Farmworkers Day in 2026

Update

In March 2026, serious allegations against Ceasr Chavez emerged. A New York Times investigation revealed allegations that the late Mexican-American labor and civil rights leader had sexually assaulted and abused women and girls. 

California

California lawmakers will honor farmworkers with a state holiday on March 31 after scrambling to remove the name of late labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez amid child sexual abuse allegations.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón said today they will advance a bill to rename it Farmworkers Day after a New York Times story published Wednesday revealed allegations of sexual abuse and assault from two women who were girls at the time, as well as Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s partner in the United Farm Workers movement.

The name change applies only to this year’s holiday, leaving open the possibility of shifting the date entirely to remove the association with Chavez, as it falls on his birthday.

Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the state will not observe Cesar Chavez Day on March 31st 2026, a move that he hopes to make permanent by working with the Legislature and removing the holiday from state law in the 2027 session.

When is Cesar Chavez Day?

Cesar Chavez Day is always celebrated on his birthday, March 31st. President Barack Obama declared Cesar Chavez Day a national holiday in 2014.

It is not a federal holiday, but is a state holiday in California. It is either an optional or commemorative day in nine other states - Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Rhode Island.

California, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin observe Cesar Chavez day by closing schools and state offices.

In Los Angeles, government offices – city and county, and state – and also courts, libraries and schools are normally closed for César Chávez’ birthday holiday. In past years, Los Angeles city and county and state agencies have chosen either his actual birth date on March 31st, or a Friday or Monday before his birthday for a three-day weekend.

Background to Cesar Chavez Day

Cesar Chavez was born on March 31st 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. His family had moved to Northern California to work as migrant farm workers after losing their land in the great depression.

He served in the US Navy for two years at the end of the Second World War, returning to work on farms until 1952, when he became involved with the Community Service Organization, a Latino civil rights group, rising to become its national director by 1958.

In 1962, Chavez became a cofounder of the National Farm Workers' Association (now the United Farm Workers).

In this new role, Chavez became the best known Latino American civil rights activist. Leading the struggle for better rights for farm workers, his aggressive but nonviolent tactics made the farm workers' struggle a moral cause with wide support. His also gained national awareness as he went on several hunger strikes to highlight his campaigns.

Cesar Chavez died on April 23rd 1993 of unspecified natural causes, with some believing that his death may have been caused in part by his hunger strikes.