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San Francisco weighs ‘Las Campesinas’ name for 37-block street
A city working group chose Las Campesinas Street to recognize women farmworkers, and a supervisor has introduced a resolution to begin the renaming process. The proposal still requires review and approval, with sign costs estimated at $50,000 before labor.
San Francisco could rename the 37-block thoroughfare now known as Cesar Chavez Street to Las Campesinas Street, a Spanish phrase meaning “women farmworkers.” Supervisor Jackie Fielder introduced a resolution of intention Tuesday, starting a city review but not completing the change.
The proposed name was selected by a 27-member working group formed at Mayor Daniel Lurie’s request. The group met five times and considered how a new name could recognize San Francisco’s Latino heritage and the farmworker movement. A resolution introduced by Fielder says the group received more than 680 online responses and that Las Campesinas was the most favored option.
Joaquín Torres, the city’s assessor-recorder and a co-leader of the group, said the name honors women who work in the fields supplying the nation’s food, many of whom are not widely recognized. The group heard support for restoring the street’s former name, Army Street, Torres said, but chose to retain a connection to farmworkers and labor while looking ahead.
The choice has drawn some opposition. Two homeowners on the street started a petition that they said gathered 157 signatures, asking the committee to reconsider alternatives including Dahlia and Esperanza.
San Francisco Public Works will evaluate the proposed change before it returns to the Board of Supervisors. If approved by the board, the measure would go to the mayor for signature. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency estimates that replacement signs alone would cost at least $50,000, excluding labor. Additional expenses could include sidewalk name engravings, highway signs maintained by Caltrans and address updates for businesses. If the change is approved, signs bearing the new and former names are expected to stand together for five years.
The street, which runs through the Mission and Noe Valley, was called Army Street until the Board of Supervisors renamed it for labor leader Cesar Chavez in 1995. The change prompted a citywide ballot fight, including objections from some residents in Noe Valley. Voters rejected an effort to restore the Army Street name by nearly 19,000 votes.
The current proposal follows revelations published in March that Chavez had sexually abused girls. Lurie said the working group’s selection would honor women in the Latino labor movement.
Army Street’s name is still visible on some buildings along the route. It was named by ranch owners John and Robert Horner, who also gave the nearby Navy Street its name; that street was later renamed 26th Street.