Lionized as leader of the Latino labor movement, Chavez's legacy is now crippled by allegations of sexual assault.
The allegations have sparked calls to rename streets, schools and other facilities that bear his name.
A New York Times investigation details the testimonies of two women now in their 60s who accuse Chavez of years-long sexual abuse beginning in the 1970s when they were 12 and 13. They say Chavez was in his 40s.
Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta, 95, has also come forward. Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, said he forced her into unwanted sex that led to two pregnancies.
"The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn't feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to," Huerta said. "The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped."
The United Farm Workers union has distanced itself from Chavez.
The allegations could also lead to a renaming of the annual Cesar Chavez holiday, which is approaching on March 31.
Eyewitness News asked Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if Chavez's name should be removed from the state holiday.
"Well, this is what we're looking at," Bass said. "We are, at least, going to change the name for the holiday that's coming up."
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said she will introduce a motion "to explore renaming the county holiday." She said the process will include labor and community organizations and will be "grounded in the same collective bargaining process that established the holiday."
Solis did not offer a possible new name, but county Supervisor Janice Hahn suggested in a statement Wednesday morning that the county consider "Farmworker Day."
Solis said her motion will also call on the county to explore "renaming parks, streets, county facilities, real property, monuments, and other County programs that bear the name of Cesar Chavez, including the removal of related imagery in civic artworks, with decisions guided by community engagement."
Also on Wednesday, the advocacy group California Rising called for the official renaming of Cesar Chavez Avenue, which runs about six miles through downtown L.A., Monterey Park and East L.A. The group proposed renaming the street to Dolores Huerta Avenue.
A spokesperson for the group said public spaces must reflect values that honor and protect communities, adding that the proposed renaming is positioned as a "course correction" that "acknowledges harm, challenges long accepted narratives, and centers a legacy that better represents dignity and equity for current and future generations."
City News Service contributed to this report.