Legacy of the "Battling Bastards of Bataan"

The plaque honoring my father, along with similar plaques for the other survivors of Bataan, hang in a San Francisco Bay Area Filipino-American social hall.

LAST NIGHT, April 8, one of my grandnieces lit a candle in memory of my father and about 80 other survivors of the Bataan Death March who had decided to make this California community their piece of the American Dream.

Twenty years ago, there would have been a score of survivors honored. Today, there are none. But their memory lives on in little ceremonies across the United States.

Three generations after the events of World War II, young Filipino Americans are being reminded about their great grandparents. My grandniece never met my father, but she is connected to him as part of the long story of immigration.

Thousands of American and Filipinos POWs died during the Bataan Death March.

The Filipino/American soldiers made up what is often called the second wave of Filipino immigration to the United States. 

While the First Wave, farmworkers and students of the 1920s are slowly finding their way into the history books especially in ethnic studies in various colleges; and the Third Wave, those who came as a result of the 1965 Immigration Reform Act, are being addressed by contemporary social programs and affirmative action policies; the historic role of the Second Wave is being forgotten as the soldiers grow older and pass away.

Outgunned and without any air support, the U.S. forces fought for months longer than anyone expected. The reinforcements and supplies, including food, that were expected never arrived. They were abandoned by the strategists back in the U.S. The poem below became their rallying cry: 

"No Mama, no Papa, no Uncle Sam; We're the Battling Bastards of Bataan."

The battles of Bataan and Corregidor, which fell a month later, resulted in the surrender of 75,000 to 80,000 American and Filipino soldiers on April 9, 1942. It was the largest surrender of U.S. military personnel in history. The U.S. force that surrendered was made up of over 65,000 Filipinos and 12,000 American non-Filipinos.

The prolonged battle delayed the Japanese war machine and forced them to rethink their strategy. It gave the allies time to regroup and reinforce defenses in Malaysia and Australia.

The infamous Bataan Death March that followed the surrender saw thousands of the malnourished, wounded and disease ridden troops perish during the forced march of 40 miles in the tropical heat with little food and water.

They may not have met their great grandfathers
but the young girls are aware of the debt they
owe them. 

But what is little noted in the history books is the critical role the Filipinos who survived and were part of US units such as the Philippine Scouts when they immigrated to the United States.

Once here, they wanted a piece of the American Dream. Most importantly, they were able to bring their families with them. Their children went to U.S. schools and their wives entered the work force.  Despite housing discrimination laws and  practices that prevented them from buying in certain neighborhoods or communities, they helped established  stable Filipino/American middle-class.

Prior to WWII, Filipinos in America was largely a bachelor society. The general image of Filipinos in the U.S. was as farmworkers, servants, waiters, domestic help and primarily male. Racist laws limited the immigration of Filipino women, prevented Filipinos and other Asians from buying homes and marrying people of other races in order to start families.

The Filipino image underwent a massive change with the post-WWII immigration of Filipino American soldiers and sailors. The survivors of Bataan and Corregidor were joined by the 1st and 2nd Filipino regiments of the U.S. Army made up of Filipino volunteers who were already in the U.S. Because of the role Filipinos played in the war as U.S. allies, Filipinos became allies, heroes, saviors and comrades-in-arms. In short, it was difficult to not see them as human beings.

Helping change the perception of Filipinos were the thousands of U.S. military personnel who fought along side the Filipinos who proved themselves in battle, whose loyalty was unquestionable and whose belief in America and democracy could not be denied. 

It is fitting and important that the accomplishments and sacrifices of the Bataan and Corregidor survivors, most of whom have passed away, are still remembered and honored by their children's children's children, their living legacy.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't miss out on additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective be following @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Post on the St. Louis World Fair and the Igorots became one of best read stories

EDITORS at AsAm News were surprised that a story about the Philippines exhibit at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair became the second-most best-read stories in 2015. It also has been one of best read stories in this blog, too. Out of hundreds of stories over the two years of Views From The Edge, it ranks ninth.

The Philippines exhibit at the fair featured six "tribes" from the Philippines, including a tribe of Igorots, one of the mountain peoples of Luzon. It is a little known chapter in our American journey and another example of propping up the idea of American exceptionalism and to justify its imperialistic ambitions.

Unfortunately, it was America's first up-close and personal look at Filipinos and it left an everlasting impression on the American psyche of barely clothed "savages" who had dogs as a major part of their diet. That image affected how European/Americans thought about the  subsequent waves of immigration from the Philippines, from the sugar cane workers in the early part of the 20th century all the way to the waves of medical and tech workers of the last two decades of that same century.

I'm sure Filipino/Americans who read the story felt mixed feelings. I know my parents' generation's reaction would be one of horror; their amor propio demeaned. "That's not us. That's only a tiny part of the Philippines. We wear clothes."

I suspect that younger Filipino/Americans would embrace their indigenous heritage with pride and feel incensed at how their predecessors/ancestors were treated like animals in a zoo.

The high interest in the post points out the strong need for an accurate telling of American history with all its warts instead of a means to make one group of people feel better about themselves at the expense of people of color. At the very least, it would teach some humility.

For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, go to AsAm News.

###

Filipino History Month: A parting shot -- 34 famous and should-be famous Filipino/Americans

Dreamscape Studio Photography / dreamscapestudio.net / Via Courtesy of Kevin Nadal   

Front row (sitting, from left): Kevin Nadal, Ayesha Vera-Cruz, Kalayaan Mendoza, Geena Rocero, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, Richard Mendoza, Mark Bustos; Second row (kneeling/sitting, from left): DJ Neil Armstrong, RJ Mendoza-Nadal, Ernabel Demillo, Lea Salonga, Stella Abrera, Judge Lorna Schofield, Liz Casasola, Chef Cristeta Comerford, Cecilia Pagkalinawan, Monette Rivera, Jaygee Macapugay, Lucille Javier; Third Row (standing, from left): Ken Natori, Luis Francia, Ryan Letada, EJ Samson, Mia Alvar, Rafe Totengco, Nancy Bulalacao-Leung, Ching Valdes-Aran, Nicole Ponseca, Jason Tengco, Marissa Aroy, Joe Bataan; Fourth Row (elevated, from left): Ben de Guzman,
Marlo Gamora, Jose Llana. 

THIRTY-FOUR Filipino/Americans gathered in New York for a family picture last month, Filipino American Heritage Month. Each has excelled in his or her particular field and each could be an inspiration for Filipino/Americans across the country.

Some of the names you'll recognize: Lea Salonga, Cristeta Comerford, Joe Bataan and Geena Rocero. Others are a little less known to the general public but no less deserving.

Some may quibble on who's in the picture but just getting all these busy people in place is an accomplishment in itself.  It's a historic shot and one we should all appreciate. I'm sure if the picture was taken on the West Coast a few more people would be added to the group portrait. Perhaps a politician or two, a few actors, a couple more journalists and certainly some civil rights activists would be included.

In an essay for Buzzfeed, Dr. Kevin Nadal, one of the organizers of the photo shoot, wrote:

Throughout our history in both the Philippines and the U.S., we have overcome these instances of tyranny, brutality, and inequality. We have fought for independence in the Philippines and marched for civil rights in the U.S. We have organized movements, formed coalitions with allies, and persevered against systemic discrimination, ignorance, and oppression. 

We have comforted each other in times of despair and have supported the trailblazers who have represented us well. We have moved forward and persevered, usually with a smile, and always holding the hands of future generations behind us.

To fully appreciate it, though, click here to find out why these individuals were invited to be in the picture.

###

Celebration of the 50th anniversary of Delano grape strike this Labor Day weekend.

Filipino/American labor leader Larry Itliong, left, and Cesar Chavez, right, joined forces.

THE MOMENTOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE Grape Strike of 1965 cannot be underestimated. It is important not only in the annals of Filipino American history, but in the history of the United States. Appropriately, the event will be observed and celebrated this Labor Day Weekend in Delano, California, where the strike began.

The newly formed Delano chapter and its parent organization, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), will host a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike with a series of events this Sept. 5 and 6, in Delano with most of the activities centering around the Filipino Community Hall where the historic vote to strike and launch the grape boycott took place.

Dubbed “Bold Step,” the weekend will focus on that momentous decision to strike, and celebrate the strike’s legacy in the Filipino American community in Delano and across the nation. 

The weekend’s events will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Filipino Community Hall, the historic building where the strike vote was taken and the headquarters of the first years of the Grape Strike. The program will include presentations by strike veterans, scholars, community activists, and local community leaders. A highlight of the weekend will be a screening of the Emmy-award winning documentary, Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers. New York-based filmmaker Marissa Aroy, whose family roots are in Delano, will be present. The weekend will also include bus tours of local historic sites.

Click here for a complete schedule of events marking this anniversary.

The Delano Grape Strike began on September 8, 1965, when thousands of mostly Filipino American grape workers walked off of the vineyards in Delano, California. According to the AmerAsia Journal, it was a pivotal moment in which Filipino/Americans made their largest and most significant imprint on the American labor history. That bold step taken by these Filipino workers — most of whom were senior citizens in the twilight of their lives — inspired labor movements and movements for civil rights and social justice amongst Filipino Americans and Americans of all backgrounds.

The Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee union (AWOC, AFL-CIO), led by labor leaders such as Larry Itliong, Pete Velasco, Andy Imutan and Philip Vera Cruz, forced the larger union made up mostly of Mexican American workers and led by Cesar Chavez, to join the boycott. The merger of the two unions led to the formation of the one of the most significant social justice movements in American history. From the strike came the multiethnic farm laborer’s union, the United Farm Workers.

In 1965, Filipino/American farm workers took the bold step to strike and launch a boycott of table grapes.

###

Mae Cendana Torlakson might make some history as the first Filipina elected to the State Assembly

Mae Cendana Torlakson is running for the California Assembly, 14th District.

MAE CENDANA TORLAKSON could make history if she is elected to the California State Assembly. If she wins the seat representing part of Contra Costa County, the 14th Assembly District, she would become the first Filipina/American in that legislative body.

That's a big step for someone best known in her native Philippines as a recording rock artist.

I've known Torlakson since she moved to Contra Costa about 10 years ago. She immediately made it known that she wanted to be involved in her community. The issue that brought her to my attention was her interest in developing the waterfront of Bay Point for recreational purposes.

Rather than providing input from the peanut gallery, she realized that she needed to be part of the solution. That's why she ran to be a member of the board of the local park district, the Ambrose Park & Recreational District. She won.

The following is from her campaign webpage:

Mae Torlakson’s passion for providing young people with educational opportunities by building partnerships with business reflects the progressive and pragmatic leadership she brings to the issues of college affordability, environmental protection and economic opportunity.

As the Corporate Partnerships Liaison of the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, Mae Torlakson helps educationally disadvantaged students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Mae has served several roles at MESA since joining the University of California staff in 2000, including Program Coordinator and Manager of Marketing and Resource Development.

A longtime advocate for community parks and open space, Mae chairs and is serving her third elected term on the board of the Ambrose Recreation and Park District, which provides recreation services to 28,000 residents of Bay Point and the Oak Hills community of Pittsburg.

Mae also serves as chair of the Friends of the Delta Trail, and led advocacy and fundraising efforts that secured $4.5 million for the Great California Delta Trail, which seeks to create a continuous trail network through five Delta counties while protecting sensitive habitat. She also serves as President of the Bay Point Garden Club and has been a Neighborhood Watch block captain.

Born in the Philippines, Mae sang and recorded professionally, using her earnings to pay her tuition at the University of the Philippines, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree. She immigrated to the United States in 1988 and became a U.S. citizen in 1994. Mae raised two children, both of whom graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.

 Mae has long been active in Asian and Pacific Islander community organizations, including the Filipina Women’s Network. The first Filipina elected to public office in Contra Costa County, she was named one of the 100 most influential Filipinas in the U.S. 

Mae shares her passion for public service with her husband, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who represented the region in the State Assembly and Senate before winning statewide office in 2010. They live in the Contra Costa County community of Pittsburg.

Being married to Tom Torlakson, California's Superintendent of Public Instruction, has its advantages. First off, name recognition is very high because her husband was also the area's county supervisor, assemblyman and state senator before taking on the education post. 

She's also worked hard to carve out a name in her own right. She has garnered the endorsements from just about all the Democratic office holders in the county. Those endorsements come in handy in a district that is heavily Democratic. She also has been endorsed by the lone Filipino/American assemblyman, Rob Bonta, of Oakland, who was the first Filipino elected to the state Assembly.

"I will work hard to represent our community well and be a voice for the working families of my district, concentrating on improving educational opportunity and college affordability, providing good jobs and protecting the environment," said Torlakson. 

Her opponents, thus far, include fellow Democrats: another Asian American, Satinder Malhi, who is currently the chief of staff for the 14th District Assembly member Susan Bonilla, who is being termed out; and Mayor Tim Grayson of Concord. 

During college, back in the 80s, she had a rock hit on Manila's record charts, "Hoy Lalake" (Hey, Man) - considered by some as an early tribute to the women's liberation movement in the Philippines. 

“I wanted to pursue my singing — and I loved doing it,” Torlakson said in an interview with the Philippine newspaper Inquirer. “But I made sure that my two children who were with me had the benefits, and so I needed a real job.”

Since then, she has limited her singing gigs to karaoke at family get-togethers with a preference for Gloria Estefan. "Right now," jokes Torlakson, "it would be Donna Summer's 'She works hard for the money,'" referring to her campaign fundraising efforts.

###

Two Filipino Americans vie for same Emmy; "Delano Manongs" nominated

Darren Criss also had an acting role in Glee.

IT IS NOT OFTEN that Asian Americans get nominated for the 67th Emmy awards but this year, two were nominated in the same category of Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. 

In addition, a documentary about the Filipino labor movement, Delano Manongs, was nominated in the Cultural/Historical category. The documentary is directed by Marisa Aroy and focuses on the unsung role that labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz played in the 1965 farm workers' strike that led to the creation of the United Farm Workers.

Robert and Kristen Lopez won Oscars in
2014 for "Let It Go" from Frozen.

Asian American nominees were sprinkled throughout, mostly for their technical expertise in  sound, editing and lighting - you know - behind the camera. 

Minority actors fared better in the Emmy nominations than they did for this year's Oscars where all the nominees were white. Overall, television has done a better job than the movies in terms of diversity although there is still plenty of room for television for improvement in order to look more like America. Several African American and Latino Americans were nominated in the acting categories. No Asian Americans were singled out for acting.

Many thought that Constance Wu would get a nomination as best supporting actor in a comedy series for her role Fresh Off the Boat. Alas, not this year.

Filipino/American Robert Lopez and his wife, Kristen Anderson Lopez, have two songs nominated this year: "Kiss An Old Man" for the show "The Comedians", and for "Moving Pictures" the opening song that they wrote for the Oscars award show.Ironically, for the category Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, Lopez goes up against another Filipino/American, Darren Criss, who wrote the final song of Glee finale, "This Time" and performed by Lea Michele. Listen to the nominated songs:

History repeats itself; judge's son appointed to California bench

TALK ABOUT the nut not falling far from the tree; a son following in his father's footsteps; like father, like son. Pick any number of cliche's that apply.

When Julian Recana was appointed by California Gov. Jerry Brown to a judgeship in Los Angeles Superior Court, history was made.

Thirty-four years ago, his father, Mel Red Recana made history when he became the first Filipino/American judge in the United States. Last July 1t, Julian Recana was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court by the same Jerry Brown, who at the time had just won re-election as governor. 

Judge Julian Recana

Julian Recana "is an exemplary public servant, and Los Angeles County, one of the most diverse counties in the country, is fortunate to have him as a judge,” stated Christine Gonong, president of the Philippine American Bar Association in a press release.

A veteran prosecutor, Judge Recana has served as a Deputy District Attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1999. He was previously assigned to the Long Beach Courthouse for 11 years prosecuting murders that occur in Long Beach and parts of Los Angeles. He was awarded Deputy District Attorney of the Month in 2014. 

He is currently with the Hardcore Gang Division in Downtown Los Angeles, prosecuting serious, violent, gang-related offenses. Judge Recana was promoted to Deputy District Attorney Grade IV in February of 2015. He received his B.A. degree in Economics in 1992 at the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1998. Judge Recana began his career as a contract attorney at Early, Maslach, Price & Baukol.

Julian Recana, a Lifetime Member of PABA, was a founding officer of the PABA Foundation and has served as its Assistant Secretary for several years before joining the PABA Board of Governors in 2013. 

Mel Avanzado, the founding president of the PABA Foundation, said, “During his first term as governor, Governor Brown 34 years ago appointed Julian’s father, Mel Red Recana, as the first Filipino American judge in the United States. The Governor’s appointment of Julian to join his father on the Los Angeles Superior Court bench is historic and fitting. Julian will be a tremendous asset to our bench.”

I was still working for the Philippine News, a Filipino American newspaper based in San Francisco, during Gov. Brown's campaign for reelection in 1980. I'm not sure if he is aware of it, but Brown played an important role in Filipino American history. He was the first major candidate for statewide office who paid any attention to the fledgling Filipino political movement. The Filipino American Political Association was about a decade old at that point, but Brown's campaign was the first major campaign no note the changing demographics of California.

As one of the newspaper's editors, the PN editorial staff had occasion to have a luncheon with the youthful governor during a campaign swing through the San Francisco Bay Area. PN publisher Alex Esclamado was also one of the leaders of the Filipino American Political Association and as he often did, he blurred the lines between publisher and community activist. 

After shaking the governor's hand,  I remember standing next to Esclamado and noted all the Filipinos crowding around Brown. I flippantly mentioned to him, "Look at all the browns for Brown." I saw a spark in Esclamado's eyes as he repeated the phrase, Browns for Brown. I wasn't sure if I had offended him or not. All I know that a week later, he began handing out these dark brown campaign buttons with "Browns for Brown" written on it in a lighter shade of brown. 

California's Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye

Not coincidentally, one of the first acts Governor Brown did after he won his reelection, was to appoint the first Filipino judge in the U.S. in 1981. A couple years later, Ron Quidachay was selected to become the first Filipino/ American judge  in Northern California.

Since then, a number of Filipino/Americans have since been named to the bench. Among the most notable of is Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye, the 28th chief justice of the State of California. She was sworn into office on January 3, 2011, and is the first Asian-Filipina American and the second woman to serve as the state’s chief justice. Once again, Gov. Brown made history.

Like it or not, that is how politics works. Filipinos have a saying: utang na loob (loosely translated it implies that debts or favors have to be paid back). Some might say it is catering to special interests. Others call it progress.

###

President Obama opens the door for WWII Filipino veterans' families

Atomazul

The long fight for justice for the Filipino veterans became a cause celebre' that spanned generations.

THOUSANDS of Filipino WWII veterans who could not reunite with their families still in the Philippines, may get soon see their dreams come true. The White House report on immigration reforms released yesterday (July 15) has a recommendation that references the veterans' plight.

The interagency report was the result of President Barack Obama's executive action in 2014 that called for the United States to reform its immigration system. The better known, and more controversial parts of the action such as a path for citizenship for undocumented immigrants, are being challenged in the courts but the White House decided to move forward on other recommendations.

“My first reaction was happiness. But I am also saddened remembering our veterans like Manong Emong Guillermo and Jack Tejada and community champions like Alex Esclamado, who walked the halls of Congress, fighting for recognition and family reunification. They are gone now but their legacy lives on,” Marites Branigin, capitol region chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), told the Los Angeles Times.

Here is the portion of the report, "Modernizing & Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century," that specifically deals with the plight of the WWII veterans,

Although, there is not a set timetable for implementation of the "parole granted by the initiative, it shouldn't be a long drawn-out process. The majority of the veterans are in their 80s and 90s and for them to reunited with their families will be critical as they need relatives to care for their needs.

OPED: Commentary by Jason Tengco, Deputy Director of the White House Initiative on Asian  Americans and Pacific Islanders

Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon used parole power expansively to destabilize the Cuban regime and grant status to most of the 621,403 applications received by Cuban asylum seekers fleeing the revolution in Cuba. President Kennedy and President Johnson also employed the parole power to parole over 15,000 Chinese nationals who fled Hong Kong in 1962, according to an Asian American Advancing Justice press release. 

AAAJ also said that following the Vietnam War, Presidents Ford and Carter also used executive parole to bring over 360,000 Indo-Chinese individuals from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos to the United States when the number of available conditional entries was vastly exceeded.34 From 1972 until 1980, Soviet refugees also received parole when enough conditional entries were not available.35

Other Asian American communities joined the Filipino issue, as well as a score of lawmakers, rallying to this nonpartisan cause to fulfill the promise that was made by President Franklin Roosevelt to the 260,000 Filipinos who fought for the United States during WWII. Congress took that promise taken away in 1946 by the Rescission Acts.

              RELATED: WWII Filipino veterans still fighting for their rights

Alex Esclamado

Scores of congressmen sponsored bills to fulfill those promises for the Filipinos but found the legislative process an uphill battle. The late publisher of the  Philippine News, Alex Esclamado, made the issue a rallying cry in his attempts to unify the Filipino American communities divided by the partisan politics of the Philippines. It was a struggle all the way; dying in committee or not being able to gain enough support.

The Filipino veterans finally were granted citizenship in 1990 and benefits compensation  in 2009, but the bills did not include the veterans' families. The relatives had to go through the normal immigration channels. With an annual quota of 20,000 immigrants, the backlog for the Philippines was more than 20 years. 

As one of the editors of the San Francisco-based Philippine News, I rarely saw an issue go to print without an editorial, a column or a news story about the injustice meted out to the veterans. Esclamado's faith in America's legislative process and justice was unwavering and his staff was swept up in his belief.

Sometimes, it seemed like a hopeless cause but Esclamado never gave up. Appropriately, his favorite song was "To Dream The Impossible Dream," from the musical Man of La Mancha. 

The final dream of the aged veterans of spending the twilight of their lives surrounded by their families is finally in the realm of possibility, and it couldn't happen a moment too soon for the few thousand veterans still alive.  For hundreds of thousands of the Filipino veterans' compatriots, the delivery of President Roosevelt's promise have come too late.

###

California governor signs Assemblyman Bonta's bill for Larry Itliong Day

Larry Itliong

ON OCT. 25, California's school children will hear about Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong.

California's Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB7 into law July 1. AB7, introduced by Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland). The bill requires the governor to proclaim Oct. 25 as "Larry Itliong Day," and would encouraged public schools to teach about Itliong's historic role in organizing farm workers.

“Larry Itliong is a hero not only to Filipino Americans and Filipinos in the diaspora, not only to all Californians and Americans who fight for socioeconomic and racial justice, but also to his surviving family,” said Johnny Itliong, one of Larry Itliong’s children and director of the Larry Itliong Foundation for Education, in a statement. 

“I’ve spent many years asking when people would recognize what the manongs have done….This means a lot to the countless immigrant youth who know first-hand the meaning not only of struggle but also the value of self-advocacy.”

Itliong was one of the leaders of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a union fighting for the rights of farmworkers. Led by Itliong, AWOC, primarily composed of Filipino field workers, was the first union to strike for improved wages and working conditions in Delano in 1965, launching the California farm labor movement. 

AWOC's strike pushed the larger and Mexican-dominated National Farm Workers Association into action. Led by Cesar Chávez and Dolores Huerta, the NFW and the Itliong-led AWOC to form the United Farm Workers of America. The UFW launched boycotts against grapes and lettuce that were successful in forcing growers to negotiate a contract for better wages and working conditions.

RELATED: California Assembly unanimously passes bill for Larry Itliong Day

“While the farm labor movement is often seen predominantly as a Latino movement, the movement encompassed much more than just one ethnic group. Filipino American and Latino labor leaders built a beautiful collaborative relationship to create the farm worker movement in California, and Larry Itliong played a critical leadership role in that movement. I’m grateful to have this opportunity to recognize his contributions to California and am thrilled that Governor Brown understands the important role Itliong played in California history,” said Bonta.

The recent fmotion picture Cesar, about Cesar Chavez and the UFW, omitted, or downplayed, any mention of the part played by Filipino Americans in the labor movement. That glaring omission was roundly criticized by historians and the Filipino American community. In the credits, you could see Filipinos playing the role of real Filipino individuals but their names or their contributions were not mentioned in the movie. Mainly, they stood in the background.

As the first and only Filipino American ever elected to the California State Assembly in the history of the state, Bonta is committed to ensuring that the Filipino American experience is accurately reflected in California history. Bonta's parents were farm workers and were active in union organizing.

One of his first acts after winning election to the Assembly was to introduce AB123 to provide students with a more complete account of California's farm labor movement and ensure that Filipino American leaders are remembered by future generations of Californians. 

"I was thrilled that Governor Brown signed my AB123 during my first year in the Assembly. The incredible and transformative contributions of Filipino Americans to our state have been missing from our history books for too long, and it's encouraging that this more complete story will now be told in our classrooms," said Bonta. "Now, with the addition of AB7, I am confident that within the next few years, these contributions will be more commonly known as a critical part of the rich and vibrant collective history of our state." 

Larry Itliong (in sunglasses) and Cesar Chavez (right of Itliong) led the California farm laborer's unions. 

###

Larry Itliong Day passed by California Assembly

Larry Itliong, an unsung hero of the labor movement, described himself: "I'm a mean son of a bitch."

ONE OF THE UNSUNG heroes of the American labor movement is finally getting some recognition for his union organizing in California's farm fields. Oct. 25, the hero's birthday, is the day chosen when Calfiornia's school children may one day learn about Larry Itliong and the struggle of Filipino migrant workers.

Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) introduced a bill last winter to recognize the labor leader and have his story incorporated into the state's history textbooks and lesson plans. Assembly Bill 7 was passed by the Assembly on April 10 this year with no opposition. For the full text of AB7, click here.

“Larry Itliong was one of the greatest labor organizers and leaders in California history,” explained Bonta, who is the son of Filipino American farmworkers. “He was a hero not only to the Filipino American community, but to all Californians and Americans who fought and continue to fight for socioeconomic and racial justice in our state and nation. AB 7 properly honors his life’s work and legacy of fighting for justice, opportunity, and equity.”

Growing up in a trailer just a few hundred yards from César Chávez’s home, Bonta watched closely as his parents organized Filipino and Mexican American farm workers, infusing his formative years with first-hand experience of one of the greatest peaceful social, racial, and economic justice movements of all time.

Itliong led the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee which consisted of a majority of Filipino American farm workers. Itliong and many other Filipino American farm workers like Andy Imutan, Philip Vera Cruz, and several others spearheaded the Delano Grape Strike of 1965 in Delano, California, and organized protests against unfair conditions and wages.

As a result of the 1965 grape strike, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the National Farm Workers Association led by Cesar Chavez merged and became known as the United Farm Workers.

After working alongside Chavez with the UFW movement, Itliong shifted his focus to fight for Filipino American retired farm workers' rights and was instrumental in finding funding for Delano's Agbayani (Heroes') Village, a retirement home for farmworkers. He died

In 2010, the City of Carson, Calfiornia became the first city in the U.S. to officially establish Larry Itliong Day. Other municipalities that have recognized Larry Itliong Day include Elk Grove and Los Angeles County.

Honoring Itliong highlights the collaborative efforts between the Latino and Filipino American communities that continues to this day in the fight for immigration reform.

AAPI Civil Rights Heroes - Larry Itliong from Advancing Justice - ALC on Vimeo.

The growing numbers of Mexican farm workers shifted the attention to Chavez, but there would be no UFW if not for Itliong and the Filipinos.

As veteran California labor writer Dick Meister wrote:

Chavez felt that his group, then called the National Farm Workers Association, wasn't ready to strike itself, but would honor the picket lines of the striking Filipinos. Yet if they were to honor the picket lines of Itliong's group, Chavez' members asked, Why not strike themselves? Why not? And so they did. That became the grape strike of 1965 that drew worldwide attention and support and ultimately led to the unionization, at long last, of California's farm workers. It was Larry Itliong and his Filipino members who started it all, and who played an indispensable role throughout the struggle.

Without them there could not have been a strike. Without them, there could not have been the victory of unionization, without them no right for the incredibly oppressed farm workers to bargain with their employers.

The two labor leaders complemented each other. Chavez was charming and charismatic, but Itliong was from the streets. Often seen chomping on his signature cigar, he lost three fingers in a cannery accident and gained the nickname "7 fingers."

"I have the ability to make that white man know I am just as mean as anybody in this world," he says on the tape to students in 1976, a year before he died at age 63. "I could make him think, and I could make them recognize that I'm a mean son of a bitch in terms of my direction fighting for the rights of Filipinos in this country. Because I feel we are just as good as any of them. I feel we have the same rights as any of them. Because in that Constitution, it said that everybody has equal rights and justice. You've got to make that come about. They are not going to give it to you."

RELATED: Larry Itliong's son honors his father 
A new generation of Filipino American politicians

Gen. Antonio Taguba: The forgotten victim of 9/11

Major General Antonio Taguba was forced to retire.

SEPTEMBER 11 is a date that forever changed America. 

For Major General Antonio Taguba it was the beginning of the end of his military career.

Taguba was the second highest ranking Filipino American soldier and would still be in the Army if not given an impossible mission. 

In 2004, he was assigned to investigate the alleged use of torture in the military prison known as Abu Ghraib where prisoners of war were detained by the U.S. military and grilled for any information that might be useful in the Iraq War.

His report confirmed that some members of the military were using torture on their prisoners. When asked by high-ranking administration officials and his military superiors if there was torture or was it just a case of abuse, Taguba recalled in an excellent New Yorker article, "I described a naked detainee lying on the wet floor, handcuffed, with an interrogator  shoving things up his rectum, and said, 'That's not abuse. That's torture.' There was quiet."

The Bush administration didn't like what Taguba found. They didn't like that Taguba was being hailed by the media as a hero. When he walked into a meeting with these same officials, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld mockingly declared, "Here ... comes ... the ... famous General Taguba ... of the Taguba Report."

Shortlly after his 2004 meeting with Rumsfeld, Taguba told writer Seymour Hirsch an incident as he rode in chauffeured sedan with Gen. John Abiszid, then the head of Central Command. Abiszid told Taguba, "You and your report will be investigated."

"I''d been in the Army 32 years by then," Taguba told Hirsch. "and it was the first time I felt I was in the Mafia."

It became clear to Taguba that his days in his beloved Army were numbered. In 2006, he was told - without any explanation - to retire the following year after 34 years of service.

The Taguba Report and the incriminating photos angered the Arab world. They embarrassed the U.S. military and the White House and ticked off his superiors. Through it all, Taguba remained steadfast in his conclusions:

"From the moment a soldier enlists, we inculcate loyalty, duty, honor, integrity, and selfless service," Taguba said. "We violated the tenets of the Geneva Convention. We violated our own principles and we violated the core of our military values."

In 2008, Taguba wrote, "There is no longer any doubt that the (Bush) administration committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered torture will be held to account."

To date, no one in the Bush administration has been cited for their involvement, knowledge or encouragement of the use of torture when interrogating prisoners. 

October is Filipino American History Month. President Obama should give Taguba the Presidential Medal of Freedom for upholding the values of the U.S. military, for his service to his country and for his honesty.

###