California Renames Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day Following Sexual Abuse Allegations

California lawmakers have officially voted to rename Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day after multiple women came forward with sexual abuse allegations against the late labor rights leader. Both the State Senate and Assembly approved the renaming, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on the same day.

Among those who spoke out was Dolores Huerta, a prominent labor leader and co-founder of the United Farm Workers alongside Chavez. Huerta and several other women alleged that Chavez had sexually abused them during the farmworker movement, with some of the victims reportedly being minors at the time the abuse occurred.

California holds particular significance in this story, as it was the first state in the nation to officially designate Cesar Chavez Day as a state holiday. The decision to rename the holiday reflects a broader effort to acknowledge the farmworker community and its ongoing contributions while separating the celebration from a figure now facing serious historical scrutiny.

The move in California is part of a growing national conversation about how to honor the farmworker movement without upholding an individual whose legacy has been complicated by these allegations. Minnesota lawmakers voted on the same day to repeal Cesar Chavez Day entirely, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott had already announced the previous week that the state would no longer observe the holiday and would work with Texas legislators to remove it from state law.

At the local level, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a proclamation the week prior, renaming March 31 Farmworkers Day within the city — signaling that this shift in recognition was already gaining momentum before the statewide vote took place.

The renamed holiday is now seen as a way to honor the broader farmworker community and their enduring fight for labor rights across the country.