Larry Itliong (1913-1977) was a Filipino-American labor leader and activist who played a key role in the American labor movement. Itliong’s contributions to the labor movement have often been overlooked. In recent years, there has been a renewed effort to honor his legacy with schools and public spaces being named in his honor.
Itliong migrated to the United States at the age of 15 and began working as a labor organizer soon after. He worked with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and later the United Farm Workers (UFW), where he helped organize strikes and protests to demand better working conditions and higher wages for farmworkers. One of Itliong’s most significant contributions to the labor movement was his role in organizing the Delano grape strike of 1965 alongside Cesar Chavez. The strike eventually spread to include Mexican-American workers, and together, they formed the United Farm Workers, which became a powerful force in the American labor movement.
