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Larry Itliong: The Father of the West Coast Labor Movement

By Carlota Morgado de Almeida | 10 hours ago

Larry Itliong

By Carlota Morgado de Almeida

In our Icon Series, we reflect upon individuals who have laid the foundation for our journey toward justice and equity. The New Hampshire Center for Justice & Equity celebrates the extraordinary life of Larry Itliong. This is day 2 of six in the series leading up to Thanksgiving. Read day 1 here: https://indepthnh.org/2024/11/19/audre-lorde-the-warrior-poet-of-justice-and-equity/

About Larry Itliong

Larry Itliong was a Filipino-American labor leader and activist who was pivotal in the American labor movement. He organized West Coast farmworkers, notably leading the Delano Grape Strike in 1965, which united Filipino and Mexican laborers and helped form the United Farm Workers (UFW). An advocate for racial equity and workers’ rights, Itliong’s efforts improved wages and conditions for thousands of agricultural workers. Though often overshadowed in history, Itliong’s role in the labor movement helped shape the modern pursuit of economic and racial justice.

Early Life: A Dream turned into Nightmare

Born in San Nicolas in the Philippines, on October 25, 1913, to a family with six children, Itliong’s story is one of resilience, empowerment, and a relentless pursuit of fairness for marginalized communities. Itliong’s journey toward activism began early. In 1929, at just 15 years old and with no more than a sixth-grade education, he migrated to the United States in search of a better life, dreaming of continuing his education and becoming a lawyer.

However, upon arrival, Itliong was met with the harsh realities of discrimination and exploitation. The economic difficulties of the Great Depression brought along a climate of racial violence and anti-immigrant rhetoric, especially against the many Filipino immigrants who came to the United States in the 20th century. Soon the promise of opportunity quickly gave way to low-paying, back-breaking jobs in Alaska’s salmon canneries, California’s vineyards, and Washington’s farms. These experiences exposed Itliong to the poor conditions of seasonal farm laborers and inspired a lifetime of organizing.

The Road to Union Leadership

Still a teenager, in 1930, Itliong led his first protest, mobilizing around 1,500 farmworkers in lettuce fields in Monroe, Washington to walk out on strike. After that, he quickly rose as a leader in the fight against unjust wages, poor working conditions, and racial discrimination. By 1933, he was organizing strikes in California’s Salinas Valley that were part of the growing agricultural movement of the 1930s. At this time, Itliong also helped found the Alaska Cannery Workers Union, which became Local 7 of the United Cannery, Agricultural and Packinghouse Workers of America (UCAPAWA) in 1937.

After serving in World War II for the U.S. Army from 1936 to 1943, Itliong became an American citizen and settled in Stockton, California’s Little Manilla community. In the following decades, he resumed his activism and founded two instrumental groups: the Filipino Farm Labor Union in 1956, and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) in 1959. Itliong, who got the nickname ‘seven fingers’ after a work-related accident, was single minded in the fight for fair wages and safe working conditions. His leadership marked a significant turning point in American labor history.

“The Constitution said that everybody has equal rights and justice. You have to make that come about. They are not going to give it to you.”

The Delano Grape Strike: A Historic Partnership

One of Itliong’s most notable achievements came in 1965 when he organized the Delano Grape Strike, a milestone in labor history. Itliong and the AWOC led thousands of Filipino farm workers to strike against grape growers in Delano, California, who paid substandard wages and provided intolerable working and living conditions. Recognizing the power of collective action, Itliong reached out to Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, leaders of the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which consisted largely of Mexican workers.

This collaboration between Filipino and Mexican laborers—two distinct communities connected in the United States by discrimination — represented a groundbreaking moment in the struggle for labor rights. Their joint effort led to the creation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1967 which turned the Delano Grape Strike into a powerful movement that captured nationwide attention through boycotts and demonstrations, eventually leading to significant reforms in labor practices.

A Life-long Commitment to Equity

Larry Itliong’s impact extended beyond the fields and farms. In 1971, Itliong resigned from the UFW due to internal tensions but continued his work as an organizer, including defending farm workers in Brazil and Chile. He was elected delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida. He oversaw the completion of the Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village, for aging Filipino farm workers which opened in 1974.

Itliong understood that the fight for labor rights was also a fight for racial equity. As a Filipino immigrant, he experienced the deep roots of racism firsthand and used this understanding to unite workers across racial and ethnic lines. His leadership was not just about securing better wages – it was about addressing the systemic inequalities and affirming the dignity and humanity of those who were routinely marginalized.

Honoring Itliong’s Legacy

Despite his significant contributions, Larry Itliong’s role in the farmworkers’ movement remains one of the lesser-told stories in American civil rights history. For years, his legacy was overlooked in textbooks and historical narratives, an erasure that speaks to the larger marginalization of Asian American and Pacific Islander voices in U.S. history.

There has been a growing movement to reclaim Itliong’s place in civil rights and labor history in recent years. Schools, community organizations, and advocates for social justice are working to ensure that future generations understand and remember the full scope of his contributions. In 2015, the State of California formally recognized Itliong’s role in the Delano Grape Strike with the establishment of Larry Itliong Day on October 25th, a testament to his enduring influence on the fight for workers’ rights on the West Coast.

Larry Itliong’s life reminds us of the power of solidarity and the importance of building bridges across communities in the struggle for justice and equity. The New Hampshire Center for Justice & Equity gives thanks to his work as it speaks directly to our mission, which seeks to challenge the systemic barriers that hold communities of color back from flourishing to their full potential.

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