César Chávez family 'shocked' to learn about sex allegations
Cesar Chavez abuse allegations, and what happens next
Multiple women have accused labor icon Cesar Chavez, a co-founder of United Farm Workers, of sexual assault. As communities grapple with the news, they're faced with the question of what to do about the streets, parks and state holiday that bear his name.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The family of the late Latino labor leader César Chávez responded on Wednesday to a damning investigation into their father, saying they were "shocked and saddened" to learn the news that their father "engaged in sexual impropriety with women and minors nearly 50 years ago."
Big picture view:
The statement, which didn't name anyone in the family specifically, follows an explosive New York Times investigation where at least three women accused Chávez, who died in 1993, of sexual abuse. One of those claims came from fellow labor icon Dolores Huerta of Bakersfield, Calif., who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers labor union.
She is a central figure in the Times' article and issued her own statement saying that Chávez manipulated and forced her to have sex twice, impregnating her on both occasions.
Labor icon Dolores Huerta confirms César Chávez sex allegations, says he impregnated her twice
Dolores Huerta, one of the country's most influential labor activists, responded on Wednesday to the explosive allegations against Latino civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, saying he forced her into two sex encounters and that he impregnated her twice.
What they're saying:
"As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse," the Chávez statement read. "This is deeply painful to our family."
They also said they hoped people would remember the good things about their father. They're referring to his previous image as a labor icon, a folk hero and described by the AFL-CIO as "one of the most inspirational labor leaders of the 20th century, which an influence that stretched far beyond the California fields."
Chávez was born in Yuma, Ariz., and relocated to California, where he married Helen Chávez and had eight children with her. The Times investigation revealed he fathered at least four children with three other women, including Huerta.
"As family members, we also carry our own memories of the person we knew," the statement read. "Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people. We will process and be responsive to the experiences of others as we hold cherished memories of our father.
The Chávez family added they hoped the coverage of their father would be "approached thoughtfully and fairly," and they asked for their privacy, as they continue to "process this difficult information."