Filipino American labor leaders now have a permanent place of honor at San José State University. The school dedicated a new mural on Friday outside the Diaz Compean Student Union, closing out Filipino American History Month with a tribute students had pushed for over several years.

The artwork wraps around all four sides of a concrete pillar in front of the union. It was led by artist Francesca "ChiChai" Mateo, a 2013 graduate of the university. Community volunteers helped paint sections of it during a public paint day in September before the finished piece was unveiled.

Filling a gap

Students set out to fix what they saw as a glaring hole in campus history. A 2008 monument on campus honors the United Farm Workers movement but leaves out the Filipino laborers who helped start it. Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz and Pete Velasco led the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, the union that launched the 1965 Delano grape strike before Mexican American farmworkers joined the walkout.

The new mural puts those three men front and center. One panel recreates scenes from San José's old Pinoytown and the orchards of the Santa Clara Valley, a region once famous as the Valley of Heart's Delight. The Filipino population of Santa Clara County grew from 45 in 1920 to more than 850 by 1930.

Leaders past and present

The mural also celebrates Filipino Americans who shaped the valley in later decades. It features aerospace engineer Robert Ragsac Sr., community organizer Angelica Cortez, retired professor Estella Habal, longtime television reporter Lloyd Lacuesta and Filipino American historical society leader Erwin Mina.

Organizers say the work highlights contributions in labor, science, public health, education and the arts. For the Filipino American students who started the campaign, it means classmates walking to the union every day will see the people who helped win better pay and dignity for farmworkers across California.