"As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn't feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped."
"I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for. I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following The New York Times' multi-year investigation into sexual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences."
"Both sexual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives."
Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, publicly disclosed that Cesar Chavez sexually abused her on two separate occasions during the 1960s. The first incident involved manipulation and pressure, while the second was forced against her will. Both encounters resulted in pregnancies that Huerta kept secret, arranging for the children to be raised by other families. Huerta remained silent for six decades, believing that exposing the truth would damage the farmworker movement she dedicated her life to. Following a multi-year New York Times investigation into Chavez's sexual misconduct involving multiple victims, Huerta decided to break her silence and share her experiences publicly.
Read at The Nation
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