A member of San Diego’s congressional delegation on Tuesday introduced a bill to rename a San Diego post office after a late Mexican-American civil rights advocate.
The move, by Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, who joined Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, in seeking the change, represents more fallout following disturbing revelations about late labor leader César E. Chávez.
If passed, the building in Logan Heights would be renamed after Armando Rodriguez, who rose from military service to become a college president. The building currently honors Chávez, the target of accusations in March that he had improper relationships with young girls and raped Delores Huerta, with whom he co-founded the United Farm Workers.
The accusations, part of a New York Times investigation, sparked a number of efforts to rechristen streets, monuments and facilities that had been named after Chávez.
In January 2009, Congress named the post office in his honor.
Rodriguez immigrated from Mexico as a child and grew up on Logan Avenue, where the post office is located. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Rodriguez enlisted in the Army and earned U.S. citizenship.
Once he returned to San Diego, Rodriguez organized an American Legion Post, taught at a nearby junior high school and was appointed as the first director of Mexican American Affairs by President Lyndon Johnson.
Vargas called him “a trailblazing educator, a civil rights activist, a champion for Latino communities, and a dedicated public servant” who worked in administrations for presidents in both parties.
“Armando rose to the highest levels of our government but he never forgot his roots in our community and was committed to creating opportunity for students everywhere,” Vargas added. “Renaming the post office will help ensure that Armando’s extraordinary life and legacy is always remembered.”
Following his stint in the Johnson administration, he served as the assistant commissioner of education in the Office of Regional Office Coordination under President Richard Nixon. Rodriguez became the first Latino president of East Los Angeles College, and in 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Rodriguez died in 2019.
“His legacy has left an indelible mark on San Diego and it’s only right that we recognize his contributions as a Latino civil rights advocate.” Padilla said. “Renaming this post office ensures his legacy remains a part of American history for future generations.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
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