Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist mostly prominent in the 1970s, was known for the legacy he left fighting to improve the rights, wages and working conditions of immigrant farmworkers. Many looked up to Chavez as a symbol of hard work and equality. However, recent evidence has been uncovered connecting his name to sexual assault allegations. The legacy that Chavez left seems to be tarnished, with murals, paintings and statues all around the U.S being covered or painted over. Mills has a fair sized Latino community, from staff members to students, and even a club calledLatino Mentor Program (LMP), where the spread of Latino culture is promoted at Mills. With his allegations, it has affected the Latino community at Mills in many ways.
Alejandra Hernandez, a senior at Mills and the president of LMP shared her insight on what she thought and felt about the recent controversy. She said, “When I first found out, it was shocking, but also I didn’t want to believe the internet so easily because people always make up lies and accusations. But when I heard about this girl who spoke about her experience, I wasn’t sure how to feel … I couldn’t believe it because he fought for people’s rights, but he also did the things he did.”
This really goes to show how impactful the legacy Chavez initially left for Hernandez. When finally asked how she thought the recent accusations affected Mills’s Latino community, she had this to say. “Finding out what he did I think left the community in shock, and for the Mills community I think it’s a big deal because we learn about him in our classes.”
With this in mind, questions arise on how these accusations change how Chavez’s legacy is taught and viewed in classrooms. Alexandra Dove, a history teacher and activity director at Mills, shared her thoughts on the accusations. She said, “It’s really upsetting on a personal level … knowing that someone committed all these crimes. It’s also really upsetting on an institutional level, because he’s been someone that our state [who] has really [been] a beacon for advocating for equality, advocating for more rights [and] advocating for especially our marginalized communities.”
Like Dove said, people’s views on Chavez, who was idealized by so many, completely changed the way he is viewed from the harm he caused with his actions. On how she thought this would change the way The Farmworker’s Movement would be taught, she said, ”Maybe this is a chance to decentralize our celebration … from the individual and focus more on the community. So that’s what I would hope we do moving forward. And I think about as far as teaching it and in the classroom, that tends to be more the focus.”
Chavez played a big role in the rights we see nowadays for migrant farmworkers, but this is a clear example on how uplifting a singular person and idolizing that person can backfire. As humans, no one is perfect and there are always two sides to a story. What Chavez was accused of is a horrible, harmful thing. This goes to show how instead of praising a singular person, praising a community that is behind the movement can be less harmful, more impactful and have a broader outreach for that community. When it comes to the learning aspect of an iconic activist like Chavez, it is important to be able to find the line between making someone a hero and allowing the spotlight to be shined on the community behind that movement and not just one person.
