UFW Filipino co-founder's son speaks out amidst allegations against Cesar Chavez

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Chavez is among the archetypal pioneers of the United Farmworkers of America, but what galore don't cognize is that this question besides included cardinal Filipino activists who were an integral portion of the 1960's Delano Grape Strike.

These allegations person caused galore to instrumentality a person look astatine the organization's analyzable past.

"I've been trying to exposure Chavez's misdoings arsenic acold arsenic with my father, trying to instrumentality the recognition that my begetter who started the national and organized. It's unfortunate that it has to hap this way, but I'm gladsome that it's yet happening," says Johnny Itliong, Larry Itliong's son.

In his ain words, Jonny Itliong speaks retired connected behalf of his precocious father. Larry Itliong, a salient Filipino farmworker and labour person seen alongside Cesar Chavez successful assorted historical images.

Itliong says his begetter approached Chavez backmost successful the 1960's and asked him to merge unions. This started the Delano Grape Strike.

"We've been trying to close the past UFW and get the stories out, and you cognize the truth, the information of it all. Obviously, there's overmuch much to the UFW past conscionable Chavez and Dolores Huerta," says Itliong.

Johnny's wounds tally deep; helium tells Action News his father's bequest was near successful the shadiness of Chavez. Now, helium is besides hurting for the women who person travel guardant to accidental Chavez sexually assaulted them.

"My bosom goes retired to each of you, each of the victims," says Itliong.

Chavez, a salient Chicano fig and, for some, adjacent seen arsenic saintly, has present had his bequest dimmed by allegations.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, galore person shifted their absorption distant from Chavez himself and much toward the unseen heroes of the labour movement.

"More and much authors person been trying to marque the statement that we should reframe the mode that we recognize the movement, that we should instrumentality a measurement backmost astatine the contributions that truthful galore radical made," says Dr. Alina Mendez, Chicano Studies Associate Professor astatine Fresno State University.

Fresno State Professor Alina Mendez says the caller allegations of intersexual maltreatment volition interaction curriculum, but is hopeful they volition not bruise the movement.

"The UFW for galore was the spark that ignited lifelong commitments to enacting affirmative change, and I anticipation that we don't hide that," says Mendez.

On Wednesday, the UFW held a protestation extracurricular the Federal Courthouse successful Downtown Fresno. The National President, Teresa Romero, spoke with Action News straight astir these allegations.

"I would inquire everybody to not effort to warrant thing that happened, not to condone it. It was wrong, and respect victims is the astir important thing. Let's proceed to enactment and absorption connected the important enactment that we do. It is not astir 1 person. It is astir each of the farmworkers successful the country," says Romero.

While galore are present focused connected renaming thing honoring Cesar Chavez, determination are galore lasting tributes to Larry Itliong.

There is simply a parkland successful Delano named aft him, and determination is besides a authorities vacation that is celebrated each twelvemonth connected October 25.

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