For Latinos nationwide grappling with Huerta’s recent revelation, Chávez’s legacy is forever fragmented: the time before and the time after we learned he was a rapist. When I was a child, my father made sure I knew César Chávez’s name. Revelations of Chávez’s abuse feel earth-shattering, largely because of who we believed him to be. Even so, I was completely distraught over the revelations of Chávez’s abuse, even as I’ve reported multiple investigations revealing the dangers and inevitable harms that occur when movements place people on pedestals. Instead, my dad questioned Huerta’s reason for going public, adamant she aimed to destroy Chávez’s legacy.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 31, 2026 16:56 UTC