One of the most prolific actions of his leadership was the Delano (California) grape strike and boycott. Lasting a half decade, this move by grape growers, resulted in workers receiving higher wages and better living conditions.
Chavez also co-founded the initial labor union, National Farm Workers Association (NFWA, later the United Farm Workers of America), with Dolores Huerta, who, through a close working relationship, became a trusted lieutenant in the migrant labor movement.
Now, decades after Chavez’ death, in a New York Times interview, Huerta reveals she was sexually abused by the man she considered her muse and mentor. Also, according to the five year Times investigation, scores of other women who marched and campaigned with Chavez now claim they were also victims of his sexual improprieties.
Area workers said they were shocked to hear the news about Chavez’ past.
Karla, whose last name is not being used to protect her identity, works in Clark County, was born in the United States. Her father came to California from Mexico as a teenager and for years, worked as a migrant laborer on farms.
Karla said work by the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960s and ‘70s, led by Cesar Chavez enabled her father to have improved working conditions and better pay, which provided a good family lifestyle. But she also admits that the recent sexual abuse allegations fired against Chavez, who has been dead for more than three decades, is still disturbing.
“I feel my father would be devastated because he has daughters,” she said. “It’s kind of sad because he (Chavez) was like a hero, but at what cost? How good of a man was he? Yes, he did all of this (the labor cause) but it will now affect all the good that he did.”
So far, 60 women, some of whom were underage teenagers at the time, claim they were groomed, molested or raped by Chavez. After the Times interview was published, communities across the country are moving to remove his name from public buildings, works of art, street signs, highways, and in greater damaging action, California now threatens to relabel the state holiday that bears his name.
Through an interpreter, Spanish speaking Gregorio Botello, who also lives in Clark County, doesn’t have any family in the NFWA, but he says removing Chavez from U.S. history looks bad because the multii-decades old movement is now solidly in effect. His concern is for the Latino heritage.
“This hurts my feelings because of how well he represented my culture,” Botello said. “The movement is still here, but this recent news is now affecting his legacy. Now there is this dark stain.”
Chavez’ accusers say they stayed silent about the accusations because they didn’t want the charges to cripple the labor efforts. The New York Times interview indicated that Dolores Huerta faced “challenges as a woman in the labor movement.” Now 95 years old, she said in the NYT conversation how despite how she was sexually compromised, she still fought side by side with Chavez to create better working conditions for migrant farm workers.
This similar thought is not lost on Karla but she feels allegations like these are selectively raised. Since Chavez is now deceased, she asks about the weight of the claims. She said, “I understand what he did and it’s messed up, but he helped communities all over the country. Would it make sense now to erase him?”
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