Filipino American History Month Short Film Screenings: "Delano Manongs" and "Island Roots"

Delano Manongs: The Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers

Delano Manongs tells the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement’s finest hours - The Delano Grape Strike of 1965 that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW). While the movement is known for Cesar Chavez’s leadership and considered a Chicano movement, Filipinos played a pivotal role.  Filipino labor organizer, Larry Itliong, a cigar-chomping union veteran, organized a group of 1,500 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California, beginning a collaboration between Filipinos, Chicanos and other ethnic workers that would go on for years.

29 minutes

Island Roots: Portrait of a Filipino-American Community 

In the late 1920's and early 1930's thousands of young Filipinos emmigrated to the United States in search of a better future. Some of these immigrants arrived in Seattle, Washington and lived a seasonal migratory lifestyle traveling up and down the west coast. A few of these young men settled on Bainbridge Island, Washington where they worked for the Japanese American strawberry farmers. 'Island Roots' is a historical portrait of this community.

13 minutes

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October is Filipino American History Month - a celebration and recognition of the achievements, contributions, history, culture, and resilience of the Filipino community.