Day 332: The Forty Acres, Delano, California
📌 APIA Every Day (332) - The Forty Acres is located just west of Delano, California, along Garces Highway in the heart of the state’s agriculturally rich Central Valley. This region has long relied on the labor of migrant communities, including generations of Mexican, Filipino, Chinese, and other Asian workers who formed the backbone of California’s agricultural industry. Surrounded by expansive fields and vineyards, The Forty Acres emerged in a landscape shaped by both exploitation and resistance. Its proximity to Delano—a town with a deep history of Filipino and Mexican farm labor—allowed it to become a powerful organizing hub for multiracial solidarity in the fight for farmworkers' rights. Here, the intersection of Latino and Asian American histories played out on the frontlines of one of the nation’s most significant labor movements.
Established in 1966 by the United Farm Workers (UFW), The Forty Acres became the movement’s first permanent organizing site and a symbol of self-determination for farm laborers. While César Chávez and Dolores Huerta are often recognized as central figures, the contributions of Asian Americans—particularly Filipino laborers—were crucial to the farmworker movement’s foundation. Filipino workers, many of whom were part of the aging manong generation, were the first to walk out during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965, led by Larry Itliong and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). It was their action that prompted the later unification with Chávez’s predominantly Mexican National Farm Workers Association, forming what would become the UFW. The Forty Acres stands as a testament to this multiracial collaboration, and the nearby Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village, built to house retired Filipino farmworkers, honors their lifelong contributions to labor justice.
Today, The Forty Acres is preserved not only as a National Historic Landmark but also as a living reminder of the multicultural roots of the farm labor movement. Preservation efforts led by the César Chávez Foundation, in collaboration with the National Park Service and Asian American community organizations, have focused on maintaining the physical site while elevating the stories of the Filipino and other Asian American workers who helped shape this history. Educational programs, interpretive exhibits, and commemorative events at The Forty Acres now strive to reflect the full diversity of voices involved in the struggle for farmworker rights. Through these efforts, The Forty Acres continues to serve as a space for honoring the unity forged across racial and ethnic lines in pursuit of dignity, justice, and equity for all workers.
Written by Billy Zeng
LEARN MORE:
United Farm Workers: Sampling of Historical Sites at the Forty Acres and Delano
Forty Acres Delano: United Farm Workers
Historical Marker Database: The Forty Acres
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