Anonymous
By an edhat reader
I started noticing these signs popping up around the Westside but I didn’t stop to read it until Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez posted about it Nextdoor.
There is a movement to rename San Andres Street, the main thoroughfare of the Westside, to Calle Dolores Huerta. The sign states that San Andres is named after Andre Pico, who fought during the Mexican-American War, “was neither a saint nor a resident of Santa Barbara.”
Dolores Huerta is an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Cesar Chavez, is a co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers.
What do edhatters think about renaming the street?
Photo: Oscar Gutierrez
This is a waste of time. Imagine living on the street and having to change ALL of your documents, your registration for everything, your property deeds, etc. What a nightmare for residents. Andre Pico may not have been a resident of SB, but nor was Dolores Huerta, and I certainly don’t think most of the people living on the westside are agricultural workers, either. So what is the specific significance or urgency here? Of course she is an admirable figure, but this is unnecessary and creates a burden for residents. We should be asking, what does this actually accomplish? The answer is nothing except hassle for residents.
I think, if you want to name or rename something. Find some land, buy it and then name every street whatever the hell you want to name it. The buck stops here, we’re not “redoing” Santa Barbara. Btw I’m only a small fraction of “white” the rest of me is brown before all you left wing nutballs come quacking at me with your favorite race card.
Why is the left so obsessed with activists? Why not name a street after a Latino scientist? Why rename something we all know and will cost the businesses on that street thousands in new paperwork instead of creating something new like a park, a learning center, etc and naming it?
The message is – we can control of every part of your lives, and don’t you forget it.
All for it but live on the East Side she deserves the Honor I met her years ago My Uncle was on their legal team during the 1960’s Grape Strike though I never really got along with my Uncle he let me stay at his house in 1980 and I got to meet Caesar…I met Dolores back in 1990 at Motel Hell they came in for a room the rate was 105 for the night I dropped it to 40.00 for a 2- Room Suite it was well worth the trouble the next day..Back then Out of town white folks did not need a credit card for a room but everyone else did I was the exception to break the rules never liked them anyway. I would love a street named after Dolores on the East Side All people are my people One People, One Planet…
Why is the right so obsessed in hating activists? And labor unions? And workers rights?
SBTOWNIE. You’re so right. Also: think how many times the residents will have to spell out this name when conducting business over the phone. Not to mention having to write it out or type it out. Or constantly hear people unfamiliar with Spanish street names mispronounce it “Cal-ee” instead of Kai-yay, with those double Ls. Truly wonderful to have one’s street address be something easy to pronounce and convey. Best to spend the money on something truly needed for the Westside, such as street or sidewalk repair.
420722 – aw look at you, you’re just a “fraction white.” So what? You want a cookie? Why the focus on skin color? You comments suggest you are conservative, intolerant and a tad bit racist (or at least have no interest in acknowledging racial disparity) so the color of your skin doesn’t give you some magic free pass. You really have not been paying any attention, have you? SMH.
Minibeast – so you think street or sidewalk repair is more important to the predominantly Latinx residents of the Westside than immortalizing a Latina who fought for workers’ rights? Ok, got it.
GenTree: Worker rights are earned legally; not extorted by violence. Plus there is a huge difference between private industry unions and public sector unions. Know the difference because the public sector unions are the scourge of modern civilization. And they prove it every day. Take a look at the LA teachers union agenda, holding kids hostage while they make their list of illegal demands. Lots to “hate” when public sector unions turn on the very taxpayers who fund their very generous salaries and benefits. We need to get rid of public sector unions.
So we are now in a period of renaming institutions “honoring” white and racist icons. This is not a bad idea. But the lesson to be learned is that using this tool to indoctrinate people is not going to last. Huerta is no more relevant to Santa Barbara than Andres. And it is more than a bit patronizing to select a street with a large Latino or Mexican ancestry population to have this “honor.” If this person was so heroic to society I suggest that maybe we select a street such as Stanley Drive in San Roque or Manitou Road in Bel Air Knolls or Olive Street on the Upper East to accept the honor. In the end no street or building or landmark should be named for the hero of the moment. But if you insist, I am certainly more content to live in Huerta, CA than Santa Barbara, CA.
It is sure a lot better than Indio Muerto!
A-1594861761 Boom – and there’s your agenda and angry response. Like clockwork.
It was suggested on the Nextdoor site that perhaps La Casa de la Raza could be renamed the Dolores Huerta Casa de la Raza, but that suggestion was shot down as being racist by one Spanish-surnamed gentleman, who replied, “So in other words, keep the Mexicans on their side & persons of your ilk on the other side and we’re all happy.” What puzzles me about this “logic” is that The huge majority of San Andres Street residents are themselves Hispanic. I quite agree with RHS that no street or building should be named in a knee-jerk fashion for the hero of the moment simply because it’s the new Social Justice Warrior thing to do. The saint, San Andres, wasn’t a Civil War figure, a slave owner or anyone remotely controversial. Leave San Andres Street alone! And I say this is a full-on Democratic-voting liberal.
The City of Santa Barbara is looking at a 30 million dollar short fall over the next two years, and that was the prediction in April when we thought things would be getting better by this summer. How much is it going to cost the city to change the name of a street that is 12 blocks long, with thousands of residents living on it? People will have to change their DL’s, taxes, credit card bills, voter registration (remember this is an election year so bad timing) SS checks and Unemployment benefits which these days it is beyond a nightmare to try to get a hold of them. Maps will have to be changed, MTD schedules and signs, Google maps, the list just goes on and on. One Nextdoor poster brought up the issue that this name change could delay or cause confusion for 911 calls. So who thinks all the residents on San Andres will be gung ho for this? The businesses will have to change their advertising materials, stationary, logos, business licenses etc.
This request is NOT even coming from residents of the Westside. The petitioners live in Hidden Valley, Mission Canyon and the Eastside. Work on issues in your own neighborhood please.
SBSP, Isn’t Oscar Gutierrez the main petitioner behind this? He lives on the westside. But you make an excellent point about the costs of this feel-good change.
Go put on your mask…
I’m super over the “YOU’RE A RACIST!” because you used a straw or some sh$t, BUT, there was a movement a few decades ago that resulted in many/most cities with Martin Luther King Blvd, and Calle Ceasar Chavez. I don’t remember an upheaval about that. People made a point of wanting to honor those that really strived to make a difference. I don’t remember anyone arguing against it. Why should they now? People in general have been embracing those local heroes that have fought for equality, why not honor them?
A complete was of money. Who benefits by doing this?
Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken
It’s certainly much more practical.
Hello, this is Council Member Oscar Gutierrez. I am in no way involved in this proposal. I posted a picture of the flyer on NextDoor to notify the public that this is happening. I suggest everyone to call this number to let them know how you feel 8058960581
She endorsed Cathy Murillo – worst mayor ever. Before that she was the worst city councilmember ever and this is her district. Do not rename my street after her!
Since she did much of the work and the two of them worked side-by-side, then how about having the rest of Salsipuedes should be changed to Dolores Huerta!?!
Rename San Andres to “Calle de Los Magnolias “ The Street is lined with Magnolia Trees.
Brooklyn’s final comment is part of the problem. WHY do you assume only white people are objecting all these changes. It’s not healthy for you to think that way nor is it true.
please stop. I guess we’re out of statues to topple unless they go after the dolphin
She was co-equal or maybe more important than Cesar Chavez in organizing the farm workers, and he has a street with no local connections that I know of. Why not honor a famous Californian? I know it is unusual to honor someone who isn’t rich but that would be a good thing.
Just your opinion about the importance of this issue. You can work on the issues that are important to you, but don’t minimize the issue for others. I live on the Westside and don’t feel any attachment to Saint Andres, whoever he was. At least I know who Dolores is.
I agree with K8.
Thousands of place names in the US bear the name of Cesar Chavez – many of then were changed from something else. Dolores Huerte was instrumental in the American farmworkers movement, and yet only a few places acknowledge her contribution. The truth I believe, lies with her gender.
BTW – Leo Carillo never lived in SB, nor did Juan Cabrillo.
I live on the westside and support this. Does that make you feel better?
OMG, snowflake issues. Privileged people hate change, apparently.
SIMPLE… they will raise taxes. Get everyone out of work for months. Then raise taxes to force more people to be government dependent. The way to control the people is by fear and make them think they are doing something to help them.
The Dolphin wasn’t an asshole.
No Oscar is NOT behind this.
Uh, she’s been a shero for a long time, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Anyone else get an eye-twitch from the grammar and lie on the bottom of the poster: “Yes!! It only takes one step you to change your address and it is free of charge!” Anyone who prints multiple copies of things that have errors, well, they just aren’t paying attention to details. AND as for one step name changes, who are you kidding? ALL of us can so easily imagine the horror of changing every document for the businesses and homes on that long street. It would be a huge inconvenience. Name a building or a park for her and be done with the pandering to the PC mob of the moment.
How often do marginalized groups hear “this is not the time”? There will always be some excuse to deny equity.
Let the residents and owners of San Andres property decide whether they value this name change enough to want to update their documents. They don’t need triggered internet commenters deciding for them.
Will City pay each resident $10,000 or more? When my street name was changed it cost each resident between $7-$12,000 to change all legal, tax, insurance, registration, wills, titles, inheritance, work and other documents. In the end, the neighbor enacting the change offered each resident $20,000 for the headache, stress, and time required to change.
This was not an overnight process. The group has been working on this for at least six months. It has nothing to do with any other movement, political position, or anything else. It was merely about honoring a woman whose civil rights work impacted the entire country. My guess is that those of you who object to the name change, are doing so because you feel threatened by a Latina. If you so object to changing the street name, petition to change your own street name to something like White Way or NoColoredHere Court
In 1997 part of Salsipuedes St. became Calle Cesar Chavez. It happened quickly, and with little or no push back from anyone in town. Chavez was not from here, but was an activist for civil rights. Dolores Huerta worked side by side with Chavez on everything he did, from the beginning. They confounded the UFW. In fact, SHE was the one who negotiated the historic contract between the Farmworkers and all the grape growers at the end of the grape boycott. And, in fact, SHE was the one who originated the phrase “Si se puede”. Dolores Huerta is a winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and many other honors and continues to fight for change through the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Petitions supporting the honoring of Dolores Huerta have been circulated up and down San Andres and signed by hundreds of residents and business owners. Once the City Council approves a street name change, they notify the U. S. Postal Service and mail is automatically forwarded for free for 18 months. Large corporations get the name change when they automatically update their files to conform with those of the USPS. This is an issue of gender equity. Dolores Huerta is a civil rights icon and deserves the same recognition given to Cesar Chavez.
Now who has the problem here.
It has a Hispanic name right.
Even easier–just change the name Salsipuedes to Si Se Pueda Street. Sounds almost exactly alike. Everyone wins!
Although I have researched this a little and these street name changes do not require that everyone spend $20K to change all their legal documents the Monday after the change is done. The changes are done over time as your licenses come up for renewal, or you sell your house. So doesn’t cost anyone anything right away and the changes are just part of the transaction at the usual cost for everything else. Nice try to get everyone riled up, though.
My research doesn’t support this, what is your link for this?