Summary
Dolores Huerta and other women have spoken out about sexual violence they say they suffered from Cesar Chavez, a labor leader who worked with Huerta. The New York Times investigated these claims and revealed that some victims were as young as 12. Huerta said she kept the secret for decades to protect the civil rights movement she was part of.
Key Facts
- Dolores Huerta is a civil rights icon who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez.
- Huerta spoke out about sexual abuse by Chavez, motivated by a New York Times investigation.
- Chavez, who died in 1993, was a well-known labor leader during the US civil rights movement of the 1960s.
- The New York Times reported that victims of Chavez's alleged abuse were as young as 12 years old.
- Huerta said she kept the abuse secret for 60 years to protect the farmworker movement.
- Huerta claimed that Chavez manipulated and pressured her into a sexual relationship.
- Other women, including Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, also reported abuse by Chavez during their youth.
- Chavez's actions reportedly resulted in Huerta becoming pregnant twice, and she secretly gave the children to other families to raise.
