ST. PAUL, Minn. — Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega (DFL-Saint Paul), Vice Chair of the House Legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, will introduce legislation to repeal César Chávez Day (Minn. Stat. § 10.555). This urgent proposal follows a New York Times investigation into the sexual abuse and predatory behavior by Chávez against young women, including Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association in the 1960s.
“Listen to women, believe women, and demand justice and accountability,” said Rep. Pérez-Vega (DFL-Saint Paul). “As a proud Boricua born on this Dakota indigenous land, I know how deep the pain of this abuse runs. From colonizers who stole and raped, to a modern system built on the backs of Latine women—we cannot simply repair what was designed to exploit us. Our grandmothers bore the consequences of seeking liberation; we are the ones our ancestors bled and cried for. I will show up every single time to answer that call.”
“Silence carries weight — but so does the courage to break it,” said Rep. Liish Kozlowski (DFL–Duluth). “As a proud Mexican American, and as someone who was born in secret myself, my heart is with my people. Always. We must be clear-eyed about this moment: public honor must reflect public values and the revolutionary spirit of our comunidad. No movement, no leader, no legacy is above accountability. Let our community be the model for the nation: No matter who we once supported, uplifted, or even voted for -- we protect our women, our girls, and every survivor. To Dolores Huerta, to the women who have already spoken, and to every person who has lived in the silence of harm: we stand with you. We will not look away. From one survivor to another — solidarity forever. Our path forward is not weakened by truth — it is clarified by it. There is no collective liberation without gender justice.”
“Dolores Huerta has been a beloved hero of the movement for workers, Latino civil rights, and the dignity of all people for decades,” said Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Minneapolis). “She showed enormous courage in coming forward with the truth she has carried for so long. The labor movement is made up of more than one man. It is in fact made up of courageous Latina women like Dolores Huerta who gave us the empowering phrase of ‘si se puede’ which was the foundation of our drivers licenses for all movement. Her example shows how we can confront hard truths while continuing to pursue our collective liberation.”
Latine Representatives María Isa Pérez-Vega, Liish Kozlowski, and Aisha Gomez worked in lockstep with community leaders and advocates to pass critical legislation:
- Drivers License for All
- Task Force on Preventing Violence Against Latine women, girls, and LGBTQ people in Minnesota
- Insulin for All Act
- Arts and Cultural Heritage funding to expand Neo Muralismo’s visionary Latino heritage programming in Minnesota, creation of the Latino Museum, and Giiwedinong treaty & Latino cultural museum.
- Bill to establish the first dual-immersion working task force and Ethnic Studies
- Office of New Americans and Economic supports for Latino entrepreneurs and organizations
- And more
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