The Full Extent of Cesar Chavez’s Sexual Abuse

12-year-old Ana Murguira had no idea that her life had already taken a turn for the worse when she walked into Cesar Chavez’s office for the first time. The famed union labour leader, already a figurehead in the widespread labour protests running across America, became both a mentor and a haven for young Ana. All was well, and then came the revelation about Chavez’s personality which remained hidden for most of his life.

Cesar Chavez was the frontman in the labour union rights movement in the 60s in America and a just as revered figure within the latino community. He co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1965 and became one of the most important leaders in the fight for farmworker rights. Using strikes, boycotts, and marches, he brought national attention to the harsh conditions faced by farm laborers and inspired millions as a symbol of justice and dignity for Latino communities. 

However, far more darker things were taking place within the movement, and allegations came forth that would shock the nation.

Two Women Abused Since Childhood

Talking to the New York Times reporters Sarah Huertes and Manny Fernandez, Ana Murguira and Doris Rojas, recounts the years of painful abuse they endured at the hands of Cesar Chavez. 

Ms. Murguia and Ms. Rojas, both now 66 years old, were daughters of longtime United Farm Workers organizers and had known Chavez since they were children. Both women lived at La Paz, California, the union’s large compound in the Tehachapi Mountains. They allege that Chavez sexually abused them for years when they were girls, between approximately 1972 and 1977. At the time, he had become a powerful, charismatic leader who had gained worldwide attention as a champion of farmworker rights.

Ms. Murguia first met Chavez when she was 8 years old (he was in his 40s). Starting when she was 13, he began molesting her in the privacy of his office. He told her to keep it secret, saying others would become jealous. She said the sexual abuse continued until she was 17.

Ms. Rojas said Mr. Chavez first touched her and fondled her breasts when she was 12, in the same office where he met with Ms. Murguia. When she was 15, during a weeks-long march through California, he arranged for her to stay at a motel. There, he had intercourse with her, an act that constituted rape under California law because she was underage. He told her that he had known they belonged together ever since he first saw her at age 9.

In the years that followed, both women have struggled with depression, panic attacks, and substance abuse. They remained silent for decades, fearing that speaking out would damage Mr. Chávez’s legacy. However, after being approached by reporters in recent months, they decided that their stories mattered too.

The New York Times investigation into the matter shed the light on more such instances, suggesting that the case of Ms. Murguia and Ms. Rojas weren't isolated incidents. At least a dozen other women described being pursued and, in some cases, sexually harassed Chavez. Some chose to share their stories publicly, while others preferred to remain anonymous.

Esmeralda Lopez said Mr. Chavez was 61 and she was 19 when he tried to have sex with her. Ms. Lopez, the daughter of longtime union leader Cynthia Bell, had known Chavez since she was a child. She said she had joined him on a speaking tour in Michigan in 1988. During the tour, Chavez asked her to join him in a camper and told her he could name a street after her if she slept with him. She refused. Not long afterward, he fired her and a female co-worker.

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Ms. Bell said the union leader had also made sexual advances toward her during a dance at a fund-raiser in the early 1970s, when she was in her early 20s. Afterward, she avoided being alone in a room with him for years.

Whispers Within The Movement

Whispers about the abuse had circulated privately within the movement for decades. Susan Drake, who served as Chavez’s secretary from 1971 to 1973, initially noticed nothing suspicious. She said she only learned about the abuse in the 1980s from a union volunteer, though she admitted she was reluctant at first to believe it. “I think it goes back to wanting to protect the positive image,” she remarked.

Internal emails from the organization from more than a decade ago also document union members discussing the impact of the abuse on Ms. Murguia. One of her relatives had even confronted Chavez directly about the allegations as early as the 1980s.

Additionally, more than 10 years ago, members of a private Facebook group for longtime Chavez organizers and supporters were shocked to see a post from Ms. Rojas, written in a moment of anger (though she deleted it a few days later). In the post, she wrote in part: “Wake up people. This man u march for every year molested me.”

Allegations Documented Over a Decade Ago

What’s surprising is that instances of Chavez’s abusive behaviours have long been known, as far as back in 2014. For over a decade, serious allegations of sexual abuse against Cesar Chavez had already been documented. Journalist Miriam Pawel’s 2014 biography, The Crusades of César Chávez, examined both his remarkable achievements and the troubling aspects of his personal behavior, including claims of coercion and sexual abuse. Despite this, the issue stayed largely hidden, suppressed by deep respect and hero worship that shielded the man in power. 

The Accounts of One Dolores Huerta

Ms. Dolores Huerta, with whom Chavez founded the United Farm Workers (UFW), has come forward as another victim of his abuse. Huerta maintained a 30-year working partnership with Chavez, exemplified by the marches and protests and years of labour she undertook for the cause. From the outside, the relationship between the two appeared to be a  remarkably egalitarian one, and that too at a time when few women held leadership roles in union movements.

In an interview, Ms. Huerta, now 95, described being raped by Chavez, a secret she had kept for nearly 60 years.

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One night in the winter of 1966, she said, Chavez drove her to a secluded grape field in Delano, California, parked the car, and forced her to have sex inside the vehicle. She chose not to report the assault to the police, citing their hostility toward the farmworker movement, and feared that no one in the union would believe her.

She also described an earlier incident in August 1960, when she felt pressured to have sex with Chavez in a hotel room during a work trip in San Juan Capistrano, Southern California.

However, she did not publicly accuse him, in part because she was a woman fighting for acceptance in the male-dominated world of union organizing at that time.

A Re-examination of Chavez’s Legacy

Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers in 1965 and turned farm labor into a nationwide movement. Through strikes, boycotts, and marches, he brought national attention to the extremely harsh and often brutal working conditions faced by farmworkers. He emerged as a powerful symbol of justice and resilience in the Latino civil rights struggle, appearing on murals and becoming a global icon. His leadership gave hope to many and delivered meaningful improvements for farmworkers. 

However, the deep reverence for him frequently overshadowed any critical examination of his actions. While many acknowledge his achievements, this widespread admiration also helps explain why allegations against him remained largely unexamined for decades.

The recent revelations about Cesar Chavez’s alleged long-hidden pattern of sexual abuse have prompted a re-examination of his legacy. Although his role in building the farmworker movement remains historically significant, the accounts from the women who say they were victimized by him have now come to light. Fully honoring the movement’s principles requires acknowledging both Chavez’s contributions and the harm he is accused of causing.

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