The Delano Grape Strike 

"Cesar Chavez, left, and Larry Itliong in 1966 with the A.F.L.-C.I.O. charter granted to the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee"

Before the Delano Grape Strike, the Latino and Filipino grape workers had a rough past in the grape fields. The Filipino's were the first to work in the fields. During the 1920s and 1930s many Filipino men immigrated to the United States for a better life. When they arrived they were promised a land of opportunity, with equality, and beneficial possibilities. Instead, they received racial discrimination, low paying wages, poor working conditions, and limited working opportunities. 

The grape workers had been dealing with the underpayment and mistreatment for about 30 years. Many of the workers were in their 50s and 60s when the strike began. The mistreatment and underpayment was at its worse before the strike commenced. They tried to strike multiple times before, but never succeeded. It wasn't until the leader of the United Farm Workers Association, Cesar Chavez, and the future Vice President, Larry Itliong, stepped up to make a difference that was historic.

"Filipino farmworkers, including Larry Itliong (left), were the first to walk out of vineyards, prompting the Delano Grape Strike. They would join forces with Mexican laborers led by Cesar Chavez to form the United Farm Workers."

Larry Itliong was one of the leaders during The Delano Grape Strike. He and Cesar Chavez united their groups together. When the Latino's and Filipino's merged together, Larry insisted that they would eat, work, fight, share the same picket lines, and Union Hall together. Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong made the United Farm Workers of America. The state of California declared the day of October 25th to be Larry D. Itliong Day.