General Information

• Hours: Sunrise to an hour after sunset
• Acreage: 0.57 
• Council District: 5

PICNIC AREAS

Picnic areas are non-reservable, and are occupied at a first-come, first-serve basis.

Amenities

• BBQ: Yes
• Sports/Activities: None
• Youth Playground:
  • Playground ages 5-12
• Restrooms: None
• Parking: Street parking

Rules and Regulations

• Neighborhood Park Rules
• All Picnic Site Rules & Regulations

History

Filipino Americans nationwide recognize the Delano Manongs for their struggles and determination. "Manong" (Mah-nohng) comes from the northern Philippines language of Ilokano. It is a term of affection and respect best translated as "older brother" or "honored elder." In the name of the Manongs from Delan, CA, this park honors their history, memories, and contributions.

The Manong Generation: Filipino Wave of Migration

During the 1899 Philippine-American War, the Philippines became a colony of the United States. As "American nationals," Filipinos migrated to the U.S. in pursuit of the American Dream. Like the early Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Asian Indian migrants, Filipinos constituted a wave of migration recruited for cheap labor as early as 1906. 

The American Dream promised a vision of new life for many Filipinos. Instead, they found the cruel reality of individual, institutional, and systemic racism; and the lack of economic mobility or social freedoms. They worked in the fields, plantations, fish canneries, hotels, and restaurant service. 

During this era, Filipino men in the U.S. outnumbered Filipina women at a ratio of 14:1. Anti-miscegenation laws also prevented Filipino men from marrying White women. This group of single young Filipino men made up the Manong Generation. 

The Delano Grape Strike

Many Filipinos were migratory farm workers, following the seasonal crops in California. This includes grape fields of Delano in the Central Valley of California. In Delano, Filipinos suffered low wages, poor living conditions, and long hard hours. 

In protest for better working conditions and wages, the union Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) formed under the leadership of Larry Itliong.

On September 8, 1965, over 1,500 Filipino American farm workers stopped work in protest. This act was the start of the Delano Grape Strike. 

Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz, Pete Velasco, Ben Gines, Andy Imutan and other Manongs were pivotal to the strike. On September 16, 1965, these Filipino American organizers of AWOC invited the Mexican American union National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) to join the strike. Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta led NFWA  to form the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

This movement for labor rights reached across the country for the boycott of grapes. The strike lasted five years, one of the longest in history. By 1970, the strike was a success and the first union contracts granted farm workers better pay, benefits, and protections. 

We thanks the Manongs of Delano for starting the Grape Strike as part of the greater struggle for economic and social justice. Delano Manongs Park honors them for taking those first bold steps to reach across the aisle. 

Filipino Farm Workers in San José, California

San Jose, nestled in what was the "Valley of the Heart's Delight," had blooming orchards that once filled thousands of acres. Many California farms during the 20th century, like the farms in San Jose, relied on Filipino and Mexican immigrants.

A few miles away from Delano Manongs Park, the Filipino brothers Apolonio and Maximo owned and operated their family farm "Undajon Farms." This farm was at the intersection of Mabury Road and Educational Park Drive, and included the athletic fields of Independence High School. The brothers were unique among the Filipino immigrants as they purchased the property after World War II. Many of the migrant Filipinos and Filipino Americans worked on this large farm. The brothers worked the farm until selling it in the 1980s. The land was then developed for a neighborhood of single family homes. "Undajon Drive" is a residential street on the former ranch land.

Similarly, Edward Cottle established Cottle Ranch in 1864. Many Filipino farm workers worked on this land, which was continually maintained and farmed by his descendants until 2014. About 290 acres of Cottle's land is now Martial Cottle County Park.