Politics
San Francisco supervisors weigh ‘Las Campesinas’ for Cesar Chavez Street
A city working group has selected Las Campesinas as the leading candidate to rename the 3.2-mile street, and Supervisor Jackie Fielder has introduced legislation to make the change. Some Mission residents say the process has not included them enough and favor other names.
San Francisco could rename Cesar Chavez Street Las Campesinas, a proposal intended to honor farmworkers while recognizing sexual abuse allegations against the late labor leader.
Supervisor Jackie Fielder introduced legislation Tuesday to change the name. The proposal follows a city working group’s selection of Las Campesinas — Spanish for “female farmworkers” — as one of two finalists. The group, chaired by Assessor-Recorder Joaquin Torres and former Supervisor Susan Leal, chose the name to reflect women’s role in the farmworker movement and the allegations involving Chavez, Torres said in a statement.
The allegations became a focus of the renaming effort after women told The New York Times that Chavez sexually abused them in the 1970s. The claims have prompted officials to reconsider public landmarks bearing his name.
The proposal has drawn objections from some Mission residents, merchants and homeowners. A petition circulated in the neighborhood called for more transparency and community participation. As of Oct. 15, it had 157 signatories; 97% said they preferred Esperanza or Dahlia. Critics also raised concerns about spelling and whether the proposed names would be easily understood by postal and delivery workers and emergency responders.
The working group included representatives from several city offices, as well as small businesses, artists and labor groups. It held a community meeting last month at Flynn Elementary School to gather feedback. Another name considered was “Si se puede.”
If the full Board of Supervisors approves Fielder’s legislation, the Department of Public Works would seek input from property owners along the route and consult city departments, including planning, police, fire and building inspections.
The street stretches 3.2 miles from Pier 80 through the Mission District to Douglas Playground in Noe Valley, affecting thousands of addresses. City officials previously estimated that replacing signs and related markings would cost about $107,000. The city would also coordinate address and mapping changes with the U.S. Postal Service.
The naming debate echoes an earlier change: the street was called Army before it was renamed for Chavez in the 1990s. No final renaming has been approved.