Cesar Chavez Boulevard
Encyclopedia
Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard (signs read César E. Chávez Blvd) is a street in Portland, Oregon
, United States. Until 2009, it was known as Northeast & Southeast 39th Avenue.
approved renaming all segments of 39th Avenue within the city limits as Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in honor of Latino labor activist Cesar E. Chavez. Originally planned for December 2009, the first street sign with the new name was installed on January 29, 2010. The street will bear signage of both the new name and the former name for five years.
The renaming process was very acrimonious. There had been a false start in earlier years with a prior street selection. Other streets nominated for selection included Fourth Avenue and Interstate Avenue. Opponents of any initiative to rename a street for the labor leader cited his overall lack of significant links to the Portland area
. Supporters of the renaming initiative countered that Cesar Chavez had a presence in Oregon, with Colegio Cesar Chavez
as one example. NE & SE 39th Avenues were finally selected, being an important through-way, but carrying an existing name which lacked toponymic
significance to the history of Portland. (The number 39 was sequential and not historically significant.) Hispanic
s are the largest growing ethnic group in Portland, Oregon, and yet prior to the naming of Cesar Chavez Boulevard no public location had been named after a Hispanic.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States. Until 2009, it was known as Northeast & Southeast 39th Avenue.
Naming controversy
In July 2009, the Portland's city councilGovernment of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
approved renaming all segments of 39th Avenue within the city limits as Cesar E. Chavez Avenue in honor of Latino labor activist Cesar E. Chavez. Originally planned for December 2009, the first street sign with the new name was installed on January 29, 2010. The street will bear signage of both the new name and the former name for five years.
The renaming process was very acrimonious. There had been a false start in earlier years with a prior street selection. Other streets nominated for selection included Fourth Avenue and Interstate Avenue. Opponents of any initiative to rename a street for the labor leader cited his overall lack of significant links to the Portland area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
. Supporters of the renaming initiative countered that Cesar Chavez had a presence in Oregon, with Colegio Cesar Chavez
Colegio César Chávez
Colegio Cesar Chavez was a U.S. college-without-walls in Mount Angel, Oregon. The college was named after Mexican American civil rights activist César Chávez. Colegio was established in 1973 and closed its doors in 1983. Colegio was the first accredited, independent four-year Chicano college in...
as one example. NE & SE 39th Avenues were finally selected, being an important through-way, but carrying an existing name which lacked toponymic
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
significance to the history of Portland. (The number 39 was sequential and not historically significant.) Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s are the largest growing ethnic group in Portland, Oregon, and yet prior to the naming of Cesar Chavez Boulevard no public location had been named after a Hispanic.