The narrative surrounding César Chávez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) is undergoing a significant re-evaluation, with historians increasingly emphasizing the pivotal role played by Filipino farmworkers. “There would be no UFW without Larry Itliong,” asserts Robyn Magalit Rodriguez, a Filipina historian and former UC Davis Asian American Studies chairwoman.

The Forgotten Pioneers

Robyn Magalit Rodriguez, who now resides in Kelseyville and continues to research Filipino farmworker heritage, explains that acknowledging the full history has been challenging. “It always felt like ‘do not touch César Chávez,’” she said on Thursday, March 26, 2026. She notes a historical silencing within the UFW regarding the contributions of Filipino laborers. “Let’s stop the silence of all of it. Let’s get justice for the victims, and get justice for all of the people who have been silenced.”

Early Organizing Efforts

The UFW’s roots lie in the struggles of Filipino farmworkers in the San Joaquin Valley, who faced racial discrimination, low wages, and harsh working conditions. According to the 2014 PBS documentary “Delano Manongs,” growers deliberately pitted Filipino and Mexican workers against each other to suppress wages. The “manongs” – “older brothers” in Filipino – initiated a strike on September 8, 1965, demanding improved conditions or facing significant losses.

The Delano Grape Strike and the UFW's Birth

Larry Itliong, a key figure in the Filipino labor movement, led over 1,000 workers from the Agricultural Worker’s Organizing Committee onto the strike lines in Delano. This strike, lasting five years, became the longest labor strike in the nation’s history at the time. UFW spokesman Antonio De Loera-Brust stated that “the entire labor movement must learn the lessons of the Mexican-Filipino solidarity that founded the UFW: workers are stronger when we are united than when we let ourselves be divided.”

Chávez's Delayed Involvement

However, Rodriguez points out that Chávez did not immediately join the Filipino laborers. “Chávez…waited eight days before joining the Filipino laborers,” she explained. While acknowledging the eventual importance of Mexican worker participation, Rodriguez emphasizes, “We were better organizers in the movement well before César Chávez and Dolores Huerta started organizing.”

A History of Exploitation and Resilience

Filipino immigration to the U.S. increased around the mid-1920s, filling a labor gap created by restrictions on Chinese and Japanese workers. As early as 1923, growers began importing Filipino labor, nearly two decades before the Bracero Program brought Mexican workers. Early organizing efforts are documented in the violent 1934 Salinas lettuce strike, led by the Filipino Labor Union, where growers used intimidation and violence to suppress the workers.

Itliong's Leadership

Larry Itliong, known as “Seven Fingers” after a work accident, spent decades organizing workers. After a successful strike in Coachella, he led over 1,000 workers to Delano in 1965. Rodel Rodis, a Filipino lawyer and former San Francisco State University educator, recalls Itliong’s determination, stating, “If he didn’t organize and push César, it wouldn’t have happened.” He added that Itliong “deserves a lot more credit than that.”

Recent Allegations and a Call for Truth

Recent allegations of sexual abuse against Chávez have added another layer of complexity to the re-evaluation of his legacy. Rodis expressed disappointment, stating it “diminishes everyone who was in the labor movement.” Robyn Magalit Rodriguez continues to archive and research the contributions of Filipino farmworkers, hoping to ensure their story is fully told.