César E. Chávez Boulevard Committee records, 2006-2011

The César E. Chávez Boulevard Committee was formed in March 2007 with the goal of naming a street in Portland, Oregon, after Latino labor activist César E. Chávez (1927-1993). The committee spent the summer and fall of that year campaigning to have Interstate Avenue renamed as César E. Chávez Boulevard by gathering signatures and letters of support, and holding public meetings. However, although the proposal had the support of Portland Mayor Tom Potter, it met with vocal resistance from members of the Overlook Neighborhood Association and some members of the larger public. Critics argued that renaming Interstate Avenue would be costly for local businesses, inconvenient for local residents, and was not an effective use of taxpayer money, and that it would be more appropriate to name a park, school, or bridge after Chávez. Other critical comments included pejorative remarks and slurs about Latinos. In November 2007, following two months of contentious hearings, Portland City Council voted 4-1 not to rename Interstate Avenue, but to instead rename 4th Avenue as César E. Chávez Boulevard. The committee criticized this compromise, and 4th Avenue was ultimately not renamed.

One of the criticisms levied against the campaign to rename Interstate Avenue had been that the committee and the Portland City Council had not followed proper procedure for renaming streets. In 2008, the city council adopted a resolution to clarify the process. The resolution included guidelines for petition signatures, and established a historians panel to hold hearings and make recommendations. The César E. Chávez Boulevard Committee then submitted a new round of petitions to rename Grand, Broadway, or 39th Avenue. Although this new campaign also faced vocal resistance from some members of the public, the Portland City Council unanimously voted to rename 39th Avenue as César E. Chávez Boulevard on July 8, 2009. A ceremony for the installation of new street signs was held on January 29, 2010.