming of César Chávez Avenue and other city-owned assets bearing the name of the co-founder and former president of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW).

On Tuesday, the L.A. City Council introduced a motion that would begin a formal review of all city-owned assets named after Chávez. This would mark the first step toward a potential renaming process, one that the city said will put forward with community input.

“At a time when those at the highest levels of government are sanitizing history and peddling misinformation, we have a responsibility to tell the truth, especially when it’s hard,” said Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who introduced the motion. “And when we see those same powerful leaders evade accountability, it’s even more important that cities like L.A. lead by example. We can’t look the other way.”

The city’s motion comes as a response to the recent allegations that accused Chávez of sexually abusing two girls in the 1970s, as well as Dolores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the UFW. 

Since the sexual abuse investigation was published by the New York Times last week, numerous local organizations and community members have begun to demand an immediate renaming of schools, streets, buildings, libraries and parks named in honor of Chávez. 

The motion says that although the city signed a proclamation redesignating the annual observance of César Chávez Day as Farmworkers Day, that is not enough. 

“The [L.A.] City Council should go further by conducting a full re-evaluation of all existing city-owned and managed assets, facilities and projects named after Chávez, and initiating a community-informed process that centers the voices of farmworker communities, Filipino American families, immigrant and undocumented worker communities, labor organizations, survivors and the femme leaders whose work has always been the backbone of this movement, to rename those facilities in a manner that honors the full breadth and truth of the farmworker struggle,” the motion stated. 

The Women’s March Foundation, along with California Rising, is one of the local organizations calling on cities like L.A. to replace any monument or building with Chávez's name with the name of Huerta.

“For too long our society has protected the reputations of powerful men while women were expected to stay silent,” said Emiliana Guereca, founder and president of the Women’s March Foundation. “Women’s History Month cannot be a time when we celebrate a man accused of harming women and girls. If our streets, schools and classrooms are going to honor someone from the farmworkers movement, they should honor the woman who refused to be broken.”

The motion instructs the L.A. Chief Legislative Analyst and the L.A. City Administrative Officer to report back to the council with a full inventory of city-owned streets, facilities and other assets bearing Chávez’s name. This list must be presented to city leadership within 30 days. 

“The farmworker movement is not just history but lives on through the workers, families, and advocates who continue the fight every day," said Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado (CD-14), who co-presented the motion. 

César Chávez Avenue, which extends for about six miles and runs primarily through L.A. City Council District 14, represented by Jurado. 

“In Council District 14, César Chávez Avenue has long connected our eastside communities and represents that legacy. As we evaluate how we honor that history, this process must be thoughtful, community-driven and grounded in truth. We have a responsibility to ensure that what we commemorate reflects both our values and the movement’s legacy,” said Jurado.

The César Chávez Community Garden located in Pico Union and operated by Cultiva LA is another entity looking to be renamed. 

“Cultiva LA stands in solidarity with women and survivors and supports a transparent, community-led process to rename the garden,” said Jose Miguel Ruiz, founder of Cultiva LA. 

The city council has emphasized the importance of integrating the community and local Angelenos in the renaming process, a process they hope reflects the full contributions of workers, organizers and communities, including Filipino American labor leaders, women and immigrant workers whose roles have often gone unrecognized in the farmworkers movement.

The Civil and Human Rights and Equity Department will assist in leading the community-driven process to provide recommendations for the renaming of city-owned assets. 

“We have to be clear about our values and make sure what we honor reflects them,” Hernandez said.