- And I saw a
text message
from one of the vice
presidents of U of W.
They had
this information.
They've been
wrestling with it
that they could
not let another,
they could not
stay silent.
It just hit me heavy.
But
but it felt so surreal.
[♪♪]
- Well, welcome again
to Chino e Chicano.
I'm Enrique Cerna.
Stunning allegations
emerging from a
New York Times
investigation
are raising
serious questions
about the legacy
of United Farm
Workers co-founder
Cesar Chavez.
According to the report,
Chavez is accused
of grooming
and sexually
abusing young women
within the union
movement.
Following
its publication,
fellow UFW
co-founder
Dolores Huerta,
now 95,
says she also
experienced sexual abuse
by Chavez
and became pregnant,
later
giving birth
to two children.
She says she kept
the secret
for decades
to protect the farm
worker movement.
- All of the,
farm workers on strike
here in the Delano.
- The revelations are now
casting a shadow over
Chavez's civil
rights legacy
and have shocked
supporters,
including Washington
State Senator
Rebecca Saldaña,
who represents
the 37th district.
I spoke with her
about the allegations
and what they could mean
for the future
of the farm
worker movement.
Rebecca Saldaña,
where were you
when you heard the news?
- Yeah, I first
heard the news,
two nights before
I was getting ready
for bed,
and I saw a text message
from one of the Vice
Presidents of U of W,
that they urgently
were trying
to get a hold of me,
and,
so I called
her back, and,
she told me, that
they have
had very credible,
information
while it was not direct,
firsthand information
to them.
They had
this information.
They've been
wrestling with it
that they could not
let another,
they could not
stay silent.
And they felt
they had to
speak out and,
and so it
just hit me heavy.
But
but it felt so surreal.
And so...
- Stunning,
I would imagine.
I mean, yeah.
So I'm
just trying
to understand
why they decided
to reach out to you.
- Yeah.
I mean, I have been
working with them on.
And,
a collective bargaining.
So we had a lot,
we had brought together
United Farmworkers
and Familias Unidas por la Justicia
back in December,
November,
December to say,
is this the year
that we should,
you know,
do a law,
a policy to be able to,
try to get collective
bargaining,
a framework
for farmworkers
in Washington state.
And so I did in
working with them
and, and actually
in January,
I they kind of did
radio silence.
I didn't hear from them.
And so I
finally reached out
and got to talk with,
United Farmworker
President Teresa Romero.
And you could tell
they were holding
something very heavy.
And she's like,
you know,
they have been
wrestling.
They had something that,
they couldn't
tell me
at the moment,
but, it's it was rocking
their whole,
their, their whole,
like, organization and,
and so
and they told me
as soon as we can
tell you, we are,
we'll tell you so.
So they had
been wrestling
with that internally
to try to figure out
what was
their responsibility.
How should they respond?
I didn't know
what it was.
And so when they told me
what it was,
I could understand why,
it was so heavy on them.
Right? Yeah.
And then,
of course,
the morning of
when we saw the news,
you know,
I was in a meeting and,
getting my phone
blown up
with text messages and,
trying to be present
to the meeting
I was in, but it's,
you know, but it was.
- Your minds elsewhere.
- My mind was elsewhere.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
How about you?
when did you?
- Actually took
me back to.
I interviewed
Cesar Chavez.
I think it was 1986
when I was a kid
on television, and I.
I was just thinking
about his demeanor
in that very, very,
polite, kind,
very human
man as far
as how he, he,
interacted and,
so you, you
it was hard
not to like him
because he was
very friendly and,
good speaker
with all his points.
Um,
so I was thinking
about that.
And I've also
interviewed,
Dolores Huerta.
And, you know,
she's he's a tough one
and not a
tough interview,
but but again, he she's
she's strong.
And so when I,
when I read that
she had
held a secret
for 60 years,
that really kind of
hit me.
That's it's
a long time to hold in
something like that.
And,
you know,
people,
should could question
why she held on to
why she didn't
speak out.
I mean you’d probably have to
look at the time
and the
generational time
and cultural
time as well
of your life.
But you cannot say that
she was not
completely committed
to the farmworker
movement.
And,
that obviously
had a lot to play with,
but it was still
extremely shocking
to hear from that.
And and so now I am
just thinking,
okay, now what?
Because there are
bigger issues here,
you know,
that you need
to look at.
I mean, it's
not only just about
the farmworker
organization,
but about
social, cultural,
cultural issues
of how
women are being treated.
Still being or
were treated
then continue
to be treated now,
how sexual abuse abuse
period is, is still
alive and well,
unfortunately.
- Yeah.
It was so shocking.
I mean, I think that was
the part
that was
so heartbreaking
was to read
Delores's interview.
And know that my icon,
my feminist icon,
the person that I have
admire so much,
and
that even she, you know,
she is someone
that I quote
all the time
as saying that,
you know, every like,
you know,
every farm
worker, everyone
you know, has power
in their body and that,
we are all equal.
And it's
when we come together
collectively
that we can make
all of this happen,
this change, you know,
and to know that
even she felt like
she had a
hold on to that,
to be able
to make space
for people
like me to live
more free,
was just devastating
to have to to see that.
And it made me
think, like,
you know,
I was a young Chicana.
I mean,
I got involved way
after he was,
he passed, you know,
so he was an idea.
He was a concept.
But, you know,
he was definitely
someone that.
And when I read
the autobiography,
La Causa,
those are a
direct interviews of,
Cesar and Dolores
and Jacques Levy.
You know, it just
set me
on my on my path.
Because it
I also am a
religious person.
And so it helped me
connect my faith
with my deep, fury
of the injustices
that I see around me.
And,
and I did have
Dolores
as a strong feminist,
you know,
to look up to that,
you know,
we can do things
differently.
But, you know, as
a young organizer,
I definitely saw
the machismo still
and was very frustrated
by it.
- And the machismo
in our culture is
it's there
has been there
and still there.
- And it's it's in
our it's
in the US society.
- Oh yes.
- I mean yes...
- Male chauvinism.
Come on, let's say it.
- But it was
very frustrating,
right, to see that,
there is institutional
barriers and,
you know, see so many
really strong women
hold their tongue
and hold themselves,
for the greater cause.
And, and that's
part of why,
like one of the reasons
why I couldn't
stay working there.
You know, I still
believed in
the movement.
I still
believe with
the farmworkers
that continue
to have my heart there.
But, that it was
I knew that I would,
I could not
tolerate that.
And so,
yeah.
Yeah,
- I would think
I would think
most women wouldn't
be, wouldn't
tolerate it.
But you know, that
that is.
- But we all we all...
violence...
I mean,
I think that's the part
that the violence
is there.
You know,
when I read that,
I finally brought myself
to read
the full interview
of New York Times
just last night.
Because,
you know,
when there's
police violence
or these horrible,
horrendous stories,
you know, I,
I'm very sensitive.
And so I usually like,
it takes me a while
to be able
to bring myself
to actually read it.
And, you know,
when I read it,
right, it was,
you know, really
clear that,
you know,
we need to pause, that
this March 31st
should be centered
on survivors,
on all of us
creating space
a bear witness.
To the
continual violence
that continues, to to be
perpetrated, by,
male bodies
on female bodies
and not only
but that that is,
you know,
is something that really
continues to,
to be a source of,
harm and violence,
for all of us.
And until we can face
that, you know,
we're not
going to be able
to get free.
So.
And I know that,
you know,
I put out a statement
and
the Democratic Caucus
is working
on a statement as well,
to, you know,
put a pause,
on any activities
this year,
center the voices,
listen to them.
Really,
and then figure out
how we go forward,
you know, whether we do,
you know,
and I say, I know
that will be on
the minds of the
the legislators
that are going to be
coming back to session
next year about,
you know,
whether we need to
take action or not.
Yeah.
- Well, then
the issue here, too, is,
is that,
you know, obviously
the sexual
abuse, harassment,
manipulation,
all of these things.
But abuse also comes in
many other forms.
And it can be how
someone treats someone
to how
they are spoken to.
And in a male
dominated culture,
I mean, let's face it,
men can be real jerks
and our
can be mean spirited
and that that's abuse,
you know?
And I think
I have to take
a real hard look.
I mean, men
need to take a hard
look at ourselves
about how we do that.
And also,
as a father of a son,
you know,
talk about that as well.
It's time
that we take a hard
look at those things.
- Yeah, yeah.
And I know it's really
hard, right?
It's really hard
for us to have this,
you know, as Chicanos
and then as a Latinos
for us
to have
this conversation
with ourselves
in our own community.
You know,
when the
dominant culture
and the
dominant community
right now, you know,
Epstein files
white elitists
and the upper echelons,
you know,
not having
any accountability
and actually
being continued
to be celebrated
and, advanced. Right?
You know, it
is it is
a challenge, right?
For all of us to,
really take a moment
to, like,
be reflective,
and, and not
blame and shame
ourselves, right?
I mean,
I think what
I don't want,
for men or women
is to be saying, like,
because I know
I was starting to do
it was like,
did I miss something?
Should I have
said something
more as someone that,
you know,
has been part
of the movement,
you know,
should I have known
or been more outspoken?
You know,
and so I know
a lot of us
are doing that.
But, you know,
we didn't
cause this, you know,
- Right.
- And we didn't.
We can't cure it alone.
We can't control
outside factors,
but we can control
how our own selves.
And so I think the piece
that I take
is actually
Dolores is message
that our power
is in our body,
that this happened.
We need to look at it
with eyes wide open.
But we also we
really need to feel
what we're
feeling in our body.
And how can we
actually recognize
that each of us
deserve to
to live
without violence,
and that,
our bodies are
sacred containers.
And you know
how do we talk
about consent?
How do we talk about,
consent when,
you know,
so many of us had things
done to us
when we were
too young to
to have a voice
and to be able to
say, no,
there's a lot of hope.
And I think one thing
that this really I think
hopefully finally
gets us all
to realize is that,
putting hero worship
and thinking that
there's saviors,
there's not,
that this
farmworker movement
has always been more
than one individual
or two individuals,
that it is
the actual
the cause
for farmworkers to be
given dignity
and respect and,
and have,
the able
to work the fields
and not have
their bodies
destroyed in
the process. Right.
- So what does it mean
for the movement?
Now?
I mean,
obviously there's
the setback.
It's a time to,
you know,
deal with the,
I guess, sense of grief,
you know, and loss.
Because of
just the
information
was so stunning.
And the news
is so stunning.
But the fact is, is that
there's still
many issues
that farmworkers
facing today
and especially today
in a time of
ICE crackdowns
and the way,
the Trump
Administration has dealt
with immigrants.
- Yeah.
Well, I mean,
I think one,
to two bright spots
for me, right,
is the work that,
Washington State
actually has been,
supporting
the leadership
of farmworkers,
in Central Valley,
in partnership
with University
of Washington
Ya BASTA
which is, of a woman,
farmworker, women
peer led,
organization
that's training,
each other
and training
the industry
about identifying
sexual harassment,
and how to address
sexual assault
and change the culture.
And, these last
two budget cycles have
been really
hard for them.
Their fiscal sponsors,
me centroid of Tacoma.
So I do think
one of the things
I'm going to do on my
to do list
is, this Saturday
at Bernal Baca
a celebration of life
is reconnecting with,
Ya BASTA
I wanted to understand
where they are.
Like, what are their,
their goals
for expansion?
How do we support
their leadership?
How do we,
really grow
their curriculum?
I think that
is something
that's really important.
The other is that up
in eastern,
up in Skagit,
we have
Familias Unidas por la Justicia
that have
their mystical,
indigenous, led union,
that has
a union contract.
But they also
and have partnered with,
been partnering
with community
community,
which is a feminist
led with Rosalinda Guillen
another one of our
leaders and mentors,
who, created
this structure
and to be,
you know,
unapologetic,
unapologetically,
female led and centered
leadership
that their
their state
has partnered
with them to create,
a hero model.
So, where
they're building
a cooperative
that is a farmworker,
are now
owning their land
and, and collectively
farming, to produce,
food and vegetables
and shown,
you know,
an alternative. Right.
And so
I think there
are highlights
and, you know,
I think the third is
this was the first year
that we introduced
legislation for,
and creating a statewide
framework for collective
bargaining
for farmworkers,
and so that they can
actually have
equal voice at tables
with the
agricultural industry
to say,
you know,
this industry
is also not
not thriving.
And this moment.
Right,
but how do we
find our way forward?
You know, in the
face of climate,
in the face
of rising costs,
in the face of tariffs,
continuing to,
say that farmworkers
don't deserve
to have
the right
to collectively bargain.
Is is
is not the way
we're going to
move forward,
because that's
also the root
of this violence,
right, is
when workers are working
in those conditions
then coming home,
and they're organizing
in these
hostile conditions,
that,
you know,
it's not an excuse.
But it is,
I think,
sometimes helpful
for us
to enter the understand
context and,
and history.
- Since,
the news came out,
have you
talked again
with,
UFW officials nationally
about how they're
handling all this?
- I haven't had a
I haven't
circled back
with them yet.
And since we heard it,
I mostly have been
just receiving,
you know,
and being responsive
to, local
community folks
that are processing
and wrestling
through this and.
- What it
what are they
telling you?
What are you hearing?
- Well,
so we need
to do something,
that this of course,
this was the case.
Like, you know,
we always knew, right?
We we should,
you know, cancel
and rename,
you know, brand
rename things.
You know, what
are you doing?
You know,
and so
I think that's part of,
you know, I'm, I'm,
I'm having a a personal,
campaign kickoff
on the 31st
at El Centro.
And, and obviously,
when I first chose
a date,
I had a different idea
in mind.
And but.
- And that is for your run
for King County.
Or freaking
like council, right.
And so, I know now,
I'm, I'm
reaching out to grief
practitioners
so that we can have
a grief station
while we're there.
I'm, I'm
reaching out to,
survivor,
support services
so that we can make sure
that that space
is there to,
I think that,
you know,
we have to create
these communal spaces
for us to be able
to process
the rage and the grief.
And,
you know, creating
space for voices
to be centered,
and, and start
thinking about
what is healing
look like,
what is our way
forward together?
Because,
when violence
takes place,
whether it's
very intimate
violence like this
and that, you know,
these and
brave, brave women
have been holding
this secret for so long,
or whether it's
shootings
in their streets, it has
it goes way
beyond those,
those individuals.
It
it has impact
on their families.
It has an impact on
all of us
that are reading
the news.
And, and
so we need to create
that space
for us to be able
to do that
work together.
- I sense
that you're
really struggling.
Yeah, yeah,
because you work
in the movement and just
losing about it.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean,
yeah, it's it's it's,
you know,
I am because I,
I feel so
angry and and for me,
because I
been conditioned that
but also
because I am an I'm,
I try to be
a nonviolent
practitioner.
That anger often,
you know,
shows up in tears.
That salt
tears are helpful
in terms of just,
releasing it in a way
that gives it back
to the Mother Earth
and as opposed to
lashing it out
to others. Right?
- So I feel you.
You heard the news
you got in your car.
- Yeah, I did.
And you screamed.
- Yes,
I screamed and sad.
And I thought
of the sirens. Right?
I think of sirens. How,
when they're
screaming into,
all around us
to let us know that
everything is not okay,
someone is in trouble.
That help is on the way,
but often the help,
doesn't always get there
in time.
And,
and so I, I,
I was definitely,
you know,
just feeling that
I have to pause.
You know,
we all want to
take action.
We all and hold
someone accountable.
We all want to, like,
make things right.
And sometimes
they're not.
- They're not.
And you can't quickly
fix anything.
- No.
- Or you can't
fix the past.
But now you have to
deal with the future.
And how
you address that.
So it does
change things.
But I suppose
the big challenge
right now
is to not forget
the fact that,
it was the United
Farmworkers
and there was a
movement there,
and that really the farm
workers were the focus.
-Yes, they are.
- And the
challenges are
still there to.
So. Yeah.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, the
the farm workers
are the movement. Right?
And,
and it's each one of us
and I think that,
what I said
as I read that
article and,
saw when of
another mentor
of mine, leader who I,
was part of,
LCLAA when we started
LCLAA
here again in Washington.
And what is LCLAA?
I'm sorry.
Oh, no.
You're gonna ask me.
I Latin-American council
is Latino.
Unionists open,
come together.
Someone else
will tell me
what the acronym is.
But, Cynthia Bell
When when I was a young,
organizer, she and was,
you know, a
seasoned organizer.
And, really,
when I was experiencing
a little
machismo myself,
within that
organization,
she's someone
that's like
calling the
bull****, and,
and then to see,
you know,
her picture in there
and the article,
and made me
want to reach out to her
and just be so thankful.
- I, I don't
remember her name
right now, but,
I mean,
was she a victim or was.
- She was an organizer.
And, and I believe,
you know,
definitely was harassed.
And,
and she's pictured with,
another woman
in the picture.
That was,
definitely,
one of the victims and,
Yeah.
So, so I think
whereas again,
I think I lost my track,
but I think
where we are going with
that, right, is that,
we, by pausing ourselves
enough and feeling
this to remember,
and I told you, like,
I recorded myself
because I wanted
to remember how I felt
and don't
want to be numb.
I don't want to like,
smooth this over.
And I want to make sure
that as we
find our way forward,
that we are,
building a leader
for a movement,
a movement of
leaders that, are,
that know their power,
that are willing to
teach that
to our children
so that,
we are building
a stronger movement,
for the
farmworkers, for,
healing,
for making sure that,
we are going to root out
this violence,
and,
and build
the justice movement
that,
you know, farmworkers
and all of us deserve.
Well,
- I think
what's important,
too, is
that machismo
needs to be called out.
And, you know,
and I know it's,
you know,
unfortunately, is
part of our culture.
It's not just
our culture.
I think it's everywhere.
Chauvinism exists
and it's a real issue.
And,
but this can also
be a time to really,
take advantage
of a crisis
and turn it into
a teachable moment.
That would be beneficial
for the long term
because you can't
can't have that.
And women
have been the backbone
of all of this movement,
let's face. Yes. Yeah.
Gotta make that happen.
So as we close here
with your last
thoughts, but
and I know
that there's a
lot going on
and there's
this kind of sense
of grief right now, but,
I guess
kind of going forward.
What are you thinking?
- Well, I'm thinking that,
you know, as you know,
as both,
you know, leaders
in our community,
I think,
you know, how
we might
want to
talk about a follow up
and talk about, like,
how are we
creating space
for addressing that?
You made me
think of one
other thing.
This is another resource
out there, right?
That,
Tanya
Keenan and Pureblood
Garcia have a podcast
that they've been doing
called ¡Adelante! Leadership
And it has been really
about unpacking,
you know, some of,
these themes that we've
been talking
about today. Right?
And,
and so I think
about my children
and I think about,
you know, the,
the culture
that I've been trying
to build with them.
That gives me hope
because I do
think I have two
young people
that, that understand,
that to be a feminist
has nothing
to do about your gender,
but it's about your mind
frame and your mindset.
And so,
you know,
they give me hope.
They help me be better,
as a parent.
And what my, my message
is, is
the message
of the movement
is, sí se puede
sí se puede.
- Rebeca Saldaña,
thanks for
taking the time.
I appreciate it. And,
we'll see
what happens ahead.
I mean, it's going to be
a lot of internal
looking at people,
you know, just
the movement,
individuals.
And it's time to,
really face up
to some hard
reality here, but also,
I think,
do something about it
going forward.
Thanks for your time.
- Yes. Thank you so much.
- All right.
Sí se puede is right.
[♪♪]