1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I'm asking you to introduce legislation renaming César Chávez Day as Dolores Huerta Day in our state. This week, Dolores Huerta publicly disclosed that Chávez sexually abused her, breaking 60 years of silence. A New York Times investigation found he groomed and sexually abused young girls in the farmworker movement. Huerta described being "manipulated and pressured" in one encounter and "forced against my will" in another. She stayed silent for decades to protect the movement she helped build. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers and spent her life fighting for farmworker rights. She was the architect of strategies that won permanent improvements for thousands of workers. As she said this week, the farmworker movement "has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual." We should honor someone who embodies the values of that movement, not someone who betrayed them. Chávez's abuse doesn't erase what farmworkers achieved, but it disqualifies him from a day in his name. Renaming the holiday for Huerta would recognize her leadership while affirming that we don't celebrate abusers. The farmworker movement deserves a symbol who reflects its values.