Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed legislation on Thursday renaming Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Day in the wake of shocking allegations that the labor leader sexually abused women and young girls. The Times reported that Chavez used women who worked and volunteered in the organizing movement “for his own sexual gratification”. The California state senate’s pro tempore president, Monique Limón, said honoring farm workers was especially important in the face of a series of federal raids across the state last year. “His death is a reminder of how much farm workers risk every day to put food on our table,” she said before the vote. “Our farm workers remind us that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.”The Associated Press contributed reporting

Source: The Guardian March 27, 2026 09:48 UTC