Despite Backlash, Portland Moves Toward Honoring Cesar Chavez (Racism? In Liberal Portland?)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=6928

by Randy Shaw‚ May. 15‚ 2009


Dallas supporters of Cesar Chavez Street. Photo by Pegasus News.

After two years of a bitter fight that has divided Portland, the city’s Planning Commission voted 7-1 this week to rename 39th Avenue to honor UFW leader Cesar Chavez. The vote is a major breakthrough in efforts by Latino activists to rename a street in the notoriously progressive city, whose overwhelmingly white population includes many strongly opposed to the renaming. Portland’s long running debate often took on racial tones, with old-time residents disputing the need to honor a Latino hero who they claimed had no connection to the city. I published a piece on March 4 in the Oregonian citing Chavez and the UFW’s important legacy in Oregon, but it became clear that those opposing the renaming would not budge. Meanwhile, an equally vitriolic anti-Cesar Chavez renaming campaign is occurring in Dallas, where a growing Latino population angrily asks why a street should not honor the UFW leader.

Racism? In Liberal Portland?

Portland has such an image of tolerance that those who have not followed the Cesar Chavez street renaming campaign would be shocked at the tone of the opposition. While businesses operating on a street understandably would oppose renaming, others argued: 1. Chavez had nothing to do with Portland 2. Something other than a street should be renamed to honor him and 3. These Latino activists have no business coming into our town and trying to rename our streets for their heroes.

Those doubting the racist subtext to some of the opposition should read the comments on The Oregonian’s coverage of the Commission’s vote here.

Public hearings on the proposed street renaming have occurred since 2007, and the initial effort to rename a more popular and visible street failed. The city’s political leadership, which has taken tremendous heat for supporting renaming, then got smart. It set up a depoliticized process, delegating key decisions to historians and planners.

FULL story at link.