Portland City Council Unanimously Approves Campesinos Boulevard

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PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland City Council voted unanimously today to rename Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard to Campesinos Boulevard, approving the ordinance on its second reading by a 12-0 vote.

Councilor Loretta Smith introduced the ordinance alongside her co-sponsor, Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane. The name change recognizes the generations of campesinos-farmworkers-whose labor has sustained families, strengthened Oregon's agricultural economy and advanced the movement for dignity and justice.

"I am deeply proud to sponsor this ordinance alongside my colleague, Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane," Councilor Smith said. "I was honored to cast my vote in favor of this ordinance at its second reading, and I thank every one of my colleagues for joining us in cementing this tribute into the bedrock of our city's public spaces and streets."

The unanimous vote reflects the Council's shared commitment to ensuring that Portland's public spaces recognize not only prominent leaders, but also the countless working people whose sacrifices have powered historic movements and sustained communities.

"We are reminded that a movement is never built by one individual," Councilor Smith said. "It is built by the workers in the rows, bent over under the heat of the sun and enduring backbreaking labor from dawn until dusk so that families across our city and state have food on their tables. By dedicating this corridor to campesinos, we honor the hands that feed us."

The ordinance builds upon the legacy of the labor movement by recognizing the farmworkers who organized and who continue that essential work today.

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