Friday, April 10, 2026

On Dolores Huerta’s 96th Birthday, State Senator Pérez Says Farmworker Movement Was ‘Never About One Person

Dolores Huerta

The state senator for Pasadena calls for truth-telling and a broader accounting of the movement’s history as the UFW co-founder turns 96

“The story of the farmworkers movement was never a story about one person,” California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez said in an interview with Pasadena Now ahead of Dolores Huerta’s 96th birthday today.

Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists and civil rights icons of the 20th century. Born in 1930, she co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union alongside César Chávez in 1962.

On March 18, Huerta revealed publicly she was sexually assaulted twice by Chávez in the 1960s. Her disclosure followed a New York Times investigation alleging widespread misconduct by Chávez.

“I’m grateful to Dolores Huerta and the survivors of sexual assault for their bravery in coming forward to share their stories,” Pérez told Pasadena Now. “Nobody should ever feel forced to hide their trauma to protect their abuser’s reputation.”

Huerta said she stayed quiet to avoid harming the farmworker movement she helped build.

“I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here,” she said.

Pérez, who represents the 25th District, which includes Pasadena, Altadena, and the San Gabriel Valley, said “progress does not happen when we hide from the truth” and that “confronting the past is the first step toward accountability and justice.”

She said that “California was quick to condemn the actions of one man while amplifying the greater movement that many continue to stand for.”

“There is nothing stronger than a community of people exercising their constitutional rights in a united voice for change,” Pérez said.

“Dolores Huerta has endured hardships and sacrifices, but she has never given up,” Pérez said.

Pérez directed survivors of sexual assault to the California Department of Justice website at: oag.ca.gov/sexualassaultresources.

Pérez stated she hopes families will “look at the ongoing work and life of Dolores Huerta and see a courageous fighter who has never forgotten her roots.”

“She is the definition of dedication and the rallying cry she started will forever be part of the labor movement,” Pérez said. “Sí, se puede.”