Larry Itliong: The Unseen Architect of the American Farm Labor Movement
Larry Itliong didn’t seek the spotlight, but without him, the farmworker movement in America would not be what it is today. A Filipino American labor organizer with a sharp mind, strong will, and an unwavering sense of justice, Itliong spent his life fighting for the rights of the nation’s most overlooked workers—those who harvested its food but couldn’t afford to eat it.
Though others often overshadow his name, Itliong helped spark one of the most pivotal labor strikes in American history and demanded that immigrant workers be seen not as tools, but as people with rights, voices, and dreams.
Early Life: From the Philippines to the Fields of California
Larry Dulay Itliong was born on October 25, 1913, in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, a rural province in the Philippines during American colonial rule. Like many Filipinos at the time, he grew up under U.S. influence—learning English in school and hearing stories of opportunity in the United States.
At 15, he boarded a ship to America, part of the wave of Filipino labor migration during the early 20th century. He arrived in California during the Great Depression, a time when jobs were scarce, wages were low, and racism was openly practiced. Filipino workers were often confined to the hardest, dirtiest agricultural labor, living in poor conditions and earning just pennies for backbreaking work.
But unlike many, Itliong didn’t accept that as inevitable. He asked questions, organized meetings, and fought for better treatment—not just for himself, but for his fellow manongs (a respectful Ilocano term for elder Filipino men).
A Career of Organizing: The Manong Who Never Backed Down
Larry Itliong spent decades moving up and down the West Coast, organizing farmworkers from California to Alaska. He was multilingual, quick-witted, and fearless in challenging both growers and union leaders who ignored Asian American workers.
In the 1930s and ’40s, he led strikes against asparagus and lettuce growers. In Alaska, he helped Filipino cannery workers fight for contracts and respect. By the 1950s, he had become a seasoned, deeply respected labor leader, especially within Filipino communities often excluded from white- or Latino-led unions.
But the moment defining his legacy came in 1965, in the grape fields of Delano, California.
The Delano Grape Strike: Lighting the Fuse of a Movement
At the time, grape growers in Delano paid their predominantly Filipino workers less than minimum wage and housed them in crumbling labor camps. Larry Itliong, then the leader of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC)—mostly made up of Filipino workers—called a strike on September 8, 1965. They left the fields demanding better wages, contracts, and conditions.
Itliong knew that to win, they needed more than 1,500 Filipinos. They needed solidarity.
He approached Cesar Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA)—a largely Mexican-American union—and asked them to join the strike. Chavez was hesitant; his organization wasn’t ready, but Itliong pressed him. He argued that if they stood apart, growers would divide and conquer, but if they stood together, they might change history.
Two weeks later, Chavez and Dolores Huerta agreed. The two unions joined forces in what became the Delano Grape Strike, a five-year struggle that included boycotts, marches, and national organizing.
Itliong’s leadership was instrumental in starting the strike and building the multiethnic coalition that powered it.
Leaving the UFW and Continuing the Fight
In 1966, AWOC and NFWA merged to form the United Farm Workers (UFW). But the new union didn’t reflect the equal leadership that had been promised. Filipino workers were often sidelined in favor of a more singular narrative centered around Chavez.
Itliong, never one to be silent in the face of injustice—even from allies—resigned from the UFW in 1971, frustrated by what he saw as the erasure of Filipino contributions.
But he didn’t stop organizing. He focused on building services for aging Filipino workers, who had spent their lives in the fields and were now too old to work, without families, pensions, or homes. He helped found Filipino Center, a retirement home in Delano, and continued speaking out for farmworkers and immigrants.
Legacy: A Voice Remembered, a History Reclaimed
Larry Itliong died on February 8, 1977, at age 63. At the time, his name was primarily known within Filipino and farmworker circles. But over the years, historians, educators, and activists have worked to restore his rightful place in the story of American labor.
In 2015, California officially recognized Larry Itliong Day (October 25) and added his name to the educational curriculum. Schools like Delano Elementary School have been renamed in his honor. Documentaries, books, and oral histories now tell the fuller story—that the fight for justice in the fields wasn’t the work of one man or one group. It was a coalition, and Larry Itliong was at its heart.
Why Larry Itliong Matters Today
Larry Itliong’s life reminds us that justice doesn’t just come from big speeches or famous faces. It comes from organizing meetings in union halls, standing in picket lines, and holding firm when others would compromise.
He taught us that dignity isn’t something to be granted but to be claimed. And even if your name isn’t in the history books yet, your voice, work, and courage still matter.
Because of Larry Itliong, thousands of farmworkers gained rights they never had before, immigrant workers found their voice, and the labor movement in America grew stronger and more honest.