Northern California cities make plans to change Cesar Chavez-named sites. See where
Throughout Northern California, the impact that the late labor leader Cesar Chavez has had is evident. Parks, monuments, schools, streets and other spaces proudly hold Chavez’s name.
But after a deep investigation by The New York Times released Wednesday uncovered years of sexual abuse toward children and young women, his name has taken on a different meaning.
According to The San Francisco Standard, officials around the Bay Area have begun discussions on whether to change the names of buildings and events honoring Chavez.
These are some of the places throughout Northern California that have been named in honor of Chavez.
Parks and public spaces
In the capital city, Mayor Kevin McCarty announced Wednesday afternoon that the city has started the process of removing Chavez’s name from the downtown Sacramento Cesar E. Chavez Plaza. The Sacramento Bee reported that McCarty appointed a renaming committee for the plaza.
- Cesar Chavez Park at 11 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley
- The Solar Calendar — A Cesar E. Chavez Memorial at 11 Spinnaker Way, Berkeley
- San Joaquin County Cesar Chavez Clinic at 500 West Hospital Road, French Camp
- Cesar E. Chavez Park at 615 Sierra Drive, Modesto
- Cesar Chavez Park at1835 38th Ave., Oakland
- Cesar E. Chavez Plaza at 910 I St., Sacramento
- Cesar Chavez Family Home at 53 Scharff Ave., San Jose
- Plaza de Cesar Chavez at 1 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose
- Cesar Chavez Central Library at 605 North El Dorado St., Stockton
K-12 schools
Fifteen schools under the California Department of Education in Northern California bear Chavez’s name. There are 38 total schools named for Chavez, according to the state department of education’s website.
- Cesar Chavez Junior High School, 2701 Eastgate Blvd., Ceres
- Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Elementary/Middle School, 2450 Ralmar St., East Palo Alto
- Cesar Chavez Middle School, 27845 Whitman Road, Hayward
- Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 2600 East Pecan Ave., Madera
- Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, 50 Tuolumne St., Parlier
- Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, 161 South Plainsburg Road, Planada
- Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, 960 17th St., Richmond
- Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, 7500 32nd St., Sacramento
- Chavez Elementary School, 825 Shotwell St., San Francisco
- Cesar Chavez Early Learning Center, 2000 Kammerer Ave., San Jose
- Cesar Chavez Language Academy, 2480 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa
- Cesar Chavez High School, 2929 Windflower Lane, Stockton
- Cesar Chavez Middle School, 2801 Hop Ranch Road, Union City
- Cesar E. Chavez Middle School, 440 Arthur Road, Watsonville
- Cesar Chavez Community School, 255 West Beamer St., Woodland
Major streets
- Cesar Chavez Boulevard in Fresno
- Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco
According to The Fresno Bee, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias called on the city to change the name of Fresno’s Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
Colleges and universities
Buildings, memorials and honorary scholarships at higher education institutions across the state are named for Chavez.
The Fresno Bee reported Wednesday that a statue of Chavez at Fresno State University will be removed following the published report.
- Fresno State University: Cesar Chavez statue
- Sacramento State: Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta Memorial Scholarship
- San Francisco State University: Cesar Chavez Student Center
- San Jose City College: Cesar E. Chavez Library
- San Jose State University: Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice
- Sonoma State University: Cesar E. Chavez Memorial
- UC Berkeley: Cesar Chavez Student Center
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 2:33 PM.
