Labor Icon Dolores Huerta, 95, Reveals She, Too, Was Raped by Cesar Chavez; Speaks to Maria Hinojosa

A New York Times expose detailed Cesar Chavez's abuse and rape of multiple women and girls, including Anna Morgia (assaulted at 13) and Deborah Roas (raped at 15). Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, also revealed to the Times that Chavez raped her in 1960 and 1966, both incidents resulting in pregnancies. Huerta concealed these pregnancies and arranged for other families to raise the girls.

NYT expose, Dolores Huerta's interview with Maria Hinojosa. (0:09, 1:11, 1:23, 1:30)

Maria Hinojosa emphasized that Chavez was not only a strategic leader in building the farmworker movement but also strategic in how he abused girls, teens, and women. He would groom victims from a young age (e.g., 8 or 9 years old) and then exploit their admiration and trust, isolating them in situations where abuse could occur.

Hinojosa states, 'The horror Amy is to realize that this man was also very strategic in how he was setting out to abuse girls, teens, and women.' (10:08)

Huerta explained that she remained silent about Chavez's actions because she believed coming forward would have 'hurt the movement.' She prioritized the accomplishments for farmworkers—securing basic human needs like bathrooms, drinking water, and rest periods—over her personal justice, believing her silence contributed to the movement's success.

Huerta states, 'I felt that my coming out and saying that would have hurt... would have hurt the movement.' (09:24)

Both Dolores Huerta and Maria Hinojosa discussed the common societal reaction of blaming survivors. Huerta anticipated being attacked or disbelieved, while Hinojosa noted that people are now criticizing Huerta for not speaking up sooner, even suggesting she carries the burden of Chavez's actions. Hinojosa, a rape survivor herself, stressed that non-survivors cannot comprehend the difficulty of coming forward.

Huerta: 'Women when they do come forward with their stories... instead of getting the kind of support that they need, they get attacked or they're not believed.' (02:10) Hinojosa: 'If you're not a rape survivor, you do not know how difficult it is to come forward.' (12:39)

The revelations have prompted an immediate public response, with marches and celebrations around Chavez's birthday cancelled, and calls to rename streets and remove statues. While acknowledging Chavez's 'dark side,' Huerta maintains the movement's accomplishments for millions of farmworkers, achieved through collective action, should still be recognized. Hinojosa suggests this crisis presents an 'opportunity to organize' against sexual assault and re-shape the narrative.

Hinojosa: 'Marches, celebrations all over Texas and Arizona, California have been cancelled around his birthday.' (13:56) Huerta: 'We can't say well [Chavez] did it all because many people that volunteered are the ones that made it happen.' (16:13) Hinojosa: 'Every crisis is an opportunity to organize.' (18:55)