Delano Grape Strike: Keeping the Manongs’ Story Alive

Every year around this time, I think about the story that has had a profound impact in my career.

This story took me months to research and report out. Originally it was slated to be a Sunday A1 centerpiece (a prized and prominent position for any story in print) but Hurricane Katrina also rolled through the same weekend. But my story still made column 1, which is still a prime spot on the front page.

Today, September 8, marks the 55th anniversary of the Delano Grape Strike started by AWOC, AFL-CIO (Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee), comprised of Filipino workers.

What most folks don’t know is that a smaller strike in Riverside County was the inspiration for Delano — which is where I had the opportunity to tell that story as a reporter for the Press-Enterprise.

Even prior to striking in Delano, AWOC led by Larry Itliong, held a strike in the Coachella Valley on May 3, 1965.

By the end, nearly 1,000 workers joined the strike. They got their raise, but there was no contract between them and the growers, according to newspaper accounts.