Dolores Huerta speaks at a rally against the use of pesticides in Watsonville on May 7, 2025. The United Farm Workers cofounder has revealed that Cesar Chávez sexually assaulted her. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> As news broke this week that civil rights leader and cofounder of the United Farm Workers César Chávez was accused of sexual abuse by three women, including UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta, the fallout has been swift, devastating and far-reaching.
Locally, a mural of Chávez was painted over, an award bearing his name rebranded and a day of service honoring him postponed. California state lawmakers and Santa Cruz County leaders also moved to rename the March 31 holiday celebrating Chávez’s birthday to Farmworkers Day.
As the impact of the revelations reverberate across the country and hit Latino communities particularly hard, Santa Cruz Local and Noticias Watsonville want to hear from you.
How has this news affected you and your community? What does accountability look like to you? How do you think local leaders should respond? What information or resources do you need? What questions do you have?
Please write to us in English or Spanish at [email protected], by text message, Signal or WhatsApp to 831-291-3456, or leave us a comment here. Voice notes and voicemail are also welcome.
We plan to publish a community editorial with your responses — please share this story with others who may want to make their voice heard.
Let us know what’s on your mind:
‘I can no longer stay silent’
A New York Times investigation published Wednesday included allegations that at least two women were groomed and sexually abused by Chávez as young as 12 years old.
Huerta, who cofounded the UFW predecessor the National Farm Workers Association with Chávez in 1962, was among the women who said Chávez sexually abused them. She told the New York Times that in 1966, Chávez drove her out to a secluded grape field in Delano and raped her inside the vehicle.
At 95 years old, she kept that secret for nearly 60 years.
“I can no longer stay silent,” she wrote in a post on Medium on March 18.
On Wednesday night, Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos painted over a mural of Chávez on the side of their building. A video posted on Barrios Unidos’s Instagram shows the mural being blacked out.
“This mural will be replaced by beautiful words,” an unidentified voice said in the video. “It will help people heal. We want people to heal, and we want our leader Dolores Huerta to know that we care about her, and know that we feel for her.”
Barrios Unidos leaders could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
A mural of César Chávez adorned the side of Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos at 1817 Soquel Ave. for more than a decade until being painted over this week. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLightLocal)
In an interview Thursday with Mexican-American journalist Maria Hinojosa on Latino USA, Huerta said that she kept the abuse secret because of her worry that the truth would have hurt, or even ended, the movement for farmworker and Chicano rights.
“I can see all of the accomplishments, the leadership that came out of the movement, the millions of farmworkers that have been helped,” Huerta said. “It was my personal pain, it was my personal problem. And I think it was worth it, because it was my cross to bear.”
Ann Lopez, director of Watsonville-based Center for Farmworker Families, said in an interview with Santa Cruz Local on Wednesday that the news was shocking and “On the other hand, having worked with farmworkers for so many years, I do know that there is a context that supports sexual assault.”
Lopez said farmworkers are often reluctant to speak about assault when it has happened, and that women are taught in our society to believe a sexual assault is their fault.
“I think as long as women are not equal and don’t have the same voice as men do, we’re going to have these problems,” Lopez said.
Sexual assault resources
Monarch Services operates a Rape Crisis Center in Santa Cruz County and offers a 24-hour, bilingual hotline for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking. Call 1-888-900-4232 for resources, information and crisis support. The national sexual assault hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673.
In the investigation published this week, two other women said Chávez abused them beginning when they were 12 and 13 years old.
The revelations have devastated many who looked up to Chávez and valued his many contributions to the movement.
Local nonprofit Friends of Watsonville Parks and Community Services renamed its annual award that recognized individuals who have made contributions to the wellbeing of Watsonville residents. The Cesar Chávez Community Awards are now called the Watsonville Community Impact Awards.
The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual.
—Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta speaks at a protest against pesticides in Watsonville in May 2025. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local file)
The Homeless Garden Project rescheduled its annual César Chávez Day of Service. Executive Director Darrie Ganzhorn said Friday the volunteer event will be in the fall just after Farm Worker Appreciation Day rather than César Chávez Day.
In an email on Friday, Ganzhorn wrote, “We were really moved by Dolores Huerta’s quote: ‘The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.’”
The Day of Service is set for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8 at its farm on Shafer Road and will be accessible to all skill levels.
“These gatherings connect our community to our farm and farming, build community and support the individuals in our transitional employment program,” Ganzhorn wrote. The Homeless Garden Project provides job training and transitional employment to people experiencing homelessness.
What do you think?
How has this news affected you and your community? What does accountability look like to you? How do you think local leaders should respond? What information or resources do you need? What questions do you have?
Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.
Nik Altenberg is a bilingual reporter and assistant editor at Santa Cruz Local. Nik Altenberg es reportera bilingüe y editora asistente para Santa Cruz Local.
