California is renaming César Chávez’s holiday. Now, cities are slowly erasing his name from streets
Nadia Lathan and Nigel Duara
March 19, 2026
In summary
California lawmakers say they’ll change the name of César Chávez Holiday. Taking his name off of streets and buildings likely will take much longer.
As Californians reel from César Chávez’s sex abuse allegations, city leaders across the state say they are considering removing his iconography by changing street names, libraries and monuments.
From San Francisco to San Diego, local officials have said they support removing statues and renaming everything from parks to libraries after renowned activist Dolores Huerta, 95, said Chávez forced himself on her in encounters that led to unwanted pregnancies.
But the process for renaming a street or monument is often slow, bureaucratic and costly, typically requiring a combination of internal investigations, community input and city council approval. Businesses, too, could face mounting costs from changing addresses listed on business cards and websites.
