Another California park to be named in honor of Filipino farmworkers

Milpitas, California’s Delano Manongs Park has a sports field, a dog park, picnic areas, walking trails, a playground, a pedestrian bridge, a potable water well, and public restrooms. CITY OF MILPITAS

MILPITAS, California – A new park in this San Francisco Bay Area city will be named to collectively honor Filipino farmworkers who were part of the backbone of California’s agriculture industry.

The Milpitas City Council last month unanimously voted to name a new city park the Delano Manongs Park, a naming subcommittee recommendation by Mayor Carmen Montano and Vice Mayor Evelyn Chua.

The four-acre Delano Manongs Park is located in the Milpitas Metro Specific Plan area, north of Mabel Mattos elementary school along McCandless Drive.

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The park has a sports field, a dog park, picnic areas, walking trails, a playground, a pedestrian bridge, a potable water well, and public restrooms.

“This project was a collaboration in part between the City of Milpitas and the Milpitas Unified School District and was funded in part through a grant from the Santa Clara County All Inclusive Playground Grant Program,” a City press release stated.

Led by community organizer Larry Itliong the Delano Manongs, some 1,500 Filipino American agricultural workers, were active in the 1965 Grape Strike, noted the Milpitas Beat.

The manongs’ initiative set the stage for Cesar Chavez and thousands of farming families to found the United Farm Workers, America’s foundational agricultural labor union.

Said Mayor Montano in the release, “This is an unbelievably historic event in Milpitas. It is only fitting that we designate this space to memorialize a great example of what it means to stand up for what is right and coming together to enable change.”

Said Acting City Manager Ashwini Kantak, “I am deeply honored to help lead a City that recognizes the historic role of American heroes like the Delano Manongs. I would like to commend the team from our Recreation & Community Services and Engineering Services departments for their leadership in planning and delivering this beautiful new park for Milpitas residents.”

Added Vice Mayor Chua, “I am excited that this green space will enhance the lives and well-being of residents in numerous ways. It is a great facility that will create a sense of community.”

The Delano Manongs Park will have a soft opening in June and an official opening come the Fall of this year.