Editor's note: This interview discusses allegations of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing. Listener and reader discretion is advised.
ANTHONY VICTORIA: For KVCR News, I'm Anthony Victoria. This is IE Latino Voices, where we highlight the people, organizations and stories shaping Latino communities across the Inland Empire.
Today, our guest is La Opinión reporter Janette Villafana, who has been covering allegations against Cesar Chavez, the ongoing conversations about his legacy and what these revelations mean for the farmworker movement and Latino communities today.
Thanks for joining us today, Janette.
JANETTE VILLAFANA: Thank you for having me. I really appreciate the time and the invitation to talk about such an important topic.
VICTORIA: First off, thank you so much for your reporting. I know this is a difficult conversation and a difficult topic. Your reporting focused on community leader Jennifer Andrea Porras, who came forward with allegations against Cesar Chavez decades after the events she describes. What led her to speak publicly now, and what did you learn about her decision to do so?
VILLAFANA: She was young when this happened. She was 18, if I’m not mistaken. But she met him when she was very little. Her family was integrated with Chavez, and it’s not the first time she’s spoken up about it.
But similar to some of the other women who have come out, she was told to hush, right, for the sake of the movement.
The reason why she decided to come out now, beyond feeling safe enough to do so, is because she saw the incredible report and investigation that the New York Times' did.
I think she just felt like it goes beyond Chavez, and that these people are around in regular households and in movements, and they exist today.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Andrea Porras
VICTORIA: Tell us a little about Jennifer. Who is she, and what kind of person have you gotten to know throughout your reporting?
VILLAFANA: At the time that all of this happened, she was actually wanting to pursue writing and journalism because she did photography for the union. She’s trying to figure out what her next step is and what she wants to do.
I feel like what has come out has lifted a lot off her shoulders and has allowed her the room to figure out what she wants to do at this moment.
She’s a poet. She’s a dancer. There are some pictures of her from when she was in college, when she was part of the dance club, and that’s one of the things she said has helped her throughout the years as a form of therapy. Performance art and movement with her body have helped her release a lot of the trauma that she has felt since those moments.
She’s an incredible human, if I’m being honest. She’s very involved. She has always remained involved in the movement, but as I mentioned in the article, she stayed away from the union and away from Chavez, which is very hard, as you can imagine, considering Chavez — up until today — was everywhere.
She’s also looking for ways to help other victims, not just Chavez’s victims, but victims in general, and how to get them help — whether that’s finding housing or helping them move out of a situation that they may be in.
I think that shows the kind of person that she is.
VICTORIA: What kind of response have you seen from the farmworker movement and Latino leaders who are now grappling with Chavez's legacy?
VILLAFANA: Yeah, I think people naturally, and I understand, are still finding it hard to believe that this person who has been held up to such high standards was capable of doing this, and knowing that there were more than the ones who have spoken out.
Beyond that, I think it’s also teaching movements that one person should not be the face of a movement or the sole representation of an entire community. Because at the end of the day, Chavez was able to do what he did — and I’m talking about the work for farmworkers — thanks to an entire team behind him. He did not do that alone.
As far as the Latino community, I think this conversation should be one that’s had not just now, but always. There are people and there are kids right now who are dealing with this and staying silent or being silenced because the family just doesn’t want the drama.
Make them feel comfortable to the point that they can come to you and say, “Hey, mom, esto me pasó.” Have those conversations with your children so that they can feel safe enough to come to you, and don’t silence them.
VICTORIA: Absolutely. Janette, thank you so much for your time and for your reporting. I really appreciate it.
VILLAFANA: Thank you for taking the time to shine light on this. It goes far beyond Cesar Chavez and far beyond this investigation. It's very much happening to this day, so I appreciate the opportunity.
Janette Villafana is a reporter with La Opinión and a fellow with UC Berkeley's California Local News Fellowship. You can read Janette's full story in English or Spanish.
