The unsung co-founder of the United Farm Workers is finally getting his due.
The state of California proclaimed today Larry Itliong Day to mark Filipino American Heritage Month.
Itliong along with Philip Vera Cruz and Manong leaders formed the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee.
In 1965, they organized grape workers in California’s Coachella Valley for increased pay.
They would later join Cesar Chavez, Delores Huerta and the National Farmworkers Association in organizing a nationwide boycott of grapes. That action led to the first farm workers union contract and the formation of the United Farm Workers.
Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, serving as acting governor while Gavin Newsom is in China, declared this special day.
“To honor his tireless activism and role as a father of the West Coast labor movement, Larry Itliong was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2021,” declared Kounalakis. “Today on the 110th anniversary of his birth, we reflect on Larry Itliong’s incredible work to change the history of farm labor and advance social justice. Let us reflect on the Manong’s timeless message of unity as we work to build a fairer and more equitable state for all Californians.”
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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