As a hazy dusk settled over Westwood last Saturday, a solemn congregation huddled together on Royce Quad at UCLA. Tea light candles in wax-coated paper cups silently made their way into the hands of many. Some fought back tears, some brought flowers, but this mass of over one hundred students, organizers, colleagues and friends had all come to mourn the loss of an extraordinary activist and teacher.
John Delloro--scholar, labor union organizer, and devoted family man--passed away due to cardiac arrest on the morning of Saturday, June 5th, 2010. News of his untimely death initially came as a whirlwind of Facebook and Twitter updates expressing shock and disbelief. He was a young, dynamic leader taken far too soon from this world, but nevertheless, he cultivated a highly-accomplished career in social justice and the labor movement over the course of his brief time on Earth.
During his youth, Delloro repressed his heritage, opting to identify himself generically as “human” rather than unequivocally as “Pilipino.” In his Asian American Action Fund article, Remembering “Multiculturalism,” he spoke of a childhood where white peers said he looked Chinese, he was embarrassed by the way his parents ate, and he avoided associating with other Asians. It wasn't until he encountered the endeavor for Pilipino Studies as a student at UCLA that he would begin to embrace and fight for not only Pilipinos, but marginalized peoples everywhere.
After obtaining both his BA in Psychology in 1994 and his MA in Asian American Studies with an interest in the US Labor Movement in 1996 from UCLA, Delloro immediately dove into labor issues over the next decade through several organizations. His work included organizing with the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, co-founding the Pilipino Workers' Center (PWC), and becoming Southwest Area manager of the 90,000-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1000, Union of California State Workers.
Following his practice in the field, he returned to academics to pass on the labor movement's principles. He concurrently fulfilled an array of duties--he expanded labor studies throughout the Los Angeles Community College District as Executive Director of the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute; inspired students to pursue Asian American Studies as visiting lecturer at UCLA; and held seats on several labor-related boards and commissions. In July 2009, he became one of the youngest to be elected National President of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO, and in that same year was conferred the honor of the Asian Pacific Americans for Progress' Unsung Hero Award.
Despite the direction of these varied achievements, Delloro did not settle into an existence of mere titles and theories. Above all, he dedicated his life to serving the community. Lane Hirabayashi, Chair of UCLA's Asian American Studies Department recalled, “John was dedicated to his students, and all of us in the Department remember seeing him spend countless hours in and around the office talking to them.”
Hirabayashi's remarks were definitely evident on Royce Quad last Saturday. Between moments of silence, individuals took turns stepping into the circle of the candlelight vigil to share their fondest memories, their utmost respect, and their deepest gratitude for Delloro. One student remembered how Delloro “really took you under his wing even if you didn't know him.”
Another young man recounted his professor's actions during a UCLA protest. Students had rallied to respond to the so-called “Compton Cookout” thrown by UCSD students back in February, an event that outraged many and escalated UCSD's racial tensions. This young man had been on duty at his on-campus job when he heard a booming voice proclaim “What do we want!? Justice! When do we want it!? NOW!” and looked out to see an impassioned Delloro among the student demonstrators. One coworker asked “Who is that guy?” and the young man proudly replied, “That's my professor.”
Jollene Levid, Secretary-General of Association of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization, and Marginalization (AF3IRM/GABNet), also shared during the vigil her experience of how she and Delloro came upon a vendor's booth at a local festival that freely displayed t-shirts emblazoned with sexist themes. Incensed, Levid did not know what to do, but without a second thought, Delloro rushed the baby stroller he had in tow along the booth, tore the shirts down, and tossed them into the stroller. She applauded his enduring courage. “Despite divisions in the labor movement and the Pilipino community, he lived for social justice,” Levid concluded. “We lost the Philip Vera Cruz of our generation today.”
Many especially remembered Delloro's indefatigable efforts to reinforce the Jessica McClintock garment workers' struggle during the 1990's. In 1993, the formal wear designer felt no obligation to the unpaid workers of its bankrupted subcontractor, Lucky Sewing, Co. The workers, all Chinese immigrants, had toiled for over ten hours a day with no overtime for sub-minimum wage, in short--sweatshop conditions, and were left with over $15,000 in bounced paychecks. This prompted a long, bitter battle between the corporation and the garment workers.
Community pressure mounted in cities nationwide, including Los Angeles where Delloro was a bastion for both the workers' rights and their supporters. Month after month, they rallied in front of the Jessica McClintock boutique in Beverly Hills. The inventive Delloro kept up morale by dressing for the occasion. He marched on the chic Rodeo Drive in a prom gown, in Cupid's garb during Valentine's, and in the Easter season, he proclaimed, “Jessica, we're hopping mad!” as he donned a bunny suit. His energy and passion for the cause were unmatched.
In an open letter to Delloro's children, Tuesday Night Project (TNProject) founder Traci Kato-Kiriyama, one of the many who participated in the McClintock demonstrations, aptly summed up their father: “He was humanity. He was dignity and respect. He was love for all people.” (The next Tuesday Night Café, TNProject's flagship free public arts series, on June 15th will be dedicated to Delloro. All proceeds from the evening will go directly toward his family.)
As Saturday's vigil wound down, a woman's sonorous yet somber voice penetrated the evening air with the words “We who believe in freedom cannot rest / We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes” and flowed forth with the lyrics of “Ella's Song” by Sweet Honey in the Rock. A tribute to civil rights activist Ella Baker, the dirge was likewise all too appropriate for Delloro - one verse elucidates “Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot I come to realize / That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survive.” With the song's final notes, a final prayer was offered as everyone joined hands under the dim light of street lamps and flickering flames. The student leading the prayer gave thanks for Delloro and the message he delivered - “We are the leaders we're looking for.”
In a manner fitting of the man, the vigil closed with two prominent rally chants. With a call and respond fashion, the unified voices echoed off the towering brick facades of Royce Hall and Powell Library:
“¿Se puede?”
“¡Sí, se puede!”
“Makibaka!”
“Huwag matakot!”
These words carried into the infinite night above and up to, as one mourner had described John Delloro, the star that burned so quickly, so brightly.
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John Delloro is survived by his wife, Dr. Susan Suh, UCLA Sociology PhD Alumna and community activist, and their two young children, Mina and Malcolm. A public viewing will be held this evening, June 11, 2010, from 5-9 PM at the Mission Hills Catholic Mortuary, located at 11160 Stranwood Ave, Mission Hills, CA 91345. Funeral services will be private. Per the wishes of the family, there may be a public memorial at a later date.
If you would like to make a donation or contribution in terms of funeral services or other needs, please make checks payable to "Susan Suh" and drop-off or mail to either:
UCLA Asian American Studies Department
Attention: Stacey Hirose
3336 Rolfe Hall, Box 957225
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7225
www.asianam.ucla.edu
UCLA Asian American Studies Center
Attention: Meg Thornton
3230 Campbell Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546
www.aasc.ucla.edu
For inquiries, please contact Meg Thornton at (310) 825-2974 or Stacey Hirose at (310) 267-5593.
