Larry Itliong Day 2022
Central Valley Empowerment Alliance, Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples, Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, and Malaya Lions Club put together a beautiful event for Larry Itliong Day last Sunday, October 23, 2022 that was a pilgrimage back to Larry's and the Manong's times. The 4 -part event began at the Larry Itliong Resource Center, 14665 Road 192, Poplar, CA 93257 from 9AM to 1PM. This was followed by a solidarity march a few miles down the road where once the UFW hiring hall was located. The third stage was a raised platform of earth used for loading and unloading equipment and/or produce located near the Tony Padilla labor camp of the past. Many of the Manongs from here were moved to Agbayani Village in their old age. The event concluded at the 40 Acres in Delano, 30168 Garces Hwy, Delano, CA 93215 from 3PM to 7PM.
The program was designed with the younger generation in mind providing them with the "Manong experience" of racial discrimination and inequity that Manong's suffered - recreated through period music and dance by the I-Hotel Jazz Ensemble, original Manong Letters from home, compliments of Dillon Delvo of Little Manila Rising and Virginia Savella Harper; Dahil Sa'yo, Spoken Word written by Zoe Dorado, Alessandra Mohar, and Juniper Dorado, Dahil Sa'yo Song, and "Larry, the Musical," Workshop 2, hosted by Dramaturg Kevin Camia.
"Larry, The Musical" is based on the book “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong,” authored by Dr. Dawn Mabalon and Gayle Romasanta. The musical covers Itliong’s life, from birth to his posthumous recognition by the State of California in 2015 with the proclamation of Larry Itliong Day each year on his birthday - October 25th. Larry's life story is about fighting for dignity in the fields and uniting Filipinos, Mexicans, and Yemeni together.
“Bold and Brave are attributes Larry Itliong embodied. Today’s times require us to have the same fortitude and deep love for community. Larry Itliong was visionary. He saw what was possible if only the community (Filipino and Mexican farm workers) would come together in Unity and Solidarity. Larry Itliong taught me of the importance of shared responsibility and accountability—taking care of our elders, our manongs, who have given their all for the betterment of a future that belongs to all. It is in this spirit of radical love for community through people power led by community leaders like Julita Agda, Jaime Pablo, Natividad Mallari, Ruth Martinez, Silvia Almanza and Gregorio Rodriguez that the Larry Itliong Resource Center keeps its doors open. We honor Manong Larry! ”
-Mari Perez-Ruiz
“Organizing around Larry Itliong Day, strengthens us when we remember his boldness in spreading dissatisfaction among powerless workers who quietly suffered through their endless daily toil. Working hard did not bring change to their life situation of poverty. They had to demand more - fair treatment - better working conditions - higher wages. He wanted Filipino farmworkers to get out of their oppression from a capitalist system. And that thought drove him to organize a strike that gained for them a contract that protected the human dignity of farmworkers. He led the Delano Grape Strike to success while others before him could not” says Arturo Rodriguez, Lead Community Organizer.
Our theme this year was "Dahil Sa'yo." The expression "Dahil Sa'yo" means "Because of You." It is the title of the favorite song Filipino farmworkers, the Manongs, sang in the evenings after dinner at the labor camps throughout the 20s and 30s as young men and into their older years in the 60s and 70s as Manongs. They sang it when they were homesick for home and their loved ones; they sang it to remind them that their labor movement for change was to make the future better for the generations to follow. That their reason for being was you. The young people want to believe "you" means them - the youth, the younger generation. It can also mean "us" the present intergenerational and diverse community.
"I like to think that Larry Itliong Day reminds us how critical solidarity is in anything we do today because we live in a very diverse, interactive, and interdependent world."
- Cynthia Bonta
