Months after criminal allegations about César Chavez emerged, the city of Oxnard decided to change the name of a street currently named for the labor leader.
In a Sept. 15 Oxnard City Council meeting, the council voted 6-0 to swap out César Chavez Drive for Campesina Place. Mayor Luis McArthur was absent.
After some deliberation, the council decided on the new name although the city did not confirm when the change would take effect. The new name pays homage to farmworkers.
Other names considered include Queso Drive, Pablo Drive, Plumeria Drive and Querencia Drive, said Jeff Pengilley, community development director, during the meeting.
Along with the name change, the council approved up to $250 in reimbursement for costs incurred for each residence
on the street, Pengilley said. The first $100 will be given to households that apply, with additional costs requiring further receipts and paperwork.
The change could affect about 39 households along the street.
The decision comes months after the New York Times published an article in which three women, including Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, described being molested or raped by Chavez.
Since the article's publication, states, cities and school districts all over the country have distanced themselves from Chavez. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors changed the name of the March 31 holiday from César Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day.
The Oxnard School District Board of Trustees approved the name change for César E. Chavez School, announcing on Aug. 25 that the it would be renamed Juanita Academy of Literacy, Communication Arts and Technology.
The disgraced labor leader has ties to Oxnard. At one time, he lived in the La Colonia neighborhood where the school that previously bore his name is located.
Reporter Makena Huey contributed to this story.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard City Council renames César Chavez Drive
