Gubernatorial candidate speaks at Si Se Puede lunch in Modesto. What he had to say
Gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra was the main speaker at the first farmworker “Si Se Puede Luncheon” at the Red Event Center in downtown Modesto.
Armando Mendoza, a representative of the Cesar Chávez Community Celebration Committee was quick to address the elephant in the room. “As many of you already know, we are in the process of name changing the nonprofit 501(c)(3), but what will not change is our support for the farmworkers and their families,” Mendoza said.
The event happened at time when school administrators, city councils and artists quickly set out to rename namesake places and events and remove Chavez from murals following corroborated accounts that he sexually abused children and raped his United Farm Workers co-founder Delores Huerta.
Eduardo Hernández Chávez, a retired linguistics professor from the University of New Mexico, gave a speech that sought to thread the needle between celebration and support for farmworkers and acknowledgement of the gravity of Chavez’s abuse against women and girls.
“Some even advocate for removing any mention of him in classical history lessons, but this would be a mistake, history cannot be rescinded,” Chávez said.
Becerra spoke about being the son of a farmworker and how he admired Chavez and participated in the grape boycott as a child. He referred to Chavez as “flawed” and repeated a sentiment that was echoed by multiple attendees. “The movement is more than one person,” Becerra said. “It is about us.”
Organizers read out the names of fallen United Farm Workers organizers and those who had been killed by ICE and in support of those still in the movement, including Huerta.
They also read aloud the Farmworkers Prayer, which reads in part: “Let us remember those who have died for justice, for they have given us life. Help us love those who hate us, so we can change the world.”
The state renamed the holiday held on Chavez’s birthday, March 31, to Farmworkers Day. It will still be held on Chavez’s birthday.
Becerra is one of eight remaining Democratic candidates vying for the highest position in the state. He said what sets him apart is experience knowing how to handle a crisis.
“If they want someone who knows how to fight, but not just fight, but win – whether it’s against the chaos in Washington, D.C., or the need to protect families here at home, then I think I have a record that shows that,” he said.
Becerra was the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services during the COVID-19 emergency response and previously was California’s attorney general.
Ana Andrade, a Waterford City Council member, coordinated a Q&A with community members.
Asked about his plans if elected governor, Becerra said he would pursue free community college and declare a state of emergency on housing to freeze home insurance rates.
Asked how he would support farmworkers, he said he wanted to increase respect and wages. “Anyone who works hard should not have to stop by a food pantry on the way home,” Becerra said.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Gubernatorial candidate speaks at Si Se Puede lunch in Modesto. What he had to say."
