A nearly 250-year-old gathering place in downtown San Jose could soon be known by a new name, following a recommendation from the San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission. On Wednesday, the commission voted to propose renaming Plaza de César Chávez to Plaza del Pueblo de San Jose. This recommendation will now go before the City Council for a final decision at a later date.
The move is part of the city’s ongoing effort to rename the plaza and other city-owned sites, an initiative that began with a City Council vote earlier this year. This decision followed allegations of sexual abuse against the late labor leader César Chávez, who had called San Jose home at various points in his life. He has long been recognized in the city, and the plaza was named in his honor in 1993.
The newly recommended name, Plaza del Pueblo de San Jose, was suggested by Commissioner Daisy Barocio during the commission meeting. Barocio emphasized the importance of not overlooking the Latino history associated with the plaza's original naming. She noted that Chávez and the farmworker movement hold significant meaning for many Latino residents, especially given the limited number of public spaces named in honor of Mexican people.
Barocio explained that while the name does not honor a specific individual, it aims to create a sense of belonging for the wider community and acknowledge the desire for a name like Plaza de San Jose. She stated that the name “honors the people who wanted the Plaza de San Jose,” and incorporates a new component: "it’s a pueblo. And San Jose started as a pueblo.”
This recommendation from the commission differs from the name proposed by city staff, which was Plaza de San Jose. City staff’s choice had received the most suggestions during the initial community naming process. Plaza del Pueblo was the third-most suggested name in that process, while Farmworkers Plaza ranked second among public submissions.
The renaming process involved multiple stages, including community listening sessions and a period for residents to submit name suggestions. A first survey gathered 610 name suggestions, with 178 not meeting the city’s criteria and the remaining suggestions consolidated into 88 categories. A second ranked-choice survey drew 10,506 responses from residents. In this second survey, Plaza de San Jose received the highest weighted score, reflecting significant public preference for that option.
During Wednesday’s commission meeting, some residents spoke out, advocating for names that more directly reflected San Jose’s Mexican and Indigenous heritage. Israel Mendoza urged commissioners to consider Plaza de Quetzalcoatl, which was another finalist in the naming process. Quetzalcoatl, known as the “Feathered Serpent,” is a Mesoamerican god associated with wind, learning, and creation. A statue depicting his image, called “Plumed Serpent,” is already located at the plaza. Mendoza argued against "the easy way out and put this place as San Jose Plaza," suggesting instead a unique name that could teach children about their ancestry.
Rosendo Contreras, a high school Spanish teacher who has lived in San Jose for five years, also offered a perspective during public comment. He suggested a compromise involving both a formal name and an everyday name for the plaza. Contreras noted that while "San Jose has a really deep Hispanic history," it is not the only voice in the city. He expressed belief that a “two-name solution” could lead to more compromise and satisfaction among residents.
The City Council will now deliberate on the Parks and Recreation Commission’s recommendation, alongside the various public inputs and previous survey results, to make the final decision on the plaza’s new name.
