By Sebastian C. Romero, Assistant Entertainment Editor
Since Asian American month is coming very soon, let’s talk about Larry Itliong, a Filipino American who helped organize the West Coast farm workers, starting in the 1930s.
Larry Itliong was born on Oct. 25, 1913, in San Nicolas, Philippines. He was among six children in his family. At an early age in his life, he knew and wanted to be a lawyer to fight for the rights of the common people.
Itliong belonged to the first major waves or generations of Filipino immigrants called “Manong” (Ilocano meaning “elder brother”) in the United States between the 1900s to 1930s. The Manongs were mostly young Filipino men who were employed as a source of cheap labor when the Philippines was still a U.S colony. They were promised the American Dream only to receive hardships and racial discrimination. Itliong would give a speech about it in his 1976 address to students at the University of California, when he stated: “You go to the United States Where they pick money on trees. Did that happen? Hell no.”
After finishing sixth grade in the Philippines, he realized that he couldn’t pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer, but he still remained passionately about defending the rights of the poor. At the age of 14, Itliong migrated to the United States in hope of earning his law degree. He arrived in Alaska in 1929 and later found work in different states, from the canneries of Alaska to the railroads of Montana and the agricultural fields of California. He would later get the nickname “seven fingers” after losing three of his fingers because of a work-related accident.
In 1930, he joined his first strike, and within the same year, he co-founded the Alaska Canneries Workers Union. He would later earn his reputation as a young, fiery activist and also a leading figure in labor organizing throughout the West Coast.
Itliong served the U.S. Army from 1936 to 1943. He gained his U.S. citizenship in 1944 for his service in World War II. After returning back to the U.S, Itliong didn’t waste any time in resuming his fight for workers’ rights. He moved to Stockton, California, and founded the Filipino Farm Labor Union in 1956, and also the multi-ethnic Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee in 1959.
In May of 1965, Itliong led a successful strike of Filipino farmworkers on vineyards in Coachella. The victory empowered farm workers throughout California’s Central Valley to protest against the low wages and miserable working conditions and living conditions. Among their requests and demands were basic necessities such as clean drinking water and toilets. Three months later, on Sept. 8, 1965, thousands of Filipino American farmworkers, led by AWOC (Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee) went on a strike in Delano, California. Itliong would later ask the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), led by people like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, to join the strike. Chavez initially declined the offer, believing that the Mexican-American farmworkers needed at least two more years to be ready to help out the Filipino farmworkers on their strike.
On Sept. 16, 1965, eight days after Chavez declined the offer, the Mexican-American farmworkers walked out and joined the strike with the Filipinos. The AWOC and NFWA would soon be merged to form the United Farm Workers (UFW) movement with Itliong being the assistant director. The Delano Grape Strike lasted five years and also became one of the most pivotal labor movements in the history of the United States.
Itliong passed away on Feb. 8, 1977, at the age of 63, due to Lou Gehrig’s disease. His impact on farm life and farm workers would improve safety and better hourly pay for generations to come.