Gustavo Reveles was a senior at Riverside High School when he met César Chávez over pan dulce and coffee just weeks before his death in 1993.
Now he and residents across the Borderland are reckoning with the Chicano labor activist’s legacy after a New York Times investigation revealed allegations of sexual abuse.
These include accusations from two women, Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, who said Chávez sexually abused them in the 1970s when they were 13 and 15, respectively, and from Dolores Huerta, a civil rights activist who cofounded and represented the National Farm Workers Association alongside him.
“Transgressions like these that really delve into inhumane activity, to abuse and sexual trauma that was just so disheartening. It was gut-wrenching to think of someone as iconic and almost infallible, and then you learn that that’s not true,” Reveles, who serves on the State Board of Education, told El Paso Matters.
In response to the allegations, cities, educational institutions and labor organizations have canceled César Chávez Day celebrations, held annually March 31 — the day of his birth.
State and local officials have also suggested renaming landmarks dedicated to the civil rights activist. Most of the El Paso locations named for Chávez are in the Lower Valley.
Meanwhile, educators are raising concerns that the allegations could have effects on the way students learn about Mexican American and Chicano history.
César Chávez Day
Early Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will no longer observe César Chávez Day as a holiday and said he will work with state lawmakers to remove it from state law altogether.
In El Paso, the city has recast events that were supposed to have been part of the Chávez celebrations around March 31 to include a march around Downtown. The city now calls it the “Community and Labor Heritage Day.” It is still an official city holiday.
Lower Valley city Rep. Lily Limón said she was aware articles were being prepared about Chávez since last week due to media connections. She also met Chávez when he visited El Paso in 1993, and was the founding principal of Cesar Chávez Academy in the Ysleta Independent School District.
She said it was not right to glorify an individual who has let so many people around the country down.
“I’m a bundle of mixed feelings,” she said.
El Paso Community College will still be closed March 31, which is a scheduled institutional holiday, but plans to review activities and calendars as part of its regular processes to determine any future changes.
“In light of recent serious allegations, we encourage students, faculty and staff to reflect on giving back and ways to strengthen our community,” the college said in a statement.
The University of Texas at El Paso said in a statement that there will not be any changes to its schedule.
Changing landmarks
A mural of Chávez painted on a wallball court overlooks Ascarate Park. The Ysleta Independent School District campus and a stretch of highway sandwiched between the city and the U.S.-Mexico border bear his name.
Local and state officials hope to change that in light of the allegations against Chávez.
Limón plans to ask the El Paso state delegation to move for a name change of the César Chávez Border Highway through the Texas Legislature. Her recommendation is to rename it after former Mexican President Benito Juárez. He served from January 1858 until his death in July 1872.
El Paso state Rep. César Blanco said his office will be looking into ways to rename the highway.
“In light of allegations of sexual assault by César Chávez and the survivors who have come forward, we believe it’s appropriate to take a closer look at how we honor individuals in our public spaces. Our office will begin exploring potential legislative options related to the naming of the César Chávez Border Highway and similar designations. We want this to be a community-driven conversation, and will be seeking input from the community before making any decisions,” Blanco said in a statement.
Limón said she would contact Ysleta ISD to see about changing the name of the César Chávez Academy located at 7814 Alameda Ave. Her suggestion is to name it after Huerta. She said the name was more reflective of the work done by the United Farm Workers, its unity, commitment and family values. The campus already has a Dolores Huerta Plaza.
Ysleta ISD officials said district policy only allows for the renaming of a campus if its “educational function or support activity is changed and/or redirected.”
“Ysleta ISD is deeply saddened by the concerns that have been raised, and we are taking the allegations against Cesar Chávez very seriously. Our first priority is compassion and support; however, we also recognize the impact this will have on our community and the legacy of a man for whom a school in our district was named,” YISD officials said in a statement. “We will listen, learn, and act thoughtfully as more information becomes available, and we will continue to carefully consider this matter in keeping with our established board policies and regulations.”
Ysleta ISD Board President Charlie Bustillos, who also met Chávez in 1993 at Riverside High School, reiterated that the district will continue to follow its policies “and thoughtfully evaluate next steps.”
Some El Paso educators shared mixed feelings about renaming or removing landmarks dedicated to him.
Franklin High School history teacher Karina Echavarri said people need to continue to learn about Chávez and his impact, but does not think he should continue to be honored in the same way.
“We appreciate what he did for the farm workers, but after this and what he did to young girls, and especially to his partner, who was there to fight with him, I don’t think there should be any murals or any streets named after him,” Echavarri said. “We have to see him for what he was, and unfortunately, it’s not the man we thought he was.”
Ruben Sandoval, a history teacher at Coronado High School and El Paso Community College, said he hoped people don’t make hasty decisions to eliminate Chávez’s legacy.
“I hope that we don’t muddy the waters where we don’t focus on the positive contributions of both Chávez and his movement. I think we’re jumping to hasty conclusions,” Sandoval said. “No matter what comes with this, we should never lose sight of the importance of the rights that were gained and championed by people.”
Impacts on teaching Mexican American history
As the allegations against Chávez reverberated across the community, some El Paso educators began discussing how they would impact the way students learn about the United Farm Workers movement.
University of Texas at El Paso history Professor Yolanda Chávez Leyva said teachers should focus on teaching about the movement itself, rather than the man who started it.
“Because Mexican American or Chicano history has been erased, ignored for most of the history of education in the United States, I think that we’ve always been really hungry for heroes, which is why we put someone like César Chávez on a pedestal. But really, those movements for social justice are not the work of one person or two people. It’s the work of thousands of people,” Leyva told El Paso Matters.
Reveles raised concerns that the accusations could lead the conservative-led State Board of Education, which is in the midst of rewriting the state’s K-12 social studies curriculum, to limit lessons on Chicano and Mexican American studies.
“I’m seriously concerned that the same people who are looking to minimize the impact of Latinos and Hispanics and minorities in our state will use this opportunity to wrongfully try to eliminate those voices. I think we need to grapple with the idea of César Chávez as a problematic figure, but we shouldn’t use his transgressions and his alleged criminal activity and cast a wide net on every other Latino,” Reveles said.
Reveles said he has not spoken to other SBOE members about how the allegations could impact the curriculum, but noted they will likely discuss it at the next scheduled meeting in April.
The post Borderland reassesses César Chávez legacy amid abuse allegations appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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