CONSENT CALENDAR March 24, Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council. Councilmember Jesse Arreguín. Assembly Bill 7: Larry Itliong Day

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1 Jesse Arreguín City Councilmember, District 4 CONSENT CALENDAR March 24, 2015 To: From: Subject: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council Councilmember Jesse Arreguín Assembly Bill 7: Larry Itliong Day RECOMMENDATION: Adopt a Resolution in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 7, authored by Assemblymember Rob Bonta, which would require the Governor to annually proclaim October 25 as Larry Itliong Day and establish special significance in public schools to encourage remembrance. Copies of the Resolution are to be sent to Governor Jerry Brown, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, State Senator Loni Hancock, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, and State Assemblymembers Tony Thurmond and Rob Bonta. BACKGROUND: Larry Itliong, a native of the Philippines, was a prominent but often unrecognized leader in the American farm labor movement and in the Filipino community. He was a leader in the Agricultural Workers Association (AWOC) a precursor to the UFW, organizing migrant farm workers in the Delano area. His efforts to organize and fight for better wages for Filipino grape workers led to the historic Delano grape strike, which was joined by Cesar Chavez and the new National Farm Workers Association. Together their strike and subsequent International Grape Boycott led to the first collective bargaining agreements for farm workers. Itliong became the Assistant Director of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC) with Cesar Chavez and later a vice president of the UFW. Together they united Filipino farm workers or manongs and Latino farm workers to form a powerful union that for the first time successfully fought for some of the most oppressed workers in our society. After his retirement from the UFW in 1971, Itliong helped found Agbayani Village in Delano, a retirement home for Filipino farm workers and helped found the Filipino American Political Alliance, the first national Filipino political organization. Larry Itliong passed away in 1977 at the age of 63 leaving behind his wife and seven children. The important contributions of Filipinos to the farm labor movement often go unnoticed. The role of Filipino farm workers in organizing and in initiating the Milvia Street, 5 th Floor, Berkeley, CA Tel: (510) TDD: (510) Fax: (510) jarreguin@cityofberkeley.info

2 Delano Grape Strike was critical in the subsequent victories of union contracts for table grap workers. Working together with Chavez and Dolores Huerta, Filipino leaders including Larry Itliong and Phillip Vera Cruz were able to secure better wages, working conditions and benefits for farm workers. Some cities and schools have begun to recognize the contributions of Larry Itliong to the UFW and to the modern labor movement by naming schools and holidays in his honor. The City of Carson became the first city in the US to name a day after Itliong in The County of Los Angeles also named October 25 th as Larry Itliong Day in Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) has recently introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 7 to properly recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Larry Itliong to the farm labor movement and to the state of California. AB 7 would follow the example of Los Angeles County by requiring the Governor to annually proclaim October 25 th as Larry Itliong Day in the state and establish special significance in public schools as a day of remembrance of his accomplishments and familiarizing students with the many contributions he made to the state. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None. CONTACT PERSON: Jesse Arreguín, Councilmember, District 4 (510) Attachments: 1. Resolution 2. Copy of Assembly Bill 7

3 RESOLUTION NO. SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY BILL 7, LARRY ITLIONG DAY WHEREAS, Larry Itliong was a native of the Philippines and was born on October 25, 1913, in San Nicolas, Pangasinan; and WHEREAS, At the young age of 15, with only a sixth grade education, Larry Itliong decided to seek out the land of milk and honey in order to pursue his studies and moved to the United States of America in 1929; and WHEREAS, As a result of the Great Depression, Larry Itliong was forced to work on the railroads and then as a migrant farmworker traveling through Montana, South Dakota, Washington, and finally California. During that time, Larry Itliong learned of the plight suffered by Filipinos and other immigrants working as farm laborers; and WHEREAS, Larry Itliong was a prominent leader in one of the greatest social justice movements in the United States of America: the American farm labor movement. His efforts to organize and fight for better wages for Filipino grape workers led to the historic Delano grape strike, which was joined by Cesar Chavez and the new National Farm Workers Association. He organized a group of 1,500 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California, and continued on that strike for eight days while suffering through violence imposed by the growers hired hands and the sheriff department and being thrown out of the labor camp; and WHEREAS, Together their strike and subsequent International Grape Boycott led to the first collective bargaining agreements for farm workers. Itliong became the Assistant Director of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC) with Cesar Chavez and later a vice president of the UFW. Together they united Filipino farm workers or manongs and Latino farm workers to form a powerful union that for the first time successfully fought for some of the most oppressed workers in our society; and WHEREAS, After his retirement from the UFW in 1971, Itliong helped found Agbayani Village in Delano, a retirement home for Filipino farm workers and helped found the Filipino American Political Alliance, the first national Filipino political organization; and WHEREAS, Larry Itliong passed away in 1977 at the age of 63 leaving behind his wife and seven children; and WHERERAS, The important contributions of Filipinos to the farm labor movement often go unnoticed. The role of Filipino farm workers in organizing and in initiating

4 the 1965 Delano Grape Strike was critical in the subsequent victories of union contracts for table grape workers. Working together with Chavez and Dolores Huerta, Filipino leaders including Larry Itliong and Phillip Vera Cruz were able to secure better wages, working conditions and benefits for farm workers; and WHEREAS, The accomplishments and contributions of Larry Itliong should be properly memorialized within the history and culture of the United States of America. Larry Itliong deserves proper recognition for his numerous sacrifices in the name of justice and the suppression of severely inadequate working conditions; and WHERESA, Some cities and schools have begun to recognize the contributions of Larry Itliong to the UFW and to the modern labor movement by naming schools and holidays in his honor. The City of Carson became the first city in the US to name a day after Itliong in The County of Los Angeles also named October 25 th as Larry Itliong Day in 2011; and WHEREAS, State Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) has recently introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 7 to properly recognize the accomplishments and contributions of Larry Itliong to the farm labor movement and to the state of California. AB 7 would follow the example of Los Angeles County by requiring the Governor to annually proclaim October 25 th as Larry Itliong Day in the state and establish special significance in public schools as a day of remembrance of his accomplishments and familiarizing students with the many contributions he made to the state. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that it hereby supports Assembly Bill 7, introduced by Assemblymember Rob Bonta, which would require that the Governor annually declare October 25 th as Larry Itliong Day and establish a day of special significance in California public schools requiring that schools recognize Itiliong and educate students on the contributions he made to the farm labor movement and to the state of California. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be sent to Governor Jerry Brown, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, State Senator Loni Hancock, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, and State Assemblymembers Tony Thurmond and Rob Bonta.

5 Attachment 2 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 28, 2015 california legislature regular session ASSEMBLY BILL No. 7 Introduced by Assembly Member Bonta (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo and Eggman) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Chiu, Gomez, Medina, Nazarian, Rendon, and Williams) December 1, 2014 An act to add Section to the Education Code, and to add Section 6725 to the Government Code, relating to public schools. legislative counsel s digest AB 7, as amended, Bonta. Public schools: Larry Itliong Day. Existing law requires the Governor to proclaim certain days each year for specified reasons. Existing law also designates particular days each year as having special significance in public schools and educational institutions and encourages those entities to conduct suitable commemorative exercises on those dates. This bill would require the Governor to annually proclaim October 25 as Larry Itliong Day, would designate that date of each year as having special significance in public schools and educational institutions, and would encourage those entities to observe that date by conducting exercises remembering the life of Larry Itliong and the contributions he made to the state. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. 98

6 AB 7 2 The people of the State of California do enact as follows: line 1 SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the line 2 following: line 3 (a) Larry Itliong was a native of the Phillippines Philippines line 4 and was born on October 25, 1913, in San Nicolas, Pangasinan. line 5 (b) At the young age of 15, with only a sixth grade education, line 6 Larry Itliong decided to seek out the land of milk and money line 7 honey in order to pursue his studies and moved to the United line 8 States of America in As a result of the Great Depression, line 9 Larry Itliong was forced to work on the railroads and then as a line 10 migrant farmworker traveling through Montana, South Dakota, line 11 Washington, and finally California. During that time, Larry Itliong line 12 learned of the plight suffered by Filipinos and other immigrants line 13 working as farm laborers. line 14 (c) Larry Itliong was a prominent leader in one of the greatest line 15 social justice movements in the United States of America: the line 16 American farm labor movement. He organized a group of 1,500 line 17 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California, line 18 and continued on that strike for eight days while suffering through line 19 violence imposed by the growers hired hands and the sheriff line 20 department and being thrown out of the labor camp. line 21 (d) However, Larry Itliong remained tenacious and resilient, line 22 calling upon César Chávez and his followers to join forces with line 23 the Filipinos and strike together. Due partly as a result of Larry line 24 Itliong s persuasions, the two groups combined establishing the line 25 United Farm Workers of America, one of the greatest unions in line 26 the history of the nation. The unification of farm labor workers of line 27 different ethnicities was unprecedented at that time, setting an line 28 example for future generations of workers and organizers and line 29 proving to be one of the reasons for the success of the movement. line 30 (e) Larry Itliong moved on to become the President of the line 31 Filipino American Political Alliance, the first national political line 32 Filipino American organization and a crucial alliance between line 33 Filipino professional and laborers that grew out of the Delano line 34 Grape Strike. line 35 (f) Larry Itliong was also instrumental in the founding of the line 36 Pablo Agbayani Village, a retirement home built by volunteers for line 37 retired Filipino Manongs who no longer had families and needed line 38 a place to call home. 98

7 3 AB 7 line 1 (g) Larry Itliong passed away in 1977 at the age of 63 leaving line 2 behind his wife and seven children. line 3 (h) The accomplishments and contributions of Larry Itliong line 4 should be properly memorialized within the history and culture of line 5 the United States of America. Larry Itliong deserves proper line 6 recognition for his numerous sacrifices in the name of justice and line 7 the suppression of severely inadequate working conditions. line 8 (i) Larry Itliong s legacy has been acknowledged in part in the line 9 renaming of a Union City middle school, formerly known as line 10 Alvarado Middle School. The middle school has been renamed line 11 Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in honor of the two labor line 12 movement heroes. It is the first school in the United States of line 13 America to be named after a Filipino American. line 14 SEC. 2. Section is added to the Education Code, to line 15 read: line (a) October 25 of each year is designated and set line 17 apart as Larry Itliong Day, a day having special significance line 18 pursuant to Section line 19 (b) On Larry Itliong Day, all public schools and educational line 20 institutions are encouraged to conduct exercises remembering the line 21 life of Larry Itliong, recognizing his accomplishments, and line 22 familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this state. line 23 SEC. 3. Section 6725 is added to the Government Code, to line 24 read: line The Governor annually shall proclaim October 25 as line 26 Larry Itliong Day. O 98

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