FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH: Drive to name a street after Filipino/American labor hero Larry Itliong

Cesar Chavez, left, and Larry Itliong merged their respective unions to form the United Farm Workers.

• SUNDAY, Oct. 25, 2015 is a date that will be etched into the memories of Filipino/Americans and hopefully, all Americans, as the first Larry Itliong Day observed in the United States.
  
  
  California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill to make Oct. 25, Itliong's birthday, as a day to remember the union leader's contributions to the state and the labor movement.
  
  
  Itliong spurred his union to launch the 1965 Grape Strike, convinced Cesar Chavez to join the Filipino striking farmworkers, and together formed the United Farm Workers (UFW) ito spearhead one of the greatest labor movements in the country.
  
  
  This year, the 50th anniversary of the Grape Strike, Itliong's role in the formation of the UFW has been brought to light (and perhaps spurred by the movie about Cesar Chavez released last year which neglected to give Itliong's historic role any mention).

  RELATED: Filipinos, Cesar Chavez & Hollywood

  The Little Manila Foundation, based in Itliong's hometown of Stockton, California, has launched a petition drive to have a street named after the forgotten labor leader and hometown hero.
  
  
  Up to now, there is a school named after Itliong in Union City, California where there is a large Filipno/American community, a San Diego overpass bears his name, an affordable housing project in Los Angeles has been named in his honor and the City of Carson, California designated a day in his honor years before Brown signed the bill, authored by Filipino/American Assemblyman Rob Bonta.
  
  
  But in his hometown - nothing.
  
  
  The petition calls for the renaming of South Hunter Street, between the Crosstown Freeway and East Hazelton Avenue, to Larry Itliong Street. The three-block stretch was the heart of Little Manila, a place Itliong called home, and includes residences, a Buddhist temple and some small businesses.

"Larry is a hero of Stockton,” said Dillon Delvo, co-founder of the Little Manila Foundation. “He helped begin one of the greatest justice movements we’ve ever seen.”

The deadline for the petition has passed and it is uncertain that all the names have been certified or even if there are enough signatures to launch the street renaming process. 

Even if the petition is not enough, supporters of the name change can still make arguments  to the City Council to begin the planning process, which could mean more public hearings, and the bureaucratic red tape will certainly take months to wade through People who want to weigh in on the proposal to rename the street can still write letters of support by writing or emailing the individual Stockton city council members, the Stockton Community Development Department and/or members of the Stockton Planning Commission. 

Meanwhile, on Oct. 25, Itliong's contributions to our nation's history will be observed in Delano, where the grape strike began, Stockton, Carson and San Diego. There have already been some ceremonies in Oakland and Sacramento, Los Angeles' multi-day observance ends today. More cities will join in as Larry Itlioing Day takes root in California schools and cities.

OCT. 25 in STOCKTON: In honor of the first Larry Itliong Day, there will be a free showing the documentary, Delano Manongs at the Little Manila Center, 521 East Main Street, Stockton at 2 p.m.

“It’s great that in our hometown we know about Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez,” says Stockton resident Dawn Mabalon, history professor at San Francisco State University. “But we don’t know about this person who lived among us, went to Trinity Presbyterian Church, whose children went to Stockton schools. (He’s) all but forgotten in Stockton.”

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