March 31, 2026
Rewriting the Chávez legacy:
Male chauvinism and lack of union democracy led to abuses
Radical Women statement by Yolanda Alaniz
above their heads.
On March 18, 2026, the New York Times published an article documenting reports that in
the 1970s United Farm Workers (UFW) leader César Chávez had sexually molested underage
girls Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas and later raped Rojas. UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta also
came forward to tell of being raped twice by Chávez in the 1960s, assaults that resulted in two
children. Recordings surfaced that showed the revered female leader being insulted and verbally
attacked by male officers in union meetings. The brave child survivors who are speaking up are
now in their 60s. Huerta will soon turn 96 years old.
The revelations have sent shock waves throughout the Chicana/o movement, the UFW
and other unions, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, social justice movements, and the Latino and
feminist communities.
Radical Women, a national socialist feminist organization, stands with these heroic
women and condemns the sexual assaults by Chávez. Sexual aggression is not about sex; it is
about control and power relations. And it is intrinsic to patriarchal capitalist societies. As The
Radical Women Manifesto states, “Under capitalism, women are considered the property of men,
the church and the state. To gain control over our lives, we must take back our minds and bodies.
… Fundamental to the liberation of women is our right … to exercise control over our own
bodies based on our own judgement, free from economic or social coercion.”
The UFW, as with any movement, was not just one man. It was, and still is, a mass
operation of committed individuals who worked together for a united goal and kept la lucha
going. It led courageous battles that ensured that the workers who feed this country will never
again be completely forgotten. But its record was mixed. At a time when criticizing UFW was
quite controversial, Megan Cornish and I chronicled the union’s strengths and failures in our
book, Viva la Raza: A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance:
“The United Farm Workers arose on the shoulders of all the preceding
battles of farmworkers of every color and nationality. It confronted … bitter
government/grower violence, red baiting and racism. But it made unprecedented
gains due to its tenacity, tactical flexibility, high-powered organizing, and a fresh
political climate ignited by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s …
“But the union also had weaknesses that led to its defeats. It made
unprincipled deals with bourgeois politicians, engaged in redbaiting and internal
censorship, and betrayed immigrant workers. Absorbing the lessons of the union’s
achievements as well as its mistakes is necessary for the success of future
organizing efforts.“
As union democracy declined, Chávez took steps to gain authoritarian control over
people—particularly women and girls—in the organization. He developed ties with the cultish
drug rehabilitation organization, Synanon, which used a form of attack therapy. He pushed out
radical unionists and scapegoated undocumented farmworkers. He alienated Filipino union
members by forging ties with the brutal Marcos dictatorship.
In the 1960s there was little support for strong women and no #MeToo movement. There
was no roadmap for Chicanas/Mexican Americans to deal with sexual assault, especially from
one of their own compañeros and leaders in the struggle. The Chicana/o student movement and
UFW reflected contemporary social justice movements in their sexist treatment of women.
The Catholic Church was another factor in Chávez’s control of the UFW membership
and specifically the women. Church teachings of female self-sacrifice served to control women
and keep them in their place: obey husbands/men, stay at home rather than hold a paid job,
produce babies, and have no choice over their own bodies or lives. Huerta and the other women
faced this anti-feminist atmosphere, on top of the culture Chávez had created of attacking all
critics as enemies of the union. It is no wonder these women kept their secrets for decades. No
one should have to remain silent to advance a movement or to protect a predator.
Radical Women urges the formation of a commission made up of UFW rank-and-file
women to investigate, determine appropriate reparations for survivors, and establish procedures
to prevent future sexual abuse. All unions should adopt such measures and be prepared to fight
for members experiencing discrimination and abuse.
Radical Women recognizes that as long as capitalism exists, women will face ongoing
exploitation. That is why we are committed to train women and build their leadership. With
strong working-class women leaders, we strive to build a new and democratic society in which
women, children and all people can control their own bodies and lives, and live free from
discrimination, sexual abuse and harm. When the needs of women are met, the needs of the
entire society are met.
Yolanda Alaniz grew up as a farmworker in Eastern Washington. The first in her family to attend
college, she became an activist in the Chicana/o student movement and UFW support efforts.
Later, she joined Radical Women and worked for Seattle Rape Relief. Her book, Viva la Raza: A
History of Chicano Identity and Resistance, co-authored with Megan Cornish, is available from
Red Letter Press (redletterpress.org).