California Confronts the Cesar Chavez Allegations

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

California will rename Cesar Chavez Day after the New York Times reported Wednesday that the labor icon had sexually abused, assaulted and raped girls and women, including his longtime collaborator Dolores Huerta. The Times’ yearslong investigation, which was corroborated by more than 60 interviews and hundreds of farmworker union records, broke decades of silence by Chavez’s victims, who said they refrained from speaking for fear of tarnishing the union leader’s storied reputation. As Californians reel from revelations that upend popular assumptions about Chavez, we talk about how his legacy’s being reshaped and hear your reactions. Guests: Miriam Pawel, journalist and author, "The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography" Manny Fernandez, California editor-at-large, The New York Times Matthew J. Garcia, professor of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean studies, Dartmouth College; author, "From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Movement" Alexandra Macedo, assemblywoman representing California's 33rd assembly district, which includes Fresno County, Kings County and Tulare County Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for K-QED comes from Genentech, the original biotech company.
0:05.3	For 50 years, Genentech has pioneered more than 40 scientific breakthroughs across various diseases,
0:11.1	bringing greater hope to patients everywhere.
0:14.0	Learn more at gene.com. That's g-e-e-ne.com.
0:18.4	Now, all the treat is present? Let's get started, shall we? From rags to riches. I'm so sick of this.
0:25.5	Working like a dog and being treated worse. Yorkshire to New York. Or climbers, you and me.
0:30.8	A life dedicated to revenge. Let's make this an occasion to remember. A woman of substance on
0:36.8	Channel 4. Stream now. From KQED. Welcome to Forum.
0:43.5	I'm Mina Kim. His name is in our textbooks on our parks and street signs. Reverence for Caesar
0:49.4	Chavez is woven into our everyday activities. Here's Governor Gavin Newsom. I think all of us are processing it. And just these kids have to process it now.
0:59.7	I mean, I think there's, Brooks, I don't know, was three dozen schools in the state are named
1:05.0	after Cesar Chavez.
1:06.9	Now Los Angeles and San Francisco are renaming city celebrations and property.
1:11.5	Fresno will pursue renaming Caesar Chavez Boulevard.
1:14.8	This, after the New York Times Wednesday, published credible allegations that the labor icon sexually abused and raped women and girls, including his longtime longtime collaborator, Dolores Werta.
1:25.9	Here's assembly speaker Robert Rivas, as lawmakers moved to rename March 31st Caesar Chavez Day
1:31.3	as Farm Worker Day.
1:33.6	As a son and grandson of farm workers who raised my brother and I, as a father, and as a Latino,
1:42.3	I'm shocked.
1:43.5	I am angry and I'm deeply, deeply disappointed.
1:48.1	Listeners, how are you processing the revelations? Tell us by calling 866-733-6786 by emailing
1:56.2	forum at kQED.org or finding us on Discord, Blue Sky, Facebook, Instagram, or threads at KQED
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KQED, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of KQED and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.