Kings Canyon Road renaming in Fresno

[Max Rockatansky]

The city of Fresno won a lawsuit to rename Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Avenue and California Avenue as Caesar Chavez Boulevard.  Kings Canyon and Ventura are both former segments of CA 180:

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/city-of-fresno-wins-lawsuit-to-rename-10-mile-stretch-of-road/

Interestingly Kings Canyon Road in unincorporated Sunnyside and Fresno County hasn't been renamed.  This has been a controversial topic locally due to the historic significance with Kings Canyon Road. 

My wife who is of Hispanic descent has been particularly opinionated on this.  I guess when her grandparents were in the U.S. the first time they were here working illegally.  I'm to understand they had a run-in with UFW which led to them being deported back to Jalisco (they eventually came back legally). 

My wife's grandma confirmed the story when it got brought up a couple weeks ago.  I guess my wife's family doesn't think particularly highly of Ceasar Chavez.  This wasn't a point of contention was aware of previously but I believe something similar was incorporated into lawsuit over the street renaming. 

[pderocco]

The city of Fresno won a lawsuit to rename Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Avenue and California Avenue as Caesar Chavez Boulevard.  Kings Canyon and Ventura are both former segments of CA 180:

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/city-of-fresno-wins-lawsuit-to-rename-10-mile-stretch-of-road/

Interestingly Kings Canyon Road in unincorporated Sunnyside and Fresno County hasn't been renamed.  This has been a controversial topic locally due to the historic significance with Kings Canyon Road. 

My wife who is of Hispanic descent has been particularly opinionated on this.  I guess when her grandparents were in the U.S. the first time they were here working illegally.  I'm to understand they had a run-in with UFW which led to them being deported back to Jalisco (they eventually came back legally). 

My wife's grandma confirmed the story when it got brought up a couple weeks ago.  I guess my wife's family doesn't think particularly highly of Ceasar Chavez.  This wasn't a point of contention was aware of previously but I believe something similar was incorporated into lawsuit over the street renaming. 

From what I've read, Chavez was a passionate opponent of illegal immigration, because it undercut union wages.

[Rothman]

The city of Fresno won a lawsuit to rename Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Avenue and California Avenue as Caesar Chavez Boulevard.  Kings Canyon and Ventura are both former segments of CA 180:

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/city-of-fresno-wins-lawsuit-to-rename-10-mile-stretch-of-road/

Interestingly Kings Canyon Road in unincorporated Sunnyside and Fresno County hasn't been renamed.  This has been a controversial topic locally due to the historic significance with Kings Canyon Road. 

My wife who is of Hispanic descent has been particularly opinionated on this.  I guess when her grandparents were in the U.S. the first time they were here working illegally.  I'm to understand they had a run-in with UFW which led to them being deported back to Jalisco (they eventually came back legally). 

My wife's grandma confirmed the story when it got brought up a couple weeks ago.  I guess my wife's family doesn't think particularly highly of Ceasar Chavez.  This wasn't a point of contention was aware of previously but I believe something similar was incorporated into lawsuit over the street renaming. 

From what I've read, Chavez was a passionate opponent of illegal immigration, because it undercut union wages.

Probably considered illegal immigrants a type of scab.  When you're trying to improve worker conditions through getting leverage through unionization and laborers come in willing to work in terrible conditions, it does undercut the intent.

[Max Rockatansky]

The city of Fresno won a lawsuit to rename Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Avenue and California Avenue as Caesar Chavez Boulevard.  Kings Canyon and Ventura are both former segments of CA 180:

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/city-of-fresno-wins-lawsuit-to-rename-10-mile-stretch-of-road/

Interestingly Kings Canyon Road in unincorporated Sunnyside and Fresno County hasn't been renamed.  This has been a controversial topic locally due to the historic significance with Kings Canyon Road. 

My wife who is of Hispanic descent has been particularly opinionated on this.  I guess when her grandparents were in the U.S. the first time they were here working illegally.  I'm to understand they had a run-in with UFW which led to them being deported back to Jalisco (they eventually came back legally). 

My wife's grandma confirmed the story when it got brought up a couple weeks ago.  I guess my wife's family doesn't think particularly highly of Ceasar Chavez.  This wasn't a point of contention was aware of previously but I believe something similar was incorporated into lawsuit over the street renaming. 

From what I've read, Chavez was a passionate opponent of illegal immigration, because it undercut union wages.

Probably considered illegal immigrants a type of scab.  When you're trying to improve worker conditions through getting leverage through unionization and laborers come in willing to work in terrible conditions, it does undercut the intent.

I posted something about this on our Facebook page last night since we have a strong Fresno following.  While the above was referenced it seems as though most residents are angry about the city unilaterally deciding to change the name of Kings Canyon Road.  To me it does seem odd that Fresno would want to deemphasize a road named after a National Park. 

It isn't as though all of Kings Canyon Road was eliminated.  The name is still signed beginning at Clovis Avenue in unincorporated Sunnyside through the eastern Fresno city limit.