By Horacio Renteria
More than six decades after César Chávez and Dolores Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1962, and 61 years after launching the historic Delano Grape Strike, the 96-year-old labor leader has revealed a deeply personal secret kept for decades.
“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the past 60 years I have kept a secret because I believed that revealing the truth would harm the farmworker movement I have fought for my entire life,” she wrote.
In a statement dated March 18—just days before the anniversary of Chávez’s birth—Huerta added, “I have always encouraged people to speak out. After The New York Times conducted a years-long investigation into César Chávez’s sexual misconduct, I can no longer remain silent and must share my own experiences.”
“I have never identified myself as a victim,” she stated, “but I now understand that I am a survivor—of violence, of sexual abuse, and of dominant men who saw me and other women as property or objects to control.”
NOT THE ONLY ONE
Huerta said she chose to come forward after reports indicated she was not alone. According to the investigation, other women have stepped forward alleging they were victims of sexual abuse and assault by Chávez when they were minors.
She recalled that, as a young mother in the 1960s, she had two sexual encounters with Chávez. “The first time, I was manipulated and pressured into a sexual relationship with him. I did not feel I could refuse because he was someone I admired, my boss, and the leader of a movement to which I had already dedicated years of my life.”
She then described a second encounter: “The second time, I was forced against my will, in an environment where I felt trapped.”
“I had already experienced abuse and sexual violence,” Huerta continued, “and I convinced myself these were incidents I had to endure alone and in silence.”
RESULTED IN PREGNANCIES
“Both encounters resulted in pregnancies,” she said. “I chose to keep them secret, and after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families who could provide stable lives.”
Over time, she noted, she developed a close relationship with them. “They are now very close to my other children, their siblings. However, until just a few weeks ago, no one knew the full truth about their conception.”
Huerta explained why she remained silent for decades: “I kept this secret for so long because building the movement and securing farmworkers’ rights was my life’s work.”
NOTHING WOULD STAND IN THE WAY
She emphasized that forming a union was essential to achieving those rights. “I was not going to let César or anyone stand in my way. I channeled all my energy into advocating for millions of farmworkers and others who suffered and deserved equal rights.”
Huerta underscored that the farmworker movement “has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual,” adding that Chávez’s actions do not diminish the lasting gains achieved through the collective efforts of thousands.
The founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation also reaffirmed her commitment to advocacy. “We must continue to engage with and support our communities, which today need defense and activism more than ever.”
She concluded by pledging to continue her work for women’s rights: “to ensure that we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and receive the equity they have long been denied.”
“I have kept this secret long enough,” she said. “My silence ends here.”
Huerta also shared resources for survivors of sexual violence through her foundation’s website: doloreshuerta.org/sexual_assault_resources