Fil-Am in Los Angeles Pay Tribute to Labor Rights Leader
From left: Vice Consul Joan Macrise C. Corrado, Los Angeles City Council member Mitch O’ Farrell and Carson City Council member Jim Dear joins the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles during the Larry Itliong Day 2019 celebration, which was held at the Unidad Park on 26 October 2019. (Los Angeles PCG photo)

LOS ANGELES 20 December 2019 –The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, represented by Second Secretary and Vice Consul Joan Macrise C. Corrado and Cultural Officer Maria Dolores C.Sales, joined the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles in the Larry Itliong Day 2019 celebration, on 26 October 2019 at the Unidad Park.

In her remarks, Vice Consul Corrado, on behalf of the Consulate General, commended the Pilipino Workers Center, led by its Executive Director, Aquilina Verzosa, for the organization’s commitment to promoting the life and legacy of Filipino farmworker and labor rights leader, Larry Itliong, through an outdoor festival set at the heart of Historic Filipinotown.

Council members Mitch O’ Farrell and Jim Dear of the Cities of Los Angeles and Carson, respectively, as well as Filipino-American Commissioner of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, Jessica Caloza were also present and gave their remarks during the event.

Larry Itliong’s youngest daughter, Patty Itliong-Serda, and her daughter, Hailey also joined the community in the celebrations.

The event also featured cultural presentations from performing group, Kayamanan ng Lahi, and a play adaptation by Filipino-American ARTS of the book entitled, Journey for Justice, written by Gayle Romasanta and the late Dr. Dawn Mabalon on the life of Larry Itliong.

Larry Dulay Itliong, known as one of the fathers of the West Coast labor movement, was a Filipino-American union leader who led a walkout of 1,500 Filipino grape pickers and began the Great Delano Grape Strike in September 1965 to protest low wages and miserable working conditions, as well as to ask for basic needs like water and portable toilets.  The Strike finally ended in July 1970, which resulted in wage increases, a medical plan for farm workers, and the establishment of clinics, a day-care center and school for their families.

The first Larry Itliong Day in Los Angeles was celebrated on 25 October 2019, following the California State Assembly’s passage of the bill, requiring the State of California to annually observe “Larry Itliong Day”.  The bill, which was authored by the first Filipino-American elected to the state’s Assembly, Assembly member Rob Bonta declared 25 October, Itliong’s birthday as the designated day to commemorate the Filipino American farm labor organizer. END

Vice Consul Joan Macrise C. Corrado (rightmost) and Cultural Officer Maria Dolores Sales (leftmost) with Larry Itliong’s youngest daughter Patty Itliong-Serda (second from right). (Los Angeles PCG photo)

Kayamanan ng Lahi leads the community dance during the event. (Los Angeles PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.philippineconsulatela.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinLA/.