People wait at the intersection of Southeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and Hawthorne Boulevard on March 27, 2026 in Portland, Ore.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
In Portland, Caesar Chavez Boulevard’s days appear numbered.
City Council advanced a plan Wednesday to rename the roughly 8-mile-long street on the city’s eastside, months after reporting from The New York Times revealed that farmworker labor advocate Chavez had allegedly sexually abused women and girls. If approved, the street would be renamed Campesinos Boulevard, for a Spanish word meaning “farmers” or “peasants.”
The name, intended to honor the Latino farmworkers who played an integral role in labor rights, came as a suggestion from a group of local Latino leaders. Many of those leaders also led the initial fight to rename what had been known as 39th Avenue after Chavez nearly two decades ago.
“We must be willing to separate a movement’s noble purpose from the shortcomings of any single man,” said Councilor Loretta Smith, who introduced the proposal. “This ordinance proposes a new path forward. We rename it Campesinos to honor the collective spirit, the quiet sacrifice, and the enduring resilience of every farm worker, past, present, and future.”
Related: Portlanders consider the future of Cesar Chavez Boulevard
Councilors expressed universal support of the change Wednesday, following the urging of several former elected officials, civil rights leaders, and farmworker groups.
“The Latino community typically tends to put their head down, stay out of the limelight, simply because we don’t want to have any trouble,” said Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda CDC, an affordable housing developer focused on supporting Latino families. “Having that particular name changed means a lot to all of us. It means a little bit of recognition of the work that we do, that we are in many cases not able to speak up because of fear of whatever can come after.”
Maria Hinojos Pressey, Deputy Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, sits with Marta Guembes, co-chair of the Por la Causa group formed to rename Cesar Chavez Boulevard, at a Sept. 2, 2026 Portland City Council meeting.
Alex Zielinski / OPB
Portland has rules for renaming a street after a person of “historic significance,” but not for removing their name. Under city code, changing a street name requires the support of at least 2,500 Portlanders or at least 75% of people living on the street in question. The council proposal would waive that requirement to expedite the process. This sped up timeline was unanimously approved by the Portland Planning Commission prior to the council meeting.
“Removing the name César E. Chávez is a unique circumstance not contemplated by the current code,” reads a letter signed by planning commission chair Steph Routh. “This may justify waiving some portions of (city code).”
Several members of the public criticized this expedited process Wednesday, calling it unfair.
“You’re considering the name Campesinos Boulevard for a major street that runs through many neighborhoods,” said Jerry Hanson. “It was a name chosen secretly. Behind closed doors, a name chosen without any community input.”
Related: Eugene School District considers renaming César Chávez Elementary School
While most members of the public spoke in support of the name change Wednesday, hundreds of Portlanders submitted written testimony online opposing the new name – the majority calling for a return to 39th Avenue.
“Please just return it to 39th Ave.,” wrote Holly Burton. “It’s just confusing to rename numbered streets — the numbers are practical and help us navigate our city.”
Councilors acknowledged the division Wednesday.
“I understand that this will frustrate some voters,” said Councilor Eric Zimmerman. “But I think that this is a moment where you say, satisfying a majority to do harm to a minority is not the right move.”
The 2007 campaign to name a Portland street after Chavez was hard fought. The three-year-long battle brought bitter fights — marked with accusations of racism and violent threats — to neighborhood meetings and City Hall. Marta Guembes was one of the original organizers behind the name change. She said a call to return 39th Avenue to its original name is a call back to those painful fights.
“It feels like things have not changed in 20 years,” Guembes told OPB, speaking outside council chambers before the morning meeting. “Even while we call ourselves progressive, inclusive. People say, ‘It’s OK, just not in my backyard.’ Campesinos, these are people who bring food to our tables. Not just my food, it’s everybody’s food. This is to honor them.”
Related: Western Oregon University removes Cesar Chavez name from student conference
Renaming 39th Avenue in 2009 cost the city about $200,000. According to Hannah Schafer, a spokesperson for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the city does not have a cost estimate for the latest renaming pitch.
The proposal directs PBOT to install the new street signs within six months of the proposal’s passage.
Councilors are expected to hold a final vote on this change in several weeks.
