Disgracing An Icon

Every morning when I come into work, I stop by the 1st Floor Cafe to read the LA Times. Recently, I've been enthralled by a week-long series of brutal and scathing articles blasting Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers union, painting a picture of corruption, power plays, intimidation, and hypocrisy in one of the most revered and celebrated progressive organizations in the world.

I, as many other Pilipinos, are torn when it comes to our opinion of the UFW and Cesar Chavez. On the one hand, the UFW is a symbol of one of the most powerful ethnic collaborations in history, a merging of the Pilipino-dominated Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) and the Mexican-dominated National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). At the same time, Pilipinos have good reason to be bitter toward the UFW. As the UFW grew, it became more Mexican-centric, eventually conducting its meetings only in Spanish and marginalizing the importance of Pilipinos during the Grape Strikes (Read the UFW's official history, and you will see what I mean). The last remnants of the Pilipino contingent, including UFW Vice-President Philip Vera Cruz, finally abandoned the union when they saw Chavez commit the ultimate betrayal by accepting an award from Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Whether you agree or disagree, are liberal or conservative, pro- or anti-union, immigrant or American, after reading these articles, you will never look at the progressive movement the same way again.