OPINION: Cesar Chavez deserves respect and admiration

The current allegations against famed civil rights pioneer Cesar Chavez lack merit and credibility. What we have seen recently by the media, politicians and especially Hispanic and Chicano leaders is a disgrace. They have all jumped at the chance to distance themselves from Chavez, who died in 1993. All we have seen are allegations made against a man who devoted his life to social, political and economic injustice.

All current Hispanic and Chicano leaders have directly benefited from the hard work and determination of Chavez — educationally, economically, politically and socially. There have now been calls to remove his name from schools, streets and community centers.

Not a single landmark that bears his name should be removed.

The current hysteria is based on allegations that were allegedly committed in the 1960s and 1970s. None of these allegations have been held up to public scrutiny or close cross-examination.

More importantly, Chavez died more than 30 years ago. He is not here to defend himself or offer any evidence on his behalf. Farmworker activist Dolores Huerta's allegations that she was abused by Chavez because she gave birth to two of his children is of little value or insight. 

Chavez earned the naming of public landmarks not only for himself but for the Hispanic and Chicano community. Removing his name from any landmark in New Mexico or the U.S. amounts to the public erasure of a strong Hispanic man.

Many in New Mexico and the U.S. want to tear down and erase strong Hispanic men from history. The effort began with the removal of Juan De Oñate from our schools, roads and landmarks. The Hispanic and Chicano leaders of New Mexico failed to stop this erasure from history and allowed the removal. They did this because they are weak and more interested in looking politically correct. Instead, their actions and inactions amounted to an outright betrayal of the Spanish people of the Southwest.

The Spanish ancestors who fought so hard to ensure that the Spanish people were protected in the 1912 New Mexico Constitution have been betrayed and stabbed in the back. When a people lose their history they simply become dust in the wind.

Many Hispanic and Chicano politicians have abandoned Chavez because they are under the false impression that supporting Chavez will hurt them politically or they want to curry favor with certain political groups for their own political gain. Now is the time to say “no” to the people who want to tear down Chavez and erase the Spanish people from history. Now is the time to fight for Chavez because he fought for so many people when they did not have the means or ability to do so.

If the current Hispanic or Chicano politicians and leaders will not fight for Chavez then they are not worth the Spanish's people vote in New Mexico or anywhere else, and they should be shown the door come November or any election thereafter.

Richard R. Marquez is an attorney who lives in Albuquerque.