Lawmakers note value in recognizing contributions of state’s Asian community

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

If you don’t know the story of Larry Itliong — a Filipino immigrant who came to the United States in 1929 to study law who instead became one of the country’s earliest labor leaders — you wouldn’t be alone.

Assemblymember Erica Mosca, D-Las Vegas, who introduced a bill last week to honor Itliong each Oct. 25, his birthday, said she only recently learned of his legacy during the Las Vegas Filipino Short Film Festival.

“It’s really embarrassing to say, but I think it’s important to say because it says a lot,” said Mosca, who is Filipina.

Now, “Do you know who Larry Itliong is?” is one of the assemblymember’s favorite questions to ask.

“Most people don’t,” Mosca said. “And I say, ‘Well, that’s why we have a celebration bill,’ because he probably is the most influential Filipino American or Filipino immigrant who came to America who actually made a huge difference pretty early.”

In 1965, Itliong organized Filipino vineyard workers in California to strike for better working conditions and joined with César Chávez’s group of Latino workers to compound their efforts, according to the California Museum. The strike lasted five years, but they won.

Their coalition created the United Farm Workers union, which still represents around 7,000 people today.

Mosca presented the bill as part of the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) advocacy days at the Nevada Legislature in Carson City. Legislators took no action on the bill.

Eric Jeng, executive director of One APIA Nevada, said over 80 community leaders and advocates from Southern and Northern Nevada came to the Capitol for the event.

“We’re here to say that our community is not a monolith,” Jeng said. “I love to quote former Cabinet Secretary Norman Mineta that we’re like an American tapestry. Each of us comes from a wool woven together that’s strong, that’s beautiful, with its pattern.”

A little under 11% of Nevada is AANHPI, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but until 2022, no Asian person had ever served in the state Senate.

Rochelle Nguyen, D-Las Vegas, changed that when the Clark County Commission appointed her to replace a senator leaving for the private sector, and she later won her reelection campaign in 2024.

But representation alone isn’t enough, Nguyen said, adding that Nevada’s Asian community needs unique policies that reflect their needs, struggles and future.

“You are here because you know that small businesses are the backbone of both our community and our state, and (that) Asian entrepreneurs power Nevada’s economy, yet they often struggle due to lack of access to loans and resources,” she said at a press conference during the advocacy days.

To address the issue, Nguyen said she’s working on legislation to ensure minority-owned businesses get fair access to grants and loans.

Vida Lin, founder and president of the Asian Community Development Council, added another concern: nonprofit funding. Lin’s organization provides citizenship services, runs a food assistance program and helps locals figure out the state’s health system in their native language.

But President Donald Trump’s slashes to the federal government have put Nevada’s nonprofits on edge. This month, food bank Three Square told the Sun that cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture would have a “serious impact” on the organization.

“Nonprofits are in desperate need of more resources and funding to serve Nevada,” Lin said. “We are concerned about the cuts that may be coming to critical services that could impact the health service and education.”

One of the youngest people in the crowd Tuesday in front of the Nevada Legislature was Janina Mae Baldovino, president of UNR’s Filipino student club.

Growing up, she said she didn’t see many people who looked like her in leadership roles, but that her time in college had changed that. The Asian community’s stories, cultures and identities are its strengths, she said.

“This day is about making sure that every young AANHPI individual knows that they belong, that their experiences matter and that they have the tools and confidence to take action for their future,” Mae Baldovino said.