May is Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the history, culture and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the United States.
This month, we’ve highlighted two Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked tirelessly to improve the working conditions, pay and safety of migrant and immigrant workers, May Chen and Philip Vera Cruz.
May (Ying) Chen is an American labor organizer and advocate for immigrant workers. She is well known for her advocacy on behalf of immigrant workers, women and Asian American communities. Chen focused heavily on empowering workers through education, union organizing and community-building.
Chen was born in Boston in 1948 and while growing up in the early 60’s, gravitated toward political activism. Chen reflected on this time, writing, “Moving away from family in the East Coast to graduate studies and activism for ten years in Los Angeles, I met and worked with dedicated Asian American activists, community organizers and leftist, anti-capitalist political thinkers. I learned so much (that is never taught in school) about racism and labor exploitation.”
One of her most notable roles was with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU), where she helped organize thousands of Chinese immigrant women working in New York City’s garment industry.
During her career, she has worked with the National Executive Board of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and the Asian Labor Committee of the New York City Central Labor Council and is a founding member of the AFL-CIO’s Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA).
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Philip Villamin Vera Cruz (1904–1994) was a Filipino American labor leader and farmworker. Vera Cruz was born in the Philippines to rural farmers. At the age of 20, he embarked on the steamship Empress of Asia from Manila to the United States.
He arrived right before the economic shock of the Great Depression. Instead of better opportunities, he faced racial discrimination, oppressive labor practices, anti-miscegenation laws and deplorable living conditions. Anti-miscegenation laws in California prevented Filipinos from marrying white women. Other legislative restrictions prevented many Filipino men from forming families in the United States. These practices pushed Vera Cruz to a life of activism and creating fairness and equality for all immigrant workers.
In 1948, Vera Cruz, along with other labor leaders, participated in the 1948 asparagus strike in Stockton, CA. The asparagus strike was the first major United States agricultural strike after World War II. In the late 1950s, Vera Cruz joined the National Farm Labor Union (NFLU), AFL-CIO. Vera Cruz worked mainly with Filipino workers, as well as Mexican and Black American farm workers.
Later in life Vera Cruz served as the United Farm Workers (UFW) vice president for 12 years. He was active in advocacy for farmworkers’ rights until his death in 1994.
“If somebody is moved by my story to do something to help others, to make a sacrifice, to use their intellect for the good of the people, not only will people in this country be affected, but also those in the Philippines too. If more young people could get involved in the important issues of social justice, they would form a golden foundation for the struggle of all people to improve their lives,” said Vera Cruz.