United Farm Workers (UFW) Movement - Philip Vera Cruz, Unsung Hero

Oct 16, 2026

Uploaded by Connor

United Farm Workers (UFW) movement material profiles Philip Vera Cruz as a Filipino American union leader and labor pioneer whose influence shaped organizing, solidarity, and advocacy. It recounts his forceful presence at UC Berkeley, his role in the union’s growth through mergers of Filipino and Mexican memberships, and his guidance to later labor efforts. The narrative highlights the Filipino American vote to strike during the Delano grape strike in 1965, linking the struggle to anti-racism, worker exploitation, and profit-driven power.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

What I learned from Philip Vera Cruz

The Delano Grape Strike and the Role of Philip Vera Cruz

How Filipino American Workers Reached America

United Farm Workers (UFW) Movement: Philip Vera Cruz, Unsung Hero Photo: Jerry Whipple (center), regional director for UAW Region 6, presents a $100,000 check to the UFW executive PHOTO: EL MALCRIADO STAFF board at a ceremony in Los Angeles in 1974. From left to right: Marshall Ganz, Eliseo Medina, Pete Velasco, Mack Lyons, Jerry Whipple, Richard Chavez, Cesar Chavez, Gil Padilla, Phillip Vera Cruz, Dolores Huerta. United Farm Workers (UFW) Movement: Philip Vera Cruz, Unsung Hero Kent Wong What I learned from Philip Vera Cruz Ifirst met Philip Vera Cruz when I was an undergraduate at UC Berkeley in the early 1970s. I remember thinking how out of place Philip looked on campus. He wore old work clothes, a sweater vest, and a crumpled brown hat. His hair was gray and his face lined from the years he had worked in the fields of California under the relentless sun. Philip had come to UC Berkeley to speak before an Asian American Studies class. When he opened his mouth to speak, the students were in for a surprise. Despite the quiet demeanor usually associated with older Asian immigrants, Philip spoke with great force and passion. Philip was a vice president of the United Farm Workers Union, the highest-ranking Filipino in the union. [asianamericanedu.org](asianamericanedu.org) [2](2 aasc.ucla.edu)[ aasc.ucla.edu](2 aasc.ucla.edu) “My life within the union, my life now outside the union, are all one: my continual struggle to improve my life and the lives of my fellow workers. But our struggle never stops.” Although I was active with the United Farm Workers, Philip had to teach me that it was the Filipino Americans who first organized a farmworkers union in the San Joaquin Valley. He proudly shared the story of how the Filipino Americans launched the historic Delano grape strike. He explained that the establishment of the United Farm Workers Union was a merger between two separate unions, one representing Filipino American workers and the other with a primarily Mexican membership. Philip was a courageous union leader who dared to speak up, organize, and challenge the arrogance of power. He was convinced that although the wealthy growers, politicians, and the courts opposed the union, the workers could prevail if they stood up and organized. Through the years as I became more involved in the labor movement, I kept in touch with Philip, and we became good friends. When I began traveling across the country to organize the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Philip was always there to give me advice and counsel. The formation of APALA was a dream-come-true for Philip. For so long he had been discouraged because the contributions and potential of Asian American workers in the labor movement had gone unrecognized. In 1991 when I began work as director of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, I helped to publish a book on Philip’s life written by Craig Scharlin and Lilia Villanueva. In 1992 when I was elected president of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, we honored Philip as an “Asian Pacific American Labor Pioneer” at the founding convention. When my second son was born in 1993, my wife and I chose “Philip” as his middle name, in honor of Philip Vera Cruz. And in 1994 when Philip passed away, I organized a memorial service in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, and presented his eulogy. The Delano Grape Strike and the Role of Philip Vera Cruz The Delano grape strike in California, which began in 1965, led to the birth of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW). The strike established the reputation of Cesar Chavez nationally and worldwide. But few people know that it was in fact Filipino American workers, under the leadership of Philip Vera Cruz and others, who on September 8, 1965, voted to strike and therefore helped to begin this historic movement in American labor. The Filipino American members voted to strike to oppose the growers’ threat to reduce wage

FAQs

Who was Philip Vera Cruz in the UFW movement?

Philip Vera Cruz was a vice president of the United Farm Workers Union and a leading Filipino American voice in the labor movement.

What was Philip Vera Cruz’s role in the Delano grape strike?

Filipino American workers, led by Philip Vera Cruz and others, voted to strike on September 8, 1965, helping to launch the historic movement.

Why did the Filipino American workers vote to strike during 1965?

They voted to oppose the growers’ threat to reduce wages, and their action helped set the Delano grape strike in motion.

Oct 16, 2026

Uploaded by Connor