"Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong" by Dawn B. Mabalon (published 2018)
Larry Itliong was a Filipino-American political activist between the years of 1929 (when he arrived in the United States) and 1977 (when he died in the U.S.). "Journey for Justice" chronicles his entire life, including his childhood in the Philippines, leading up to his arrival in America and then following his steps as an advocate for Filipino Workers Rights in California, then finally to the creation of the Filipino Workers Union.
For an elementary school children's picture book, this story is hefty, though this is understandable: the information needs to come out somehow, and this short biography explains as much as possible in the length allotted. "Journey for Justice" offers a fine crafting of history (for all ages).
An important part of the text covers the Philippines under U.S. colonialism - and the subsequent schools in which children were taught English and fed propaganda proclaiming U.S. greatness which mentions the abuse the children suffered if they were in the "wrong". What stands out is the willingness of Filipinos, like Larry Itliong, to buy into the story of peace, equality, justice, in a word, Democracy, that they were taught by American schoolteachers and their own people. By buying into this, it seems that many complete forgot the fruitful, if not entirely wealthy, lives being lived in their homeland. Larry's father begged him not to go to the U.S., but he was stubborn and insisted, then paid that price when it came. Granted, his dream was to become a lawyer in the United States.
That "price" was comprised of extreme racism (being paid less than other workers, for one), extremely poor working conditions (sleeping in barns with other workers without a bed), no freedom (no citizenship, no vote, no land, no interracial marriage, and a little known law called the "Repatriation Act", where the U.S. paid Filipinos to leave and never come back), and other kinds of harsh marginalization. Like many immigrants who come to America with some kind of ideological dream in their heads (there are many who do not - many know exactly how low they might have to stoop to make it here), Larry was shocked that his life in America was not as pleasant as he expected. But instead of running back to his homeland, he stayed put, and worked to find balance in this New World with his fellow Filipinos.. and others.
After years of strikes, back-breaking labor, union organizing, speech making, and hard-won comradery with other minority races (Mexicans, for example, who were used as "scabs" or "strikebreakers" when the Filipinos went on strike in order to continue product-producing labor), the Filipino Agricultural Laborers Association was founded. In many instances, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the National Farm Workers Organization teamed up with them to meet, strike, meet, and so on.
That's just a taste of what's in store for readers of this book. Keep in mind, the food that was harvested by Itliong's hands and the hands of other workers included: fish, cabbage, and grapes. The illustrations by Andre Sibayan don't focus on the actual labor as much as on the faces of the workers - it is a striking contrast to find that at the end of the book Itiliong's booming smile on the front cover is made tender and soft in a reflective moment at his life's end. At the back of the book you'll find a wonderful chronology of Philippine-American history beginning with the Philippines' declaration of independence from Spain (1896) and the making of California law which requires overtime pay for farmworkers (2016).
For an elementary school children's picture book, this story is hefty, though this is understandable: the information needs to come out somehow, and this short biography explains as much as possible in the length allotted. "Journey for Justice" offers a fine crafting of history (for all ages).
An important part of the text covers the Philippines under U.S. colonialism - and the subsequent schools in which children were taught English and fed propaganda proclaiming U.S. greatness which mentions the abuse the children suffered if they were in the "wrong". What stands out is the willingness of Filipinos, like Larry Itliong, to buy into the story of peace, equality, justice, in a word, Democracy, that they were taught by American schoolteachers and their own people. By buying into this, it seems that many complete forgot the fruitful, if not entirely wealthy, lives being lived in their homeland. Larry's father begged him not to go to the U.S., but he was stubborn and insisted, then paid that price when it came. Granted, his dream was to become a lawyer in the United States.
That "price" was comprised of extreme racism (being paid less than other workers, for one), extremely poor working conditions (sleeping in barns with other workers without a bed), no freedom (no citizenship, no vote, no land, no interracial marriage, and a little known law called the "Repatriation Act", where the U.S. paid Filipinos to leave and never come back), and other kinds of harsh marginalization. Like many immigrants who come to America with some kind of ideological dream in their heads (there are many who do not - many know exactly how low they might have to stoop to make it here), Larry was shocked that his life in America was not as pleasant as he expected. But instead of running back to his homeland, he stayed put, and worked to find balance in this New World with his fellow Filipinos.. and others.
After years of strikes, back-breaking labor, union organizing, speech making, and hard-won comradery with other minority races (Mexicans, for example, who were used as "scabs" or "strikebreakers" when the Filipinos went on strike in order to continue product-producing labor), the Filipino Agricultural Laborers Association was founded. In many instances, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the National Farm Workers Organization teamed up with them to meet, strike, meet, and so on.
That's just a taste of what's in store for readers of this book. Keep in mind, the food that was harvested by Itliong's hands and the hands of other workers included: fish, cabbage, and grapes. The illustrations by Andre Sibayan don't focus on the actual labor as much as on the faces of the workers - it is a striking contrast to find that at the end of the book Itiliong's booming smile on the front cover is made tender and soft in a reflective moment at his life's end. At the back of the book you'll find a wonderful chronology of Philippine-American history beginning with the Philippines' declaration of independence from Spain (1896) and the making of California law which requires overtime pay for farmworkers (2016).
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