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OP-ED: Why the New Name Should be Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle
School
Dear Readers:
On March 5, 2013, at 7:30pm, there will be a public hearing at
the Educational ServicesCenter for the New Haven Unified School
District located at 34200 Alvarado-Niles
Road, Union City, CA. The subject of the hearing will be the
changing of the name of
Alvarado Middle School, a decision made by the Board of
Education at a meeting inJanuary.
The Filipino American Community, with one voice but represented
by many different
organizations, strongly suggests that the new name be changed to
Itliong-Vera Cruz(IVC) Middle School, after two heroic farm worker
leaders whose efforts provided the
impetus for the birth of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW)
with Cesar Chavez as
president. On September 8, 1965, approximately 1500 Filipinos
--- and only Filipinos ---
started the strike against the grape growers in Delano,
California, which was to give birthto the UFW. The strike was soon
joined by Chicano laborers. Collectively, the Filipino
and Chicano workers created one of the most important strikes in
labor union history.
Over the past decade or longer, the name Vera Cruz has been
considered during the
naming process of at least two other district sites. I was on
the naming committee whenthe name, Conley-Caraballo, got the nod
for the alternative school. I submitted to the
committee the biographies and the importance of Itliongs and
Vera Cruzs work and
achievements, especially in the labor movement's history of this
country, but it fell to
deaf ears. No one had heard of the two Filipino union
leaders.
The argument at that time showed a fallacy in reasoning.
Argumentum ad Ignorantiam."Because I don't know, I am ignorant of
it, it is not a part of my history or experience, it
must not be true or important."
Today, the same reasons seem to keep coming up. "We don't know.
The parents don't
know, the community doesn't know, the union (of all people!
doesn't know about these
two historic and legendary union leaders), and the school
district doesn't know about
these two.
Well, whose fault is it that we don't know? Who were
Conley-Caraballo, anyway? And
did anyone in the community or elsewhere, know before the naming
who they were?Probably not, but now they do. And this is what must
happen here: We must know, all of
us, not just Filipinos, but everyone in Union City, whose roots
are in farming, who Larry
Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz were.
Teachers and others not told? This is the fourth time in over 10
years that we've been
submitting these names! Hello.
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On March 19, at the Educational Services Center for the New
Haven Unified School
District located at 34200 Alvarado-Niles Road, Union City, the
five-member SchoolBoard will vote on the names suggested by the
public.
If approved, IVC will be the first public school building named
after Filipino Americans
in national history. The people of New Haven community, not only
the FilipinoAmerican community, should be commended for this
monumental achievement and for
leading the way toward genuine education.
If some folks are doubting not so much the process but the
persons named (and their
substance thereof), they do not have to look far. If they are
doubting or are ignorant of
Larry Itliongs and Philip Vera Cruz's characters and impact, as
well as their leadership
skills, let them start with technological information that you
can get sitting right herenow, where you are.
Go to this site: http://www.delanomanongs.com/ (password:
manongs) and see a short
trailer on a documentary being made on this history. I said one
does not have to look farbecause it is written all over the record
books of Logan High School ever since (and they
say even before that) I taught there in the early 90s that the
student bodys officers yearafter year are 90% Filipino Americans,
and 90% of those 90% are girls! Our women are
strong. And they did not obtain their leadership skills in a
vacuum. They got it from the
spirit of their ancestors such as Larry Itliong and Philip Vera
Cruz.
Union City was a farming community, an orchard town,
historically and traditionally
rooted in agriculture. The impact of Itliongs and Vera Cruz's
labor struggles and
achievements go beyond the Filipino community. Whatever impact
the UFW brings, soalso goes the footprints of Larry and Philip.
This naming shows more accurately the ethnic diversity of the
New Haven Community
and the presence of Filipino Americans in the District, whose
forbearers were national
heroes and whose contributions were under-represented in
institutions. We are not anisolated minority in an isolated
ethnicity. We are part of a larger multi-ethnic movement
(see legislations of Rob Bonta and Leland Yee) to teach all
students the Filipinos' part in
the farm workers' struggle, a movement to bring this
consciousness to all U.S.
institutions.
One positive sign of a mature community is to recognize the
contributions of
its diverse population. This actually is a very U.S. concept: E
Pluribu Unum. Out ofmany, One. This means not just the recognition
and acceptance of other cultures and
ethnicities, but the welcome and collaboration as well, in all
public welfare decisions.
Cesar Chavez was a great man whose leadership and charisma
became the voice
of the UFW. The highlighting of the Filipinos' part in the
forming of the UFW is not to
take anything away from Cesar Chavez and the Chicanos part in
that struggle. Neitherdoes the naming of this school. I just want
folks to also know the Filipinos' part in that
history. It has been hidden. I do not see it as one against the
other but as once again
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brothers and sisters in the struggle, in our long standing 500
year shared history, of
Mexicans and Filipinos.
Ignorance can no longer be the excuse. We, as a community, can
educate each other. We
are part of an educational institution. Should we not be in the
business of educating? If
the public is ignorant of history, should not the public school
remedy that, instead ofbeing responsible for, or propagating such
ignorance?
By: Oscar Pearanda
Educator/Author
[email protected]
# # #
About the Writer: Oscar Penaranda is an educator, community
leader, premier writer
and the recipient of the prestigious Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni
Balagtas Award.Always at the forefront of the movement for equity
in education, Penaranda established
the Tagalog language program and Filipino Heritage Studies at
James Logan High Schoolin Union City. Now retired, Penaranda's
pursuits include community activism, writing,
and righting injustice wherever he sees it.
This opinion editorial is distributed by NaFFAA Region 8 Media
Group, connectingmedia + community at http://NaFFAAR8.com.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
