California marks day honoring Filiipino American labor leader Larry Itliong

The late labor leader Larry Itliong's birthday is Oct. 25.

California is still the only state that marks the birth of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong.

Governor Jerry Brown first signed the law creating Larry Itliong Day in 2015 and every year since, the state has officially recognized the day. Wednesday, Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis signed the proclamation since Gov. Gavin Newsom was on a trade mission in China.

The proclamation read, in part:

While working as a laborer in the fisheries and canneries of Alaska, Itliong helped found the Alaska Cannery Workers Union. His efforts helped secure a contract that gave workers an eight-hour workday with overtime. Following his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, Itliong settled in Stockton, California.

Itliong continued his work in the labor movement, emerging as a leader in the Filipino-American community of respected elders known as Manongs. He was involved in organizing the asparagus strike of 1948 – the first major agricultural strike after World War II – and in 1956, Itliong founded the Filipino Farm Labor Union in Stockton. Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz, and Manong leaders helped create the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee.

            RELATED: Why all states should honor Larry Itliong

In the Spring of 1965, Itliong allied with grape workers in the Coachella Valley, fighting for increased pay. Following that victory, the Manongs voted in September 1965 to organize against grape growers in Delano who were exploiting workers toiling in their fields. The Manongs joined César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and the National Farmworkers Association to launch a nationwide boycott of grapes, ultimately delivering the first farmworker union contracts.

The UFW recognized the significance of Itliong and other Filipino American labor leaders in the formation of a union that joined Mexican and Filipino farmworkers.

"Both Larry Itliong and Cesar Chavez knew growers had defeated unions for 100 years by using one race to break the strikes of another. So from the outset of the walkouts, they insisted both Filipino and Latino strikers share the same picket lines and union hall, and eat in the same strike kitchen. The two unions merged in 1966, to form what today is the United Farm Workers of America. Solidarity between the races helped produce the first union contracts with table grape growers in 1970, and was a key factor in establishing the first enduring farm workers union in American history," read the UFW statement.

"Tough and courageous, Larry Itliong joined other Filipino American leaders such as Peter Velasco and Philip Vera Cruz who built the UFW alongside Cesar Chavez and his Latino colleagues such as Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla," the statement concluded.

The historic five-year long Delano Grape Strike ended successfully with farmworkers receiving fair wages, benefits and better working conditions.

In 2014,  the overpass over Route 54, also known as the Filipino American Highway, in the City of San Diego was renamed the "Itliong-Vera Cruz Memorial Bridge.

In 2015 the Alvarado Middle School in Union City, California was officially renamed the Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School, after Itliong and his friend and fellow Filipino American labor leader, Philip Vera Cruz.

Itliong passed away on February 8, 1977 at the age of 63. He was survived by his wife and seven children. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

1965 Grape Strike, launched by Filipino farm workers, is part of US labor history

 

Filipino farmworkers voted to strike against the California grape growers in 1965.

On September 8, 1965, Filipino American farm workers organized as the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) voted to strike against grape growers in Delano, California, to protest years of poor pay and working conditions.

The Delano Grape Strike grew from a long history of labor organizing and protest by Filipino workers in agriculture and canning on the West Coast. Led by Larry Itliong, AWOC asked the more cautious National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), a mostly Latino farm workers union led by Cesar Chavez, to join their strike.

To Delano resident Roger Gadiano, the nondescript Filipino Hall in town is a shrine. “This is our Mecca,” he says. “I guess it’s our Selma," referring to Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, when some 600 civil rights marchers headed attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge where state and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma.

This decision by the Filipinos was a big risk for Delano’s grape workers. Many lived in company housing and could be evicted with little or no notice, and, indeed, many eventually were forced to leave their homes as a consequence of striking. There was also a risk that the growers might draw from the large population of Mexican and Mexican American farmworkers to replace the striking Filipino crews. Such tactics had long been an effective check on union power.

In August 1966, the two organizations merged to form the United Farm Workers (UFW), a union committed to nonviolent protest that sought to organize migrant farm laborers to improve their wages, education, housing, and legal protections.

The protest that began in the fields in Delano grew into a broader boycott that asked for help from consumers in urban areas. Filipino Americans living in the cities and suburbs supported the farm workers by bringing them groceries by the carload, lobbied their lawmakers and boycotted table grapes and wine.

By 1970, the UFW grape boycott was a success. Table grape growers signed their first union contracts, granting workers better pay, benefits, and protections.

In the decades that followed, the UFW continued to use nonviolent strikes, boycotts, marches, and fasts to help farm workers stand up for their rights and gather support from ordinary Americans to aid them in their efforts.

What began as a labor dispute in the fields of Delano blossomed into a civil rights struggle, a movement for achieving justice for farmworkers.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

New national park proposed to honor Cesar Chavez, Filipino labor leaders and the UFW

The Cesar Chavez National Monument in La Paz, CA would become part of the proposed
national park honoring the agricultural workers movement.

A bill was introduced to Congress to create a new national historical park to mark the life of Cesar E. Chavez and the wider farmworker movement including the pivotal role of Filipino labor leaders on Thursday, June 9.

The bill submitted by California's Rep Raul Ruiz and Senator Alex Padilla would designate a Cesar Chavez and Farmworker Movement National Historical Park, is the result of more than a decade of work by community advocates, members of Congress, and a wide range of organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association.

If passed, the bill would expand the existing Cesar E. Chavez National Monument in La Paz, CA. and create a new park with multiple sites in California and Arizona. 

In addition to exploring Cesar Chavez’s life and work, the park will celebrate and share other leaders and aspects of the farmworker movement including Larry Itliong and the Filipino farmworkers who were instrumental to the creation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. Without Itliong and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee that he represented and made up mostly of Filipinos, there would be no UFW.

(EDITOR'S OPINION INSERTED HERE: Perhaps a more appropriate name for the proposed park would be the "Chavez-Itliong and Farmworker Movement National Historical Park.")

The park would also include “The 40 Acres” in Delano, California, which served as the first headquarters for the UFW and the site of Agbayani Village, a retirement home for farmworkers. It would also include the route of the 300-mile farmworker march to Sacramento in 1966, which generated national attention to their struggle for dignity, better working conditions, and fair wages.

The legislation follows recommendations finalized by the National Park Service in 2012 from its multi-year study of the life of Cesar Chavez and the history of the farmworker movement in California and the West.

“It is crucial that our national parks represent the diversity of America and respect the rich heritage of its people. Establishing this National Park would help fulfill this vision,” said Dr. Michelle Magalong, President of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation. 

“Establishing such a park is an opportunity to spread the legacy and vision of Chavez and other leaders in the farm labor movement to audiences around the country. We support honoring the legacy of many leaders of the farm labor movement and support legislation by Senator Padilla and Representative Ruiz to establish the Cesar E. Chavez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park,” said Magalong.

Larry Itliong, right, and Cesar Chavez, left, were co-leaders of the UFW.

NPCA has been involved in multiple aspects of the effort for more than a decade, including calling for and celebrating the establishment of the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, supporting the Park Service in its multi-year study, facilitating conversations with key stakeholders and partners, and assisting the legislative offices now championing this effort in Congress.

“Only 8% of historic, cultural, and public land designations are based on Latino, Black, Indigenous and other communities of color histories and this offers an opportunity to expand our nation’s narrative to be inclusive of the histories and contributions of Latino communities in the United States.” said Shanna Edberg, Director of Conservation Programs for Hispanic Access Foundation. 

“Ten years after President Obama established the César E. Chávez National Monument, we call on Congress to build upon that foundation through a National Historical Park that will preserve the broader history of the Farmworker Movement – a movement that united heroic women and men who were seeking fairness and equality,” said Sehila Mota Casper, Executive Director of Latinos in Heritage Conservation. 

“We also recognize that the National Park Service must continue to improve upon its efforts to be America’s storyteller and thereby attract, educate, and serve America’s increasingly diverse population," Mota continued. "The César E. Chávez and the Farmworker Movement National Historical Park would interpret an important chapter in our nation’s history, celebrate our nation’s growing diversity, and strengthen the unity we must share today if we are to overcome the challenges of tomorrow.”

The NPCA played a similar role in the establishing the newest national park, the Amache National Historic Site in Colorado where thousands of Japanese Americans were unconstitutionally incarcerated during WWII. It gained national park status in March of this year.

“The new park will highlight Cesar Chavez’s life and work, as well as celebrate and share other leaders and aspects of the farmworker movement including Larry Itliong and the Filipino farmworkers, who were instrumental to the creation of the United Farm Workers," said Sally Garcia, Los Angeles Outreach Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).  

"It will play an important role in our political and social discourse in immigration, civil and labor rights, and issues relevant to the Latinx community,” 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Campaign launched for a US postal stamp honoring Larry Itliong

What a Larry Itliong stamp might look like.

A former postal worker is spearheading an effort to have labor leader Larry Itliong on a U.S. postal stamp. 

Alfonso Salazar, a retired postal service employee, created an online form for people to indicate their support.

Ssalazar was inspired to launch his campaign last October when Itliong was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Oct. 25, Itliong's birthday, be observed as Larry Itliong Day in the state.

He first learned about Itliong in 2014 when the motion picture Cesar Chavez hit the theaters. The movie created a controversy because in the final cut, the role of Itliong and Filipinos were relegated to the background.

Even though he is a Mexican American, he believes Itliong deserves to be on par with Cesar Chavez. The two men were instrumental in the 1965 Grape Strike that led to formation of the United Farm Workers by joining the Filipino farm workers with the Mexican workers. Chavez was granted a stamp in 2003. 

It was Itliong who convinced Chavez to join the grape strike started by the Filipino farm workers.

“I know (about Itliong), but I don’t know if the nation knows about him,” he said. “This is a good way for people to learn about him.”

“His actions and beliefs taught me to stand up for what I believe in even when it seems impossible or too difficult. It should never be about me. It should always be about 'We,'” said Itliong's daughter Patty Itliong Serda from an interview introducing the book about her father, “The Journey for Justice.”

In his 34 years working for USPS as a graphic artist, Salazar said he never saw a stamp honoring a Filipino.

The online petition as well as a letter proposing the Itliong stamp will be sent to Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations for new stamps. The approval process may take years.

Cesar Chavez, left, and Larry Itliong, right, founded the United Farm Workers.

Salazar hopes the online petition will generate community support, which the committee takes into consideration in evaluating a new stamp. It helps to have wide support not only from Filipino community leaders but from activists in the labor movement, allies from all races and politicians. When Chavez's stamp was approved, it had the support of then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the U.S. and State Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, and the Hispanic Caucus. 

“You learn the history for each stamp that comes out, and during the 34 years I’ve been [at USPS], I’ve gotten to learn a lot about our history here,” Salazar told the Inquirer. “It’s almost like, if stamps were like a quilt that represented the United States, then you have to include Filipino Americans as part of that quilt. Otherwise, there’s a piece missing.”

To learn more and to add your name to keep up to date on this USPS commemorative stamp effort for Larry Itliong, visit: www.realitymaniacs.com/larry-itliong

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.

Hispanic Heritage Month: When Filipinos and Mexicans refused to be pitted against each other

1965 UFW photo

Andy Imutan (left, front) with Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong and Bobby Kennedy.

Larry Itliong is slowly getting his well-deserved attention for his work as a Filipino American labor organizer. He was not alone. There was a whole cadre of leaders that led to Mexican and Filipino American farm workers to join together to give birth to  the United Farmworkers union.

It is fitting that Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, overlaps Filipino American History Month (October.) Filipinos and Mexicans have a centuries-old history of working together, trading and sharing food, customs and language while Mexico and the Philippines were colonies of Spain. That relationship perhaps explains why they were able to resist the growers' attempts to pit them against each other in the farm fields of the West Coast.

However, there were many Filipino American leaders that led to the creation of the groundbreaking decision to overcome the growers' strategy pitting Mexican and Filipino farm workers against each other. Among them were Pete Velasco, Chris Mensalves and Andy Imutan.

Imutan was one of the original strikers from the 1965 walkouts who started it all. He was a leader of AWOC and later a vice president of the United Farm Workers, formed by the merger of the largely Filipino AWOC and the mostly Latino NFWA. Imutan was also in charge of the Baltimore and New York boycotts, and was UFW director in Stockton and Delano.

Below is a speech by Imutan during the 40th anniversary of Delano Grape Strike in Delano, September 2005.

By Andy Imutan

My name is Andy Imutan and I am one of the original Filipino workers who went on strike in 1965. I am now only one of two living Filipino workers from that era as most of my brothers have passed away. The one thing that does remain is their legacy and their fight for a just cause.

The whole movement began in Coachella that same summer [of 1965]. That’s when a group of Filipino workers went on strike demanding that their wages be increased from $1.10 an hour as well as better living conditions. Finally, after 10 days of picketing we finally accomplished what we had set out to do-we increased our wages by 30¡Ë an hour. The victory was more grandiose, not so much for the wage increase but for its significance at defeating the growers. We knew then that we could accomplish a lot more.

As I look back, I don’t think we could have accomplished such victory in Coachella had it not been for the leadership of our brothers Ben Gines, Pete Manuel and Larry Itliong, who were all instrumental in that victory.

After a successful first strike we did it again, this time in Delano where wages were also starting out at $1.10 an hour. However, the struggle became a lot harder when Mexican workers started crossing our picketlines. There was no unity between the Mexicans and the Filipinos. The growers were very successful in dividing us and creating conflict between the two races. Although we tried to discourage and reason with the Mexicans that this was just hurting everyone, we weren’t able to convince them.

So Larry Itliong and I decided to take action by seeing Cesar Chavez, the leader of the National Farm Workers Association. We met to come up with a plan that would be beneficial for everyone, including the Mexican workers. However, Chavez said his organization wasn’t ready to go on a strike. It took several discussions and a lot of faith, but finally the Filipinos and Mexicans joined as one on September 16, to picket the Delano growers. On March 17, 1966 we set out on a march from Delano to Sacramento that initially only had 70 farm workers and volunteers. But by April 11, as we climbed the steps of the state Capitol, there were 10,000 supporters who had joined us in the cause.

A few months later our union, AWOC, and the NFWA joined as a single union. Out of this union the United Farm Workers was born. It was a very exciting time as we knew the potential when we joined together not as competitors but as true brothers joined in a very legitimate cause.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.

New San Jose park may honor the Filipino American farmworkers of Delano

An artist rendering of the future park. Photo courtesy of City of San Jose.

San Jose will likely get a new park named after the Filipino agricultural workers who launched the 1965 Grape Strike that led to the creation of the United Farm Workers.

If approved by the city council, a neighborhood park will be named the “Delano Manongs Park, to honor the Filipino farm workers who struck against grape growers for better pay and working conditions. The park would be the city's first physical  acknowledgement of the local Filipino American community since there is no Little Manila or Filipino district.

“There’s a huge population of Filipino Americans in San Jose. And we’re never represented anywhere,” said Ann Reginio, a community organizer with the Santa Clara Valley chapter Filipino American National Historical Society.

Filipino activists who lobbied for the park's name say the honor is a long time coming, considering San Jose’s sizable Filipino community — 5.5% of the city’s 2 million residents  and 13.6% of the population in the park’s ZIP code, according to a city presentation.

According to city documents, over 70% of the neighborhood around the park who had a hand in the park's planning favors naming the park after the Filipino American labor heroes.

The half-acre park broke ground in September 2020 and is expected to be completed this summer. It will include a children’s playground, a gathering place, open green space and signage. The Planning Commission also approved for a Filipino-related monument at the park to honor the farmworkers.

“Manong,” is from the Ilocano dialect and translates to “older brother,” was used by college students as a term of endearment for the older Filipino farmworkers, most of whom immigrated to the US in the 1930s.

“They (the manongs) were an incredibly significant and often overlooked piece of what we now know as the movement that Cesar Chavez led in his lifetime,” said Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, whose district includes the park, according to the San Jose Spotlight. “It will bring a sense of pride.”

The San Jose City Council must approved the Park Commission's recommendation. At this point, the item has not been placed on the council agenda.

Filipino American History Month: Celebrating Larry Itliong Day!

Maybe the reason Larry Itliong didn't get the glowing media attention as Cesar Chavez is because he was a bit blunter with his words. He didn't fit the stereotype of the quiet, unassertive Asian.

Where Chavez was media smart, Itliong was street smart. The labor leader was -- say we say, a little rough around the edges. His manner made White reporters a little uncomfortable.

RELATED: Why all Americans should know about Larry Itliong

California's Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed today (Oct. 25) Larry Itliong Day. The governor's  official Proclamation reads:

On this day in 1913, Larry Itliong was born in San Nicolas, Pangasinan – a province of the Philippines. At the age of 15, he left his homeland and arrived in the United States in 1929. While working as a migrant laborer in the fisheries and canneries of Alaska, Itliong helped found the Alaska Cannery Workers Union. Within a year of founding the union, Itliong fought for a contract that gave workers an eight-hour workday with overtime. 

Through this work, Itliong emerged as a leader in the Filipino-American community of “Manongs” – respected elder workers who were instrumental in shaping the farm labor movement. 

After serving his country in World War II, Itliong settled in Stockton, California and continued his work in the labor movement. He was involved in organizing the asparagus strike of 1948 – the first major agricultural strike after World War II and in 1956, Itliong founded the Filipino Farm Labor Union in Stockton. Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz and the Manong leaders helped create the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). 

In Spring, 1965, Itliong fought alongside grape workers in the Coachella Valley for increased pay. After that victory, the Manongs voted in September 1965 to organize against grape growers in Delano who were exploiting workers toiling in their fields. A few days later, the Manongs joined forces with Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and the National Farmworkers Association, beginning a nationwide boycott of grapes that lasted five years and led to the first farmworker union contracts. 

Itliong and the Manongs continued to serve the Filipino-American community in the Central Valley by creating plans for the Paolo Agbayani Village, where retired Manongs could live out their lives in comfort and dignity. 

During the grape strike, Itliong negotiated with growers that a percentage of each grape box picked would support the retirement village. 

During Filipino American History month, we remember the Manongs’ message of “Isang Bagsak!” – That we are connected together in our fight for justice, we rise and fall together. We recognize the power of working across language and cultural barriers to fight for better working conditions for all. 

Today, on this 107th anniversary of his birth, we recognize the great contributions of Larry Itliong and the Manongs whose hard-fought battles helped advance farmworkers’ rights and social justice. The lasting relevance of their cause is underscored by the outsized burden borne by our farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic, whose essential role in securing our food supply puts them at greater risk. In redoubling our efforts to protect these workers, we honor an indelible legacy which continues to inspire the next generation of leaders across our state and nation. 

NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim October 25, 2020, as “Larry Itliong Day.”

(Signed) Gavin Newsom

Governor of California

Larry Itliong, front left, and Cesar Chavez, front right, formed the United Farmworkers Union,
the first time Filipinos and Mexicans joined to fight for better working conditions.

The 1965 Grape Strike was overshadowed by Martin Luther King's crusade for Civil Rights happening in the South at the same time, but they were both part of the same movement fighting for equal rights, equal opportunities and recognition that these black and brown men and women were human beings and deserved to treated as human beings.

This legacy of fighting for human rights, for civil rights, for the downtrodden, the forgotten, the overlooked, the voiceless, is another reason why October is recognized as Filipino American History Month.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.

 

Kamala Harris wins the endorsement of the United Farm Workers

UFW

Sen. Kamala Harris wins the support of the United Farm Workers at the union's convention in Long Beach, Calif.

Sen. Kamala Harris received a much needed boost with the endorsement of the powerful United Farm Workers.

The endorsement Saturday (Nov. 16) comes just before another Democratic debate and as Harris' campaign has been plunging in the primary polls since June.

“These working families are the lifeblood of our economy and our communities, and this union has long been on the front lines in the fight for justice in America,” Harris said.

Although Filipinos only make up a fraction of today's UFW, the 11,000-member union and its history still resonates strongly among Filipino Americans who grew up in the 60s and 70s and college-age Filipinos.

The influential California-based farm workers labor group, which was formed when Filipino and Mexican farm workers joined forces in the 1960s. Established by liberal organizing icons Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and Filipino American labor leaders the late Larry Itliong, Phillip Vera Cruz and Andy Imutan, the union has a long history in progressive politics. The union represents more than 10,000 agricultural workers in California and along the West Coast. The union also has a strong political grassroots presence in the Southwest.

The union’s executive board and leadership voted “overwhelmingly” to endorse Harris, UFW President Teresa Romero said in a press statement. The union did hear from other Democratic candidates before making their endorsement.

Huerta personally endorsed Harris earlier this year.

"Senator Harris has the longest history of working directly with the UFW," said United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero said at the UFW National Convention at Long Beach, Calif.  

The UFW statement continued: 

"She led the fight for equal treatment and protection of farm workers. She is author of the federal bill providing overtime pay after eight hours a day for America’s farm workers. She lobbied the governor to sign California’s landmark law in 2016 providing phased-in overtime and to strengthen the state rules preventing worker deaths and illnesses from extreme heat. She has joined farm worker marches and the 2016 UFW convention.

"We also support Senator Harris because of her bold leadership on immigrant rights, from championing genuine immigration reform to voting against funding for Trump’s cruel and useless wall."

The UFW's endorsement and lobbying efforts will be invaluable for Harris as she seeks the nomination of California's Democrats at the party's upcoming convention and the union's ability to marshal up foot soldiers to knock on doors. She will need the UFW's influence in California where Harris is lagging behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders.

 “In this campaign, we are fighting injustices that leave too many Americans without access to health care, living wages and basic dignity, and together with my brothers and sisters in labor, I know we will win,” said Harris.

_________________________________________________________________

Why all Americans should know about Larry Itliong

The late labor leader Larry Itliong's birthday is Oct. 25.

UPDATED Oct. 19, 2021

I was greatly disappointed that in the movie Cesar Chavez, that Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong was given the role of a spear carrier. 

I'm not sure his name was mentioned at all during the biopic of Chavez He just hung out in the background while the camera focused on the great union leader..

("Spear carrier" is the older version of what we now call "red shirts." In Hollywood's old bliblical epics spear carriers were used as background, like a piece of furniture or painting on the wall. Their moder equivalent are the red shirts, derived from the Star Trek television series. Those crewmen who wore red shirts had no name and if shooting was to ensue, they would be the first to be hit.)

Larry Itliong's name and deeds should be just as celebrated and held in reverence -- though the rough-around-the-edges Itliong would the first to blanch at that -- as we hold Chavez' name in esteem.

In California, legislation in 2015 by then-Assemblymember Rob Bonta, the only Filipino American in the state's legislature, made Itliong's birthday, Oct. 25,  a day to recognize the historic figure and his role in shaping California and the Filipino American community of today.

Larry Itliong Day is taking a while to get recognized. Celebrations throughout the state have been few but each year, more cities, communities and schools are learning to celebrate the American icon. 

A park in Delano has been named after Itliong and a school in the Bay Area bares his name along with fellow labor leader Philip Vera Cruz.

Itliong, also known as “Seven Fingers,” was a Filipino American labor organizer whose story is not as well known as others but is just as important to our history. 

It’s been said that Cesar Chavez inspired the world but that Larry Itliong inspired Cesar Chavez. In an era known for civil rights movements, Itliong fought for better working conditions for farm workers.

He came to the U.S. in 1929 when he was 15, never having slept in a bed or lived in a home with electricity. He was a natural activist and worked as a laborer and a farmhand in several states. 

Itliong first joined striking lettuce workers in Washington State. Later, he fished in Alaska and organized the cannery workers there. It was also in Alaska that he lost three fingers in an accident in a cannery, earning him the nickname “Seven Fingers.” 

Itliong went on to organize Filipino farm workers as they followed the seasonal harvests of grapes, raisins, brussel sprouts and other crops across Central California. 

The historic strike vote led by Itliong and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee took place on Sept. 8 1965 and was soon joined by the Chavez-led National Farm Workers Association. Five years later, they formed the powerful United Farm Workers and forever changed the face of agricultural labor in California. 

Itliong spent his life standing up for his belief that “everyone has equal rights and justice, but you have to make that come about.” He died on Feb. 8, 1977, leaving a legacy of activism for later generations of Filipino students, housing advocates, doctors, CPAs, nurses, tech workers, home care and domestic workers.

Itliong moved on to become the President of the Filipino American Political Association, the first national political Filipino American organization and a crucial alliance between Filipino professionals and laborers that grew out of the Delano Grape Strike.

He was also instrumental in the founding of the Pablo Agbayani Village, a retirement home built by volunteers for retired Filipino Manongs who no longer had families and needed a place to call home.

Larry Itliong passed away in 1977 at the age of 63 leaving behind his wife and seven children and the everlasting legacy of Filipino American activism.

TGIF Feature: California celebrates life of labor leader Larry Itliong

LARRY ITLIONG

THURSDAY was Larry Itliong Day in California, the only state to have a day honoring a Filipino American.

What better way to mark the occasion than to listen to the students of the Larry Itliong-Philip Vera Cruz Middle School in Union City, California.

Hearing the young students sing "Solidarity Forever" is something I never could have imagined happening. It still gives me chills.

Larry Itliong Day was made a day of observance honoring the late labor leader in 2015 when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta. Bonta is the first Filipino American elected to the California Assembly.

Itliong led the Filipino farm workers to strike for better wages in 1965. For two weeks the striking Filipinos endured threats and violence from goons hired by big agriculture.

He was able to persuade Cesar Chavez, leader of the Mexican farm workers to join the strike two weeks later. The two unions formed the United Farm Workers (UFW).

Because Oct. 25 fell on a Thursday, most of the observances will occur this Saturday or the following weekend. Some of the events honoring the Filipino American labor leader are listed below:

Historian Dawn Mabalon was working on
 this book when she passed away.

ALAMEDA
Saturday, Oct. 27
Bohol Circle, 1815 Union Street
Free Festival
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

CARSON
Saturday, Oct. 27
Veterans Park, 23400 Moneta Ave.
Free parade and festival
9 a.m.- 12 p.m.

CHULA VISTA

Saturday, Oct. 27

Otay Ranch Town Center, 2015 Birch Road

Free Fiesta
12 p.m.-4 p.m.

LOS ANGELES

Saturday, Oct. 27

1648 Beverly Blvd

Free Parade

9 a.m.-10 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO

Saturday, Oct. 27

Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St.

Free Book Launch of the late Dawn Mabalon's "Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong"

1 p.m.-3 p.m.

________________________________________________________________________________

National Museum includes an Asian American perspective on U.S. history

IN THE WANING days of Asian American & Pacific American Month, visitors to Washington DC may be pleasantly surprised to see the displays at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History. It tells the unvarnished history of our country that is usually excluded in high school history texts - warts and all.

Americans of Asian descent are included in the telling of our country's story: from the building of the transcontinental railroad, the longtime use of imported labor to harvest our crops, to the immigrants of today - the high-tech experts, the medical professionals, scientists and entrepreneurs.

The museum has devoted several rooms to the incarceration of Japanese/Americans during World War II, titled "Righting A Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II," a dark chapter in America's history that is usually glossed over and given only a couple of paragraphs at most in our schools' studies of American history.

Besides showing a reproduction of Executive Order 9066 which made it possible to round up all people of Japanese descent in the western U.S. and the heroics of the 442nd Regiment, the museum included a display explaining the little known resistance within the Japanese/American community against the illegality of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's executive order. The most notable member of the resisters was Fred Korematsu, whose case was revived in the 1960s that eventually led to an admission of 9066's unconstitutionality, a formal apology from President Ronald Reagan and reparations.

The exhibit consists mostly of document reproductions, photos and quotes. It could use a little more interactiveness, perhaps a recording or two by some of the former internees describing their horror at being detained and the losses they suffered by givng up their homes, farms and businesses.

It be great to simply press a button and hear the story of the late Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye who lost an arm during WWII. Press another button and listen to George Takei's story of being interned as a young child and how it led to creating the Broadway musical "Allegiance." (See how you can donate below.)

Unfortunately, unlike the rest of the museum that had students running to and fro, parents explaining to their kids what the exhibits meant, and lines of people waiting to see an exhibit close up, visitors to the Internment exhibit was relatively sparse. The same could be said of the African/American exhibit next door, that tells their story from the slave ships to their cultural prominence today. It appears that some Americans prefer to turn a blind eye to the real story of our country.

As America's story continues, museum visitors are told of the waves of immigrant workers who work in Hawaii's sugar cane fields and California's agricultural heartland: First the Chinese, then the Japanese, then the Filipinos followed by Mexican farm workers.

This leads to the creation of the United Farm Workers led by Cesar Chavez. Unfortunately, in this exhibit, little is mentioned of the multi-ethnic origins of the UFW initially led by Filipino/Americans Larry Itliong, Phillip Vera Cruz and Andy Imutan that forced Chavez to join forces with the Filipino workers.

Filipino farmworkers in California.

A Japanese/American family in their California strawberry field.

A diorama showing Chinese farmworkers doing the backbreaking work of the harvest

In more modern times, AAPI immigrants continue to contribute to the prosperity of the United States, students who come to study find employment here: medical professionals from the Philippines providing medical help in our hospitals, labs and universities, and the immigrants flocking to Silicon Valley. 

Newer immigrants contintue to contribute to America's welfare.

All in all, the Smithsonian should be applauded for their inclusion of AAPI stories in the telling the complete story of our country at the National Museum of American History. The stories are especially relevant this month, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. They could probably use more donations from AAPI individual donors and corporations to expand their work.

For a number of years, the Smithsonian has embarked on a strategy to diversify its story telling and exhibits. These exhibits are put together by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Among the exhibits are the A Day and Life of Asian Pacific America photo exhibit and the Beyond Bollywood exhibit, South Asian and Asian American artists are featured in H-1B, referring to the work visa for special occupations, plus staging events around the country.  

If the Smithsonian isn't careful, they might attract the attention of the Trump administration. Given the desire of Donald Trump and his followers to return to the good ol' days, they might not like facing the real facts of U.S. history. The gold ol' days were not good for everybody.

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Assemblymember Rob Bonta: Citizenship with a side of adobo

California Assemblymember Rob Bonta pushed for AB1066 that gave farmworkers equity for overtime work.

Sept. 17 is Citizenship Day. To mark this occasion, Views From the Edge is reprinting an op-ed by California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, the only Filipino/American in the state legislature - editor.

By Assemblymember Rob Bonta

REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF NEW AMERICAN MEDIA

I LEARNED what it means to be a U.S. citizen at the family dinner table.

My earliest memories are of the vivid stories my parents told me, stories that shaped the values I hold to this day and that emphasized the importance of citizens playing an active role in shaping and improving our world.

Over warm bowls of sinigang, my father told my brother, sister and me how he marched in Selma, Alabama and stood with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the historic battle for civil rights.

Over chicken adobo and steamed rice, my mother shared how she lived in the Philippines during a time of great political upheaval, how she strongly opposed the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship and the human rights abuses that defined it, and how she fought for democracy and self-determination. I was born in Quezon City, Philippines. And when I was just two months old, in the ramp up to Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law, my parents decided to leave the country and come to California. My mother was and continues to be a prominent leader in the Filipino/American social justice movement.

And while eating ube ice cream and leche flan, my parents recounted how we lived in a trailer in the legendary La Paz, the headquarters for the United Farm Workers of America in the Central Valley, just a stone's throw away from the home of Cesar Chavez. They described how they worked alongside civil rights leaders like Chavez, Philip Vera Cruz, Pete Velasco, and Dolores Huerta, organizing Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in their struggle for fair treatment and better working conditions.

Through these lessons shared at the family dinner table, my parents instilled in me a sense of civic duty to fight for justice and serve others. Today, as a California State Legislator, I focus most of my time and energy working to help our most vulnerable community members who have historically had little or no voice.

Being a U.S. citizen may not compel you to seek elected office, like it did me, but it must stir in you a sense of ownership in and commitment to this great country. Whether you were born a U.S. citizen like I was or naturalized like my mother, you are a full member of the United States. All of us are equals. That is a powerful and fundamental defining tenet of this nation.

In my view, all U.S. citizens must be involved in shaping our democracy and changing the community for the better. Engagement and activism are critical.

This engagement can take many forms. At its most basic, everyone who is eligible should register to vote. And once registered, we must vote in every election for the rest of our lives. Showing up to vote during presidential elections only is not enough. We must vote on local measures and propositions. Who should be your city councilmember or county supervisor? Do the elected members of your school board share your vision for the type of education you want for your children?

As a member of the California State Assembly, I authored and got passed AB 817 to help make voting easier. This law provides language assistance to voters at polling places. As our state becomes more diverse, it’s critically important to provide the tools to help all citizens exercise their constitutional rights. AB 817 allows lawful permanent residents to serve as volunteers during elections. This is a great way to expose future citizens to civic engagement and help current citizens exercise their right to vote.

There are other ways to be an active and engaged citizen. Serve on a jury. Show up at a school board or city council meeting and share your opinion. Help a candidate that shares your values get elected or walk or make phone calls to get a local measure passed, like a school parcel tax.

During elections, we often hear the partisan rhetoric that either Democrats or Republicans are hurting our country. But neither Republicans nor Democrats are the enemy. I believe the real threat to our nation is apathy.

We overcome apathy by staying informed. Reading a local newspaper, following social media, or watching the news on television helps to build the connective tissue among us and helps to reinforce the words in the Constitution that “We the People” matter-- that we are indeed a "we" and are all in this together. And that "we" are responsible for speaking up in the face of injustice.

Many countries do not give their citizens the fundamental right to make their voices heard, challenge the system, and work to realize a more perfect union.

People should embrace healthy discussions about the course of our nation and the condition of our people. We should talk about how to make our nation stronger and more just for our citizens and non-citizens. And we should act to carry out that vision.

This privilege of living in the United States must never be taken for granted. And the duty of being an engaged and active citizen must never be forgotten.

California State Assemblymember Rob Bonta represents the 18th District, including Alameda, Oakland and San Leandro. This column is part of a series of op-eds by public officials about citizenship, published by New America Media in collaboration with the national, nonpartisan network New Americans Campaign. For more information about upcoming citizenship workshops near you, go to: newamericanscampaign.org/events.