A Statement on Farmworkers Day: Honoring Truth and Community
Source: PBS Distribution
President and CEO of City Heights CDC, Alexis Villanueva, shares a statement on this year’s Farmworkers Day
“As the daughter of a mother who picked strawberries on the Central Coast of California and someone who has dedicated my life to community, I have been taking time to reflect on what has come to light about César Chávez. Like many of you, I needed space to process. This is painful, and it is serious. The disappointment, the sadness, the anger, all of it is real. I also understand what it means to look up to someone, to see them as a mentor or a symbol of a movement and then have to reconcile that they are not who you believed them to be.
I did not want to respond quickly. I wanted to be thoughtful, especially as I sat with my own experiences with sexual assault in the workplace. I lead women who are deeply committed to this work, women who should never have to choose between their safety and their purpose. I also lead young men who saw César Chávez as a model of justice and are now trying to make sense of something that feels heavy and complicated. I felt a responsibility to be intentional in how I show up for them.
So let me be clear. I believe the survivors.
Dolores Huerta has spent more than 60 years fighting for farmworkers, for women, and for the dignity of our communities. Her decision to speak reflects courage and a continued commitment to protecting others. She deserves our respect and our support. I honor her.
What I hope we do not lose in this moment is that these conversations are not new. Our history includes harm against Indigenous women, Black women, and Latina women. Harm in one community is harm to all. If we are not willing to have honest conversations about that history and how it continues to show up today, then we are not creating spaces where women are truly safe.
Unchecked power causes harm. And when leadership does not reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, those patterns continue. If we want different outcomes, we have to be willing to name that and lead differently.
I am grateful to organizations like the Kim Center for Social Balance for continuing to push this conversation forward. Their research found that 40% of women report experiencing sexual assault in the workplace, and we know that number does not capture everyone. There is more to do.
At City Heights CDC, we work alongside immigrant families every day, connecting them to housing, workforce opportunities, and the resources they need to build stability. Our work is grounded in dignity and accountability. That means listening, taking harm seriously, and standing with those who come forward.
To the women who have shared their experiences, we see you and we hear you. Your voices matter, and your courage is helping create a future where more people feel safe to come forward and be heard.
I am committed to continuing this conversation and to making sure it leads to real action.”
Alexis Villanueva, City Heights CDC CEO and President