The former César E. Chávez Park in Barrio Logan may soon have a new name.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Port of San Diego will determine whether to officially rechristen it Chicano Park on the Bay.
The possible name change comes after several women alleged that American labor leader César E. Chávez, who died in 1993, sexually abused them. Some were minors.
In May, the San Diego City Council unanimously voted to rename César Chávez Parkway — a 0.8-mile-long street in Barrio Logan — Chicano Park Boulevard.
Efforts to remove Chávez’s namesake from landmarks throughout San Diego began after an investigation by the New York Times. Within days, Mayor Todd Gloria signed an executive order on March 20, directing city departments to immediately begin removing references to Chávez from city facilities, programs and more.
As the city looked to rename city property honoring the labor rights leader, the Port conducted public outreach and community engagement to involve local community organizations in the renaming of César E. Chávez Park.
Community members filled out a questionnaire gauging how often they visit the park and their recommendations for its new name. Outreach efforts resulted in 177 unique name suggestions; among the top names were “Chicano Park on the Bay,” “Chicano Park by the Bay,” “Barrio Logan Park,” “César Chávez” and even “Jurassic Park.”
Port staff also received two letters requesting the park be renamed Harry R. Bridges Park, after the founder and president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, as well as a petition with over 900 signatures from the Chicano Park Steering Committee supporting the name “Chicano Park on the Bay.”
On Aug. 4 and Aug. 12, the Port held two workshops with representatives from 14 community-based organizations to review the submitted names. At both workshops, participants unanimously agreed to rename the park Chicano Park on the Bay.
The Port’s staff and board agreed on “Chicano Park on the Bay” because it, according to the staff report, adhered to all the criteria identified in the district’s naming policy: the name will withstand the test of time, reflects the area’s historical and cultural significance and the region’s ethnic and cultural diversity and has broad public support.
The park has temporarily been called Port Park since the allegations against Chávez surfaced six months ago. The New York Times investigation found that Chávez used women who worked and volunteered for United Farm Workers for his own sexual gratification.
In the case of Ana Murguia and Debra Rojas, daughters of longtime organizers who marched alongside Chávez, they say that Chávez sexually abused them from around 1972 to 1977 when they were children. Chávez was in his 40s at the time of the assaults; the girls were both only 13 and 12, respectively. Another labor icon, Delores Huerta, accused him of rape.
“I wanted to die,” Murguia told the New York Times.
Since the investigation was published in March, Chávez has been accused of rape and other forms of sexual and emotional abuse by several union affiliates. After UFW learned of the allegations, the labor group began distancing itself from founder Chávez, and many municipalities and institutions removed his name and likeness from public spaces.
César E. Chávez Park is one of more than 130 streets, schools, parks and monuments in at least 19 states named after the labor leader, according to the Associated Press.
The Port’s Board of Port Commissioners will conduct a public hearing and vote on the proposed name change at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Don L. Nay Port Administration Boardroom.
Updated 1:15 p.m. Sept. 22, 2026
