Chicano Park could be new namesake for San Diego landmarks named after César Chávez

San Diego officials and residents have started the process to rename streets and parks named after the late labor leader César Chávez, in the aftermath of serious sexual abuse allegations against him.

Efforts to remove his name from streets, parks, and other locations in San Diego gained momentum after Mayor Todd Gloria issued an executive order directing city departments to remove references to the late labor rights leader from city facilities. The San Diego Unified School District announced that its board would begin the process of renaming César Chávez Elementary School. And San Diego’s Community College District, which also has a campus named after Chávez in Barrio Logan, has also voted to rename the site.

Conversely, the effort to rename César E. Chávez Parkway in Barrio Logan to Chicano Park Boulevard is underway as well. Chicano Park, which sits in the heart of the neighborhood, is known for its collection of outdoor murals, several of which prominently featured Chávez and are now obscured by makeshift coverings following their vandalism. 

The process to formally rename the street is being led by San Diego’s Transportation and Development Services Department. The city is currently conducting outreach to residents and stakeholders, as well as holding public meetings, before a final consideration is made by the city council. Last week, a special public meeting was held by the Barrio Logan Planning Group to discuss the renaming of César E. Chávez Parkway.

Lucero Maganda, a member of Mayor Gloria’s community engagement team, spoke at the meeting to engage with community members and inform residents of the steps that the city is taking to potentially rename the street Chicano Park Boulevard. The move is not without precedent: many residents and groups in the community, such as the Chicano Park Steering Committee, had long advocated for the name change, dating back to the 1970s following the park’s founding. The street was changed from Crosby Street to César E. Chávez Parkway in 2002. Now advocates are eyeing to at long last rename the street after the historic park.

During the meeting, Maganda explained that the formal process includes community engagement and a formal petition from the impacted properties that are along Cesar E. Chavez Parkway. Maganda also said that the city is trying to engage in a genuine dialogue and include community feedback as it prepares to make a decision, an activity that the city has historically neglected in the past when making decisions regarding the working-class community. 

“It’s important that it's done intentionally and right as well as it can be,” Maganda said. “Technically, the process is that you go through the planning group, and that counts as ‘community engagement’. We know that's not true. There are a lot of folks who wouldn't even know that we're having these conversations. And we really want to have participation from the community at large.” Maganda also said that should the City Council approve the changes, there will be a public notice mailed to all property owners and tenants along the impacted residential and business area to inform them of any changes being made.

Brent Beltrán, a resident of Barrio Logan, believes that the changes are welcomed and lauds city leadership for their swift decision to remove Chávez’s name and engage with the community regarding the change. “The mayor recognized the ongoing trauma of having an alleged rapist’s name on street signs and decided to take swift action by reaching out to community stakeholders”, Beltrán said. “The mayor recognized the unique nature of the Barrio Logan community and made sure that we’re involved in the process.”

City leaders, aside from Mayor Gloria, have also voiced their support of renaming streets and locations bearing Chávez’s name as well. Vivian Moreno, who currently serves on the San Diego City Council representing District 8, which includes San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Logan Heights, and Barrio Logan, has also voiced her support for removing Chávez’s name from city infrastructure. In a statement released on the Councilwoman’s Facebook page, Moreno voiced her support for Chávez’s victims and said that she had “sent a memo to the Mayor requesting that all City buildings, roads, holiday, parks, etc., that are named ‘César Chávez’ be removed and changed immediately.” Moreno’s office did not respond to questions fromCALÓ Newsregarding her stance on the proposed change of César E. Chávez Parkway to Chicano Park Boulevard or other landmarks in the neighborhood.

Additionally, many residents are also advocating for the renaming of César Chávez Park, a waterfront recreational area along the San Diego Bay located at the end of Cesar E. Chávez Parkway in Barrio Logan, to ‘Chicano Park on the Bay’. 

Community members and the Chicano Park Steering Committee had long advocated for the space on the waterfront to serve as an extension of Chicano Park before it opened in 1990 and was named Crosby Street Park, restoring waterfront access to the community. The park was eventually renamed after Chávez in 2002, following the renaming of Crosby Street to César E. Chávez Parkway. Residents believe now is the time to lean into the neighborhood’s history by centering the iconic park as the heart of its public landmarks. Last month, the Chicano Park Steering Committee released a statement welcoming the change from both the city and the Port of San Diego, stating that it is “actively working in coordination with the City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego to propose renaming Cesar Chavez Parkway to Chicano Park Boulevard and renaming Cesar Chavez Park as Chicano Park on the Bay.”

César Chávez Park falls under the jurisdiction of the Port of San Diego, which said its board will discuss renaming the park at its board meeting on Tuesday, April 21. The port is currently asking for public feedback through an online survey open through May 15. It plans to present an update regarding the planned changes using the feedback later this year.

Residents like Beltrán have also welcomed the name change of César Chávez Park and are hopeful that the Port will follow the city of San Diego’s example and rename the park its intended name of Chicano Park on the Bay. “The Port had no intention of giving this community access to San Diego Bay, but because of the tenacity of the Chicano Park Steering Committee with their All the Way to the Bay campaign, we now have a park there. Now it’s time to change it to what it always should’ve been, Chicano Park on the Bay.” 

The San Diego City Council will vote later this month on whether to approve renaming César E. Chávez Parkway in Barrio Logan to Chicano Park Boulevard.