DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — Larry Itliong was a Filipino immigrant who came to the Central Valley to work in the agricultural fields. In September of 1965, Itliong led a group of Filipino grape workers to strike. He was joined 8 days later by Dolores Huerta, Cesar Chavez, and the National Farmworkers Association. Together, they fought for better wages and working conditions.
Now, the community Itliong called home is honoring him by naming Delano's new recreation area Larry Itliong Unity Park. Saturday's groundbreaking ceremony will kick off a project 8 years in the making. Huerta and family members of Cesar Chavez will be on hand in Delano for the groundbreaking.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Housing Authority of Kern County Max Bacerra was a friend of Itliong, and he says he wants the park to honor those who first began the strikes.
"We want to pay respect to that first wave of Filipinos who worked in the fields like Uncle Larry and so many others, who sacrificed so much and they weren't actually recognized, so this is something very important and dear to all of us," said Bacerra.
Bacerra says the park will have features like vineyards, murals, and plaques dedicated to monongs, the "elder brothers" like Itliong who were part of the first generation of Filipino migrants into the United States, to memorialize the struggles and victories of the local Filipino farmworkers.
"It's just a recognition of their hard work and their sacrifices, and they had a dream that hopefully through us they will see the fulfillment of their own dreams," said Bacerra.
Suzanne Villaruz, who sits on the Delano Union School District Board of Trustees, also has a personal connection to Itliong, remembering the impact he had on her community when she worked for him while she was in high school.
"I answered phones for him and it was amazing how many people would come in and sit and talk to him about the problems they were having with working in the fields, working with their growers," said Villaruz.
Villaruz is glad that the park will carry Itliong's name, because while the impact he had on the community was strong, his story has not always been told.
"Larry Itliong wasn't well known up until just a few years ago. A children's book was created and the writers researched the book and found that there was very little written about Larry and his contribution and the Filipino contribution to the labor movement," said Villaruz. "So the park being named Larry Itliong will keep his name in the ears of the people."
The park is a $13.3 million dollar project which will include an aquatic center, an amphitheater, and sports fields, all of which will have features that honor the unity that came from the Central Valley labor movement. The city anticipates that it will take at least a year before the park is complete.
"People will know that, hey, thee's something special here in Delano through this park, and we will have amenities through the park that remember and signify what they [farmworkers] had to go through," said Bacerra, speaking about his hopes for the future of Larry Itliong Unity Park.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Saturday in Delano near the Delano Community Center.
Read the closed bid and progress history of the Larry Itliong Unity Park project here.
