Los Angeles Celebrates Farm Workers Day After César Chávez Holiday Update

Farm Workers Day Replaces César Chávez Holiday in Los Angeles

Farm Workers Day will be observed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, following a decision by city, county, and school officials to rename the holiday that previously honored civil rights leader César Chávez amid allegations of sexual abuse against him.

Last week, the Los Angeles Unified School District and the county Board of Supervisors approved the name change, a move that aligns with actions taken by state lawmakers and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who issued an executive order to rename the city’s observance.

County supervisors emphasized that this change aims to redirect attention to the broader contributions of the farm worker movement, rather than focusing on a single individual. County Supervisor Janice Hahn remarked, “The abuses of one man should not diminish the extraordinary sacrifices and accomplishments of the farm worker movement, and renaming this holiday acknowledges that.” She added, “This past week has been heartbreaking for so many people on so many levels—for communities, for people who have admired one man and admired the movement.”

In conjunction with the name change, the county has initiated a process to remove Chávez’s name and likeness from county facilities.

The alteration follows a New York Times report published this month, detailing allegations from several women who accused the United Farm Workers co-founder of sexual abuse during the height of the farm labor movement. One woman recounted an encounter where Chávez, then 45, took her into his office when she was just 13, leading to multiple sexual encounters over the following four years.

Another alleged victim claimed that Chávez groped her when she was 12 and later arranged for her to stay at a motel during a march, where he then had sexual intercourse with her. Both women were daughters of organizers who had participated in rallies alongside Chávez, as reported by The Times. The article also stated that Chávez exploited other women in the farm labor movement for sexual gratification.

Dolores Huerta, a co-founder of the United Farm Workers who will turn 96 on April 10, confirmed to the newspaper that Chávez had raped her in a secluded grape field in Delano, California, in 1966. Huerta expressed her reluctance to report the attack, concerned about police hostility towards both Chávez and the labor movement, as well as doubts about being believed. She disclosed that she experienced two sexual encounters with Chávez, the first of which involved her being “manipulated and pressured into having sex with him,” and the second where she “was forced against my will.”

As a state holiday, various government services will be impacted on Tuesday. Closed services include all California state offices, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and Los Angeles Superior Court. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County and city administrative offices will remain open, having observed the holiday on Monday. Federal offices, including the U.S. Postal Service, will operate on a regular schedule, with mail delivery continuing as usual. Banks and public libraries in both the city and county of Los Angeles will also be open. Public transit systems, including Los Angeles Metro and Metrolink, will run on normal weekday schedules, while Los Angeles Unified School District campuses will remain closed for spring break.