Make California Post a Preferred Source San Francisco unveiled two possible names on Thursday to rename Cesar Chavez Street, following allegations early this year that the labor leader sexually abused and raped multiple women and young girls.
The two names were a result of a working group of 27 people, who presented the names to Mission District neighbors at a community meeting, Mission Local reported. The mayor’s office helped select the group, which included representatives from the three supervisor districts through which Cesar Chavez Street runs.
The roughly 3-mile road could soon be named “Sí Se Puede” — meaning “Yes, we can,” the United Farm Workers slogan created by co-founder Dolores Huerta — or “Las Campesinas,” meaning female farmworkers.
The group narrowed the choices down to those two names after a voting process and multiple meetings.
Members of the group said the names were meant to honor Latinos “in the midst of the pressures and traumas” in today’s political climate, a likely reference to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The group shied away from naming it after an individual in light of the fallout surrounding Chavez, who was held up as a hero on the left for his labor activism.
“Hopefully, people later on in life would think, ‘Wait a minute, this was not only named for a movement,’ but also recognizing the very sad, very terrible experience of those girls and women,” city Supervisor Susan Leal told Mission Local.
San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres, who co-led the working group, said it plans to make a final recommendation on a new name next week. That will be followed by official legislation to rename the road from Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s office.
The public will have a chance to provide feedback using a form before the legislation moves forward.
While many at the community meeting expressed support for the proposed name options, others on social media demanded a reversal to Army Street, the street’s prior name before the Board of Supervisors voted in 1995 to change it to Cesar Chavez.
“How about Army Street? How is this so hard,” wrote Kent Lindstrom on X.
Other residents suggested on Facebook that the name “Sí Se Puede” would simply be too cumbersome to pronounce, while others praised “Las Campesinas” as a possibility.
Some called the new names unnecessary virtue signaling.
“The majority of people, especially native San Franciscans want it put back to its original name, ARMY ST,” wrote one local on Facebook. “Hopefully Assessor-Recorder Joaquin Torres will not buckle to the virtue signalers with names that don’t pertain to the heritage of San Francisco.”
Some noted that many long-time residents still call the street “Army” anyway.
Back in 1995, residents put on the ballot a measure seeking to revert Cesar Chavez Street to Army Street. The measure failed by nearly 10 points.
The committee estimated the actual sign replacements and etchings in sidewalks will cost $107,000, which will be paid by the city.
The city will support residents and businesses required to change their addresses and associated official documents over time, Moisés García on behalf of the mayor’s office said at the meeting.
