During a statement on Saturday, Mr. Kennedy emphasized that the event was meant to pay tribute to Cesar Chavez and his strong bond with his father, family, and himself, as well as his influence on the nation. However, in an interview on Sunday, he mentioned that despite his attempts to communicate with the family members before the event, he only found out about their opposition through reporters who reached out on Friday regarding a letter that the campaign claims they never received. (The family spokesperson revealed that the letter was actually sent to the campaign’s press office email address on Friday.)
Mr. Kennedy expressed that if the family had simply reached out to him, they could have easily arranged an alternative plan. He stated, “Of course, if they had asked me, we would have done something else, very, very easily. If people in the family had wanted us to cancel the event, it would have been quite easy for them to pick up the phone.”
The connection between Mr. Kennedy’s father and Chavez dates back to the mid-1960s when his father, a senator at the time, was the first prominent political figure to support Chavez and his efforts in the farm labor movement. In March 1968, Robert F. Kennedy made headlines for sitting by Chavez’s side as he concluded a 25-day fast to atone for the violent language used by certain strikers.
In 1980, when Mr. Kennedy’s uncle, Ted Kennedy, was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Chavez and his family collaborated with the Kennedys, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on engaging Latino voters. Both Fernando Chavez and the younger Mr. Kennedy recalled this partnership.
At Cesar Chavez’s funeral in 1993, Mr. Kennedy was one of the individuals who carried the coffin. The Chavez family’s letter conveyed appreciation for these pallbearers but pointed out that while other officials and future candidates had participated, none of them had used images of the event in their political campaigns. The family expressed disapproval of exploiting such sacred moments for political gain.
