As posted last week by my colleague Trisha Hernandez, May is the commemorative month to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. May was chosen as the commemorative month because the first Japanese immigrant arrived in the U.S. on May 7, 1843, and it marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad (May 10, 1869) in which most of the tracks were laid by Chinese immigrants (Library of Congress, n.d.).
Rich, diverse, and expansive, the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is an important part of US history but sadly like other marginalized groups, this information is rarely taught or discussed in K-12 classrooms. Until recently, I had not heard anything about the Delano Grape Strike until I came across a Smithsonian Magazine article about Larry Itliong. Larry Itliong, a Filipino immigrant, joined with other migrant Filipino farmworkers and created the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), leading a series of strikes against grape growers in California. Not only did this group fight for higher wages, but they also negotiated funding for a senior home dedicated to the retired farmworkers who had no family in the U.S. (Romasanta, 2019). The history of Larry Itliong and AWOC is often overshadowed by the merger of AWOC and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). Through this merger, the United Farm Workers (UFW) was catapulted to center stage along with the UFW director Cesar Chavez even though Larry Itliong is listed as co-founder and former assistant director of UFW.
Or how about Dalip Singh Saund? Does this name sound familiar? Based on my research, he should be of notable interest. Saund immigrated from India in 1920 to attend college in California earning an MA and PhD in Mathematics in 1924 with a plan to return to India. Due to some of his anti-British sentiments, Saund stayed in California where he took up farming and increasingly became interested in politics even though federal law prevented him from becoming a U.S. citizen for some years. Upon receiving U.S. Citizenship in 1949, Saund ventured into the political arena serving as a judge in Westmorland, CA. He went on to become the first Asian American, Indian American, and Sikh American elected as a voting member of the United States Congress (South Asian American Digital Archive, n.d.).
I highlight these two stories as examples of the resilience of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. and the importance these stories have on the American psyche. On a personal level and as a first-generation Asian American (Indian/Filipino), these stories enrich my narrative and experience in this country. I would have loved to have learned about figures like this in my history classes growing up because I think that would have affirmed some of the experiences while also highlighting the universality of belonging. That is only part of the story much like it is only part of my story. I am grateful to have spent some time researching and learning about these individuals and highlighting the journeys of two Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have impacted the United States. I encourage you to spend some time learning about this diverse group of people. The Mary and Jeff Bell Library has compiled a guide highlighting several resources focused on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
References
History, Art & Archives: United States House of Representatives. (n.d.). Saund, Dalip Singh (judge). https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21228
Library of Congress. (n.d.). About Asian/Pacific heritage month. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. https://asianpacificheritage.gov/about/
Romasanta, G. (2019, July 24). Why it is important to know the story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-it-is-important-know-story-filipino-american-larry-itliong-180972696/.
South Asian American Digital Archive. (n.d.) Dalip Singh Saund collection. https://www.saada.org/collection/dalip-singh-saund-collection
