Photo by GEORGE BALLIS-1976
Larry Itliong, Delano Manong and Union Organizer
By ELBINA RAFIZADEH
In celebration of Filipino American month, I can't help but think about Larry Itliong. In 1929, at the age of 16, Larry left San Nicolas, a village in Pangasinan, a northern province of the Philippines, to embark on a ship towards the United States to seek a better life. When he arrived in Seattle, he may have realized a fulfillment of his childhood dream to travel to the United States, where he hoped to continue to complete his education to become a lawyer. However, in the years that followed, Larry struggled to survive racism and discrimination. He managed to find work in the salmon canneries, then to Montana to harvest sugar beets, and then to the West Coast, where he worked up and down California to find work in the fields and fishing canneries. In this work, Larry met challenging working conditions and menial pay. Here, he understood the necessity of social justice work by organizing unions to demand better wages and working conditions.
Larry met other Filipino organizers, like Chris Mensalves, who was arrested, and Ernesto Mangaoang, whom growers attempted to deport. Ernesto Mangaong's case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which resulted in his freedom for his beliefs and actions. Despite the victory, the arrests of Filipino organizers disheartened the laborers, including Larry Itliong, quieting further attempts to strike until the late 1950s. His path eventually led him to Delano, California as a grape field worker, where he was invited to organize Filipino field workers to fight for better wages.
In 1959, Larry lived in Stockton's Little Manila, where he helped organize the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). This union had the support of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Larry Itliong recruited more than 1,000 new members for the AWOC. Later, he moved to Delano and recruited other Filipino organizers, Pete Manuel, Ben Gines, and Pete Velasco, all crucial in AWOC's role in the early rising of the grape strike. They fought unfair wages, as Filipinos received $1.25 an hour, while other workers received $1.40 an hour plus 25 cents a box. At a union meeting on Sept. 7, 1965, over 2,000 members voted to go on strike. The strike, however, was met with armed guards, who beat and shot the workers on strike. The growers also turned off the workers' power and water, yet the strike prevailed.
Larry Itliong realized that the AWOC needed help. He had met other union organizers like Dolores Huerta, Gilbert Padilla, and Cesar Chavez, who were building the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). At first, Cesar Chavez was not ready to go on strike until the NFWA joined the AWOC to go on strike on August 22, 1966. The story from here is history. The 340-mile march through the Central Valley, from Delano to Sacramento, led to national attention. Then Cesar Chavez's 25-day fast brought national and global attention leading to the boycott of Delano grapes. In 1970, growers met with UFW (merged with AWOC) to grant pay increases and medical benefits.
Today, the struggle continues. Perhaps remembering Larry Itliong and others who fought alongside him reminds us that anything is possible. We are reminded that profound social justice can have roots outside of the United States, like being born in a small village in northern Luzon, Philippines.
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Pesticides Applied Within 2 1/2 Miles Linked to
Childhood Cancers
By MARK WELLER
Salinas – Nurses, teachers, labor leaders, elected officials and concerned residents held a news conference and rally with more than 50 community supporters at the Monterey County Government Center on Oct. 26 to release a report revealing extensive use in the Monterey Bay area of 13 pesticides linked to childhood cancers. The group, organized by Safe Ag Safe Schools, called on state and local governments to restrict the use of these cancer causing pesticides and to post warnings on a website before they and other poisonous chemicals are applied.
Speakers included Greenfield City Councilmember Yanely Martinez, Public Health Nurse with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Erika Alfaro, Registered Nurse and Vice President of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council Sandra Martinez, UFCW Local 5 Agricultural Division Organizer Efrain Aguilera, Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers President Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, and Salinas City Councilmember Anthony Rocha. The crowd participated in several chants, including "Look at the truth that science provides; children are harmed by pesticides!"
The report reveals regular use in the Monterey Bay area of 11 out of 13 pesticides identified in two recent studies by UCLA as being linked to early childhood cancers. The studies found that these pesticides increase risk of a child developing specific forms of cancers ranging from 1.60 times (or 60% increased chance) to 3.38 times (or 238% elevated risk), if their mothers lived within 2.5 miles of the pesticide application while pregnant. More than 28 countries have banned or not approved 10 of the 13 pesticides.
Current state regulations do not address exposure from applications at such distances and therefore do not account for normal pesticide drift. For example, a policy implemented in 2018 that restricts pesticide use around California public schools and daycares applies only to pesticides used within a ¼ mile of schools.
At the event, the group released a Californians for Pesticide Reform report on use of the 13 pesticides linked to childhood cancers in these studies in the Monterey Bay region, entitled “There’s something in the air, and it causes childhood cancer.” According to the report, while the overall combined trend in use by acreage is decreasing in the region, use of some of these individual pesticides has actually increased. The annual average area treated with one or more of the pesticides has exceeded 135,000 acres in recent years (2012-2018), while the average yearly combined use of the pesticides linked to childhood leukemias increased by more than a quarter (27%) in Monterey County in the last six years (2012-2018) as compared to 1998-2011, the period covered in the two UCLA studies.
Use of pesticides linked to childhood cancers disproportionately impacts Latinx areas of the Monterey Bay region. In Santa Cruz County, 98.5% (168.9 of 171.4 pounds) of the pesticides associated with childhood leukemia and 95.2% (2113.1 of 2220.1 pounds) of the pesticides tied to childhood brain cancer are applied in the 95076 zip code alone. The 95076 zip, which includes Watsonville, stands out as one of the few in the county that has a majority Latinx population at 70.7%. A full 60% of all Latinx residents in all the Santa Cruz County zip codes live within the 95076 zip, while only 12.6% of the white population lives there. Similarly in Monterey County, nine of every 10 pounds of pesticides linked to childhood cancers is concentrated in the Latinx-majority region of the Salinas Valley.
“Whose kids are put most in harm’s way due to weak California and county regulations that allow for pesticides banned in much of the rest of the world to be applied here? The children in farmworker communities, of course, the children who are predominantly Latinx,” said registered nurse and Monterey Bay Central Labor Council Vice President, Sandra Martinez. “What we see in our region is not fairness; we see environmental injustice,” citing the statement on DPR’s website: “Fair treatment means that no one group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should be disproportionately impacted by pesticides.”
In light of the report’s findings, the group called for greater protections and transparency for Monterey Bay area residents, including public web-posting of upcoming pesticide applications, increased restrictions on pesticides linked to childhood cancers, and 2.5-mile buffer zones around schools, hospitals, and other sensitive sites, reflecting the distances pesticides are known to drift.
“We must break the cruel pattern of neglect by DPR and the Ag Commissioners and demand they protect our children.” said UFCW Local 5 Ag Division organizer Efrain Aguilera of Greenfield. “That begins with stopping pesticide secrecy and ends with stopping the use of all pesticides that harm children.”
The advocates cited reform proposals at the federal level and in Europe as examples of health-protective frameworks that California could adopt. The proposed federal bill “Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act” would end indefinite delays in pesticide review, require emergency review of pesticides banned in other nations, end abuse of emergency exemptions, cancel use of organophosphates, neonicotinoids and paraquat, and end state preemption of local pesticide ordinances.
The “Farm to Fork” strategy proposed by the European Union would reduce overall pesticide use and hazardous pesticide use by 50% by 2030 and require 25% of agricultural land be in organic production by 2030,
“When it comes to protecting its residents from hazardous and cancer-causing pesticides, California simply has to do better,” said Nelly Vaquera-Boggs, President of the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers. “As the most productive agricultural state in the nation, California should be leading the world, and not continuing to rely on destructive chemicals that poison land, air, water and people.”
Take Action
Next week the Department of Pesticide Regulation is holding zoom "webinars" to receive public feedback on a statewide pesticide notification system. Please join one and add your voice to the statewide discussion!
Department of Pesticide Regulation Pesticide Notification System Webinars Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 9:00 am - 11:30 am (English with simultaneous Spanish interpretation). LOGIN: https://csus.zoom.us/j/87004541060
Wednesday, November 3, 2021, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm (Spanish with simultaneous English interpretation)
If you would like to provide feedback in writing to DPR, please email.
Here is a short list of our priorities to emphasize in your comments:
We want to make public the Notices of Intent to Apply Pesticides that the growers are legally required to send to the County Ag Commissioners in advance of the applications. Web-post them. We can’t wait years to end the secrecy. Our goal would be to receive 72 hours advance notice.
Full transparency: A public website is needed that is available to all without sign-up or where-you-live requirements at a minimum. We want the ability to sign-up to receive email or text alerts with warnings about future pesticide applications. These notices should be in the multiple languages spoken in the state with simple maps and visuals.
Location of the pesticide applications should be fully transparent so that anybody can check for applications anywhere in the state.
Information about applications of all "restricted material pesticides," at a minimum, should be available immediately. The state should phase-in notification about all Prop 65-listed pesticides, BeeWhere pesticides, and others identified by scientists as harmful to public health.
We also would like to see formed a permanent committee of community residents that can assist with planning and adjusting the notification system.
Click here to see video of the news or here to visit Safe Ag Safe Schools.
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Pajaro Valley Arts and Writers of Color-Santa Cruz County present
A Virtual Evening of Poetry
Nov. 11, Veteran's Day, 6:30-8:30
Stan Rushworth, Cabrillo College and Veteran will begin the readings with a Land Acknowledgement and Healing Prayer. This event is part of the Mi Casa es Tu Casa - Loss, History and Healing sponsored by the Pajaro VAlley Arts Council and Shirly Flores-Munoz. Click here for Zoom invitation. For more information email Vivian Vargas or call 831-722-3062.
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A red-tailed hawk launches from the cliffs at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz.
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25 year old Antonio Edward Luciano was hired as a scab train operator during a Nov. 1, 1918 labor strike in New York City. He had no experience. It led to one of the deadliest train crashes in US history. One surviving passenger - out of 97 who were killed - lawyer Charles Darling, was so concerned about the train's speed, he sat on the floor to brace himself. Darling later confronted Luciano about what happened. Luciano replied,
"I don't know. I lost control of the darn thing. That's all. "
Photo of the Malbone Street car from the New York Transit Museum.
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Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report
By SARAH RINGLER
The Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly releases data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. The number of cases on Thursday, Oct. 28 totaled 20,106 up 191 from last Thursday's 19,915. The number of deaths is currently at 220. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
On the county's vaccination webpage, as of Oct. 24, 72% of the county have had at least one dose and 67% have had two doses. Both numbers have increased by 1% in the last two weeks. Here are more details on the county's vaccination data.
This webpage also has a link where you can get a digital copy and scannable QR code of your vaccination record. Keep track of your four digit code because that is your access to the site.
The county's Effective Reproductive Number is below one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
There are many COVID-19 testing locations around the county and a few sites have free testing. For information on how to get tested, visit this site. Click here to make an appointment to get tested.
Any Californian age 12 or up can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.
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% deaths by ethnicity:
White - 55%
Latinx - 36%
Black - 1%
Asian - 7%
American Native - 1%
Unknown - 1%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 50%/50%
Male - 50%/50%
Other - 0
Under Investigation - 0
Deaths by age/220:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 3%
45-54 - 3%
55-59 - 1%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 18%
75-84 - 21%
85+ - 45%
% tested positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 12%/12%
North county - 59%/56%
South county - 29%/32%
Under investigation - 1%
Weekly increases in positive tests:
June 12-19 - 7%
June 19-26 - 23%
June 26 to July 3 - 22%
July 3-9 - 23%
July 9-16 - 40%
July 16-23 - 20%
July 23-30 - 27%
July 30-Aug. 6 - 13%
Aug. 6-13- 12%
Aug.14-20 - 16%
Aug.20-28 - 10%
Aug. 28-Sept. 3 - 10%
Sept. 3-10 - 6%
Sept. 10-17- 8%
Sept. 17-24 - 7%
Sept. 25- Oct.1 - 5%
Oct. 1 - 9 - 4%
Oct. 9-15 - 4%
Oct. 15-22 - 5%
Oct. 23-29 - 4%
Oct. 30-Nov. 5 - 6%
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Nov. 5-12 - 10%
Nov. 12-19 - 11%
Nov. 19-26 - holiday
Nov. 19-Dec. 3 - 29% 2 weeks of data for this week only
Dec. 3-10 - 16%
Dec. 10-17 - 17%
Dec. 17-24 - 14%
Dec. 24-31 - 19%
Jan. 1-7 - 13%
Jan. 7-14 - 14%
Jan. 15-21 - 11%
Jan. 21-28 - 5%
Jan. 28-Feb. 4 - 5%
Feb. 5-11 - 2%
Feb. 11-18 - 2%
Feb. 18-25 - 1%
Feb. 25-March 5 - 1%
March 5-11 - 1%
March 11-18 - 2%
March 18-25 - .5%
March 25 - Apr. 1 - .7%
Apr. 1-8 - 0.1%
Apr. 9-15 - 1%
Apr. 16-22 - 2%
Apr. 22-30 - 2%
Apr. 30 - May 6 - .3%
May 6-13 - 2%
May 13-20 - 0%
May 24 - Data readjustment by county means percentages cannot be calculated this week.
May 27 - June 3 - 0%
June 3-10 - 0%
June 11-17 - .25%
June 18-24 - 0%
June 25-July 1 - 0%
July 2-8 - .3%
July 9-15 - .2%
July 16-22 - .5%
July 23-29 - 1.2%
July 30-Aug. 5 - 2%
Aug. 6-12 - .7%
Aug.13-19 - 4%
Aug. 20-26 - .7%
Aug. 26-Sept. 2 - 3%
Sept. 2-9 - 2%
Sept. 10-16 - 1%
Sept. 17-22 - 1%
Sept. 23-30 - 2%
Oct. 1-7 - 0%
Oct. 8-14 - 1%
Oct. 15-21 - 1$
Oct. 22-28 - 1%
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - Tie Dye and Hacky Sack
Wren keeps a tradition alive on Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz, formerly known as the Pacific Garden Mall back in the day.
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Labor History Calendar for October 29 to November 4, 2021:
Oct. 29, 1918: German fleet at Wilhelmshaven mutinies, government falls Nov. 19.
Oct. 30, 1916: IWW forced to run the gauntlet in Everett, Washington
Oct. 31, 1919: Judge Anderson enjoins miners from striking blaming the war.
Nov. 1, 1916: Australian miners strike for shorter hours.
Nov. 1, 1918: Malbone train disaster in NYC; scab motorman crashes train during strike - 97 killed and 255 injured. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and motorman, Antonio E. Luciano who had no previous experience as a motorman, were put on trial for manslaughter but all charges were eventually dropped and they were acquitted. It did cause the company to go bankrupt.
Nov. 1, 2018: Thousands of Google workers walk out around the world to protest sexual harassment.
Nov. 2, 1811: Weavers and knitters smash machines at Sutton and Ashfield, England.
Nov. 2, 1909: 150 arrested in IWW free speech fight in Spokane, WA.
Nov. 2, 2011: General strike in solidarity with Occupy Oakland closes port.
Nov. 3, 1839: Workers' uprising in Wales.
Nov. 3, 1883: US Supreme Court decides Native Americans are aliens.
Nov. 4, 1956: Hungarian revolt crushed by Soviet troops in Budapest.
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Leek and Lemon Fettucine
By SARAH RINGLER
I read once that there are olive trees in Greece that were alive in Plato’s time (400 BC) that are still producing olives today — and olive oil. Olive oil is a tremendous food. It goes with so many things and enhances the most meager salads. It also makes for a soothing skin moisturizer if used in small amounts.
According to the recently issued book, "The Secret History of Food," author Matt Siegel reports olive oil is one of the most conterfeited food in the US with 2/3 to 90% of it mislabeled. Belle Farms at 233 Peckham Road in Watsonville produces a high quality olive oil. Belle Farms was stared in 1997, when owners Steve and Marguerite Remde tested their skills with growing olive trees in the local Mediterranean climate of the Pajaro Valley. You can find their product, in two different size bottles, at Freedom Meat Lockers, 160 Hi Grade Lane.
The following dish is pure Mediterranean with the olive oil, capers, oregano and, of course, the Parmigiano Reggiano. If you have never cooked with leeks before, I have provided, I hope, good directions on preparing them. They have a very delicate taste.
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoons dried
3 large leeks
l lemon – finely grated rind
1 tablespoons drained capers
¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 cup flat leafed parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoons coarse salt
Ground black pepper
8-10 ounces dried fettucine
Prepare the leeks. Fill a large bowl with fresh cold water. Cut off about ½ inch at the bottom where the roots are. Then, cut off the tops where the color of the stalk begins to go a darker green – mostly use the white part. Cut each stalk into two lengths. Thinly slice into half rounds and put into the bowl of fresh water. After all the leeks are in the water, swish them around. Drain, wash and rinse again until there is no dirt at the bottom of the bowl.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Chop the garlic and the fresh oregano together.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large fry pan. Add the leeks, garlic and oregano. Sauté until the leeks are soft, transparent and the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
By now the pasta water should be boiling. Add the pasta and cook until it is done. Drain the pasta into a warm pan reserving a ¼ cup of the water in case you need it later.
Add the leek mixture, lemon rind, cheese and parsley to the past. Mix well. Add a little of the reserved pasta water in case the mixture is too dry. Serve immediately with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Serves 4.
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YOUR STORY OR ART HERE: Please submit a story that you think would be of interest to the people of Santa Cruz County. Try and keep the word count to around 400. Also, there should be suggested actions if possible. Submit to coluyaki@gmail.com
If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others. We need readers, artists, photographers and writers.
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
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Welcome to Serf City Times Over time, our county has grown more stratified and divided with many people feeling left out. Housing affordability, racism and low wages are the most obvious factors. However, many groups and individuals in Santa Cruz County work tirelessly to make our county a better place for everyone. These people work on the environment, housing, economic justice, health, criminal justice, disability rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, transportation, workers’ rights, education reform, gender issues, equity issues, electoral politics and more. Often, one group doesn’t know what another is doing. The Serf City Times is dedicated to serving as a clearinghouse for those issues by letting you know what is going on, what actions you can take and how you can support these groups.This is a self-funded enterprise and all work is volunteer.
Copyright © 2021 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved
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