Cesar Chavez abuse allegations spur a movement to disavow the man — without erasing Latino history

Cesar Chavez became the face of Latino civil and labor rights in the media and in history books, but scholars and activists are asking why "a community is only allowed to have one figure."

Latino allies and admirers of once-celebrated civil rights leader Cesar Chavez worked swiftly to erase his name, likeness and image from memorials and honors, distancing themselves from the shocking allegations that he abused girls and women.

They removed a statue at Fresno State University. They canceled or renamed marches, family celebrations and other events scheduled for his birthday. They yanked his name — or called for it to be removed — from streets, parks and schools, and they repainted murals.

But many are left to contend with how to erase the veneration of Chavez the man without obliterating the history of the struggle to improve the lives of Latinos, the country’s second largest ethnic and racial group.

“Thirty years after the passing of Cesar Chavez, survivors have said ‘ya basta,’” or enough, said Sonja Diaz, a California civil rights attorney and activist.

“They’re tired of his name being a piece of their daily lives and lived experiences, psychologically but also physically, right in their neighborhoods, in their communities, a constant reminder,” she said.