Los Angeles County is asking residents a charged question with big symbolic stakes: should streets, parks, buildings, and other public property named for César E. Chávez be renamed?
The county has launched a short, anonymous, six-question survey that is part of a broader inventory and outreach effort and is open through July 25. The public push follows reporting earlier this year that led civic leaders to reconsider how Chávez is memorialized and to center survivors' voices in any decision.
Board Order and Timeline
On March 24, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion from Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath directing the Chief Executive Officer and County Counsel to create a “community‑driven” renaming process and to report back in writing within 21 days. The motion instructs county departments to plan multilingual, trauma‑informed outreach and to identify any county assets that use Chávez’s name.
Departments were told not to remove or alter any items without first consulting the Chief Executive Officer and County Counsel, a directive the county spelled out in the formal motion. Los Angeles County recorded the order.
What The Survey Asks
County officials rolled out the six‑question anonymous survey this month to gather public feedback on concerns about renaming and what residents think should matter most in any process. As LAist reported, the questionnaire suggests that historians, Indigenous groups, labor organizations, and other local stakeholders could help guide the work. Residents have until July 25 to weigh in.
The survey text stresses that any decisions should reflect “our community’s vibrant history, diverse cultures, and shared values,” language that LAist highlighted in its coverage.
What Sparked The Reckoning
This entire effort stems from a March investigation that alleged César Chávez sexually abused women and underage girls, including a public accusation from Dolores Huerta. The Los Angeles Times summarized the New York Times reporting and detailed the wave of responses from unions, cities and elected officials that followed.
Inventory, Outreach And Rules
A subsequent county memorandum ordered departments to search for any facility names, signage, civic art, programs, digital materials and other references to Chávez and to submit their findings. Departments were also instructed to designate points of contact for the effort.
The same memo warned departments not to remove or dispose of items without coordination and laid out preliminary cost ranges for different types of assets. The written report to the Board of Supervisors traces these steps and the early timeline. Los Angeles County details the requirements in that memo.
Community Reaction Is Mixed
Local reaction has been all over the map, from strong support for a survivor‑centered review to sharp warnings about erasing neighborhood history.
In Boyle Heights and other communities, long‑simmering debates have resurfaced over whether renaming streets such as Brooklyn Avenue, which is now César Chávez Avenue, would wipe out other layers of community memory, according to The Los Angeles Times. At the same time, farmworker organizations, elected officials and advocacy groups have argued for honoring the broader movement’s collective contributions rather than tying everything to a single individual.
How To Make Your Voice Heard
Residents who want a say can fill out the county’s brief questionnaire. LAist links directly to the form and notes the July 25 deadline.
County officials say survey responses will help shape a multilingual, trauma‑informed public engagement plan and guide the next set of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. The final proposal is expected to combine the inventory findings with community input before any decisions are made about renaming Chávez‑related assets.
