California Moves to Rename Cesar Chavez Day Before March 31 Holiday

Several other holidays and events were canceled after accusations of sexual assaults surfaced against the civil rights leader.

A pedestrian walks below an image of Cesar Chavez on a mural in San Francisco on March 18, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

California state lawmakers took steps on March 19 to remove Cesar Chavez’s name from a state holiday this year and rename it “Farmworkers Day” after accusations against the civil rights icon of sexual assault involving children and women surfaced the day before.

The state became the latest to take action to change or cancel plans to celebrate Chavez as fallout over the accusations continued.

Cesar Chavez Day has been celebrated each year on March 31 in California, where Chavez first founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

California was the first state to designate the labor leader’s birthday a legal holiday, celebrating Cesar Chavez Day as an official state-paid holiday in 2000, after former Gov. Gray Davis signed related legislation into law.

State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, son of a farmworker, introduced the name change in the state capitol.

“As someone who grew up in the farmworker movement ... I am shocked,” Rivas said. “The fact that many of these women were children when they were abused makes this even more heartbreaking.”

The New York Times published an article on March 18 stating that Chavez allegedly sexually abused and groomed minors as young as 13 who worked in the labor movement.

Labor leader and UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta came forward with her own allegations later in the day, claiming that she secretly gave birth to two of Chavez’s children and gave them up after suffering sexual abuse.

Rivas said Huerta worked alongside his father to secure the first labor contract at Almaden Vineyards in the 1960s, and he respected her resilience.

“But let me be clear about something: The farmworker movement was never about one man,” Rivas said. “It was built by thousands—tens of thousands—of workers. ... Their legacy is not defined by one individual. It is defined by a movement—a movement for dignity, a movement for justice, a movement that still lives on today.”

“And now we have a responsibility not just to remember that movement, but to carry it forward with integrity,” Rivas said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed Rivas’s sentiments about the name change.

A pedestrian walks below a Cesar Chavez Street sign in San Francisco on March 18, 2026. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

“The farmworkers’ movement was always bigger than just one man or one person,” Newsom posted on X. “Given the horrendous allegations that were made public for the first time yesterday, this is a welcomed change.”

Seven states have recognized a day on or near Chavez’s birthday as an official state holiday, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, and Washington state. President Barack Obama also signed a national proclamation designating March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day, but the federal day is not a paid holiday.

Texas canceled the holiday this year, hours after the allegations were made public. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would work with state lawmakers to permanently remove the holiday from state law this year.

A statue of Cesar Chavez stands in the middle of a plaza at Cesar Chavez Park, honoring the United Farm Workers of America founder in Laveen, Ariz., on March 18, 2026. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has decided to decline to recognize March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day this year, according to her spokeswoman. The state recognizes the day but has not made it an official state holiday.

In Colorado, city leaders in Denver announced that they would begin renaming and removing property and would rename the city’s official holiday honoring Chavez.

The annual March 31 march will be renamed “Si Se Puede Day,” which is a Spanish term meaning “Yes, it can be done.” The term was coined by Huerta and popularized by Chavez in the 1970s and became a rallying cry for worker empowerment. The city passed legislation in 2001 making the day an official holiday and paid day off for city workers to replace Christopher Columbus Day.

National unions have also acted, withdrawing from celebrating Chavez this year.

The AFL-CIO said the allegations came as a shock and condemned the alleged actions. The unions decided not to participate or endorse any activities for Cesar Chavez Day this year. The UFW Foundation also announced that it had canceled all Cesar Chavez Day activities.

A statue of Cesar Chavez is seen in San Fernando, Calif., on March 30, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

In Washington, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said he was preparing a letter to ask the secretary of war to remove the name of Cesar Chavez from the USNS Cesar Chavez. The vessel was launched on May 5, 2012, and named in honor of Chavez, who served in the Navy from 1946 to 1948.

Last year, Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.) and 22 other Democratic congressional members sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth asking him to retain Chavez’s name on the ship when the secretary decided to “take politics out of ship naming.” They said renaming the vessel would dishonor his legacy. Hegseth retained the vessel’s name.