Larry Itliong (left) partnered with César Chávez (right) to fight for farmworkers’ rights.

This October, Veterans Among US (VAUS), UCOP’s newest employee resource group, encourages colleagues to join them in recognizing two annual commemorations — Filipino American History Month and the birthday of the U.S. Navy.

Filipino American History Month

Filipino Americans are the second-largest Asian American group in the U.S. and the third-largest ethnic group in California, following Latinos and African Americans.

Filipino American History Month is celebrated in October to mark the first recorded arrival of Filipinos in the continental U.S. on October 18, 1587, when “Luzones Indios” landed at Morro Bay, California, from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza.

In 2009, Congress officially recognized October as Filipino American History Month.

From veterans to Tony award winners, from labor movement leaders to gold medalists, VAUS would like to celebrate, recognize, and discover the rich and diverse stories, people and history of Filipino American culture.

Fun facts about Filipino Americans

• The first Tagalog course taught was at the University of Hawai’i.
• Larry Itliong was a leader in The Delano Grape Strike of 1965, and the labor movement for better wages and working conditions for farmers. Itliong partnered with Cesar Chavez to lead the formation of the United Farm Workers of America union.
• Vicki Manalo Draves’ Olympic journey took her from the South of Market district of San Francisco to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. Draves became the first American woman to win two gold medals in diving and the first Asian American to win Olympic gold medals.

U.S. Navy birthday

This year marks the 249^th birthday of the United States Navy. On Oct. 13, 1775, the Continental Congress established what is now the U.S. Navy, commissioning a swift vessel with 10 guns and an 80-person crew for a three-month mission. After the American War of Independence, the U.S. Constitution granted Congress the authority to maintain a navy, leading to the creation of the Department of the Navy on April 30, 1798.

In 1972, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt designated Oct. 13 as the U.S. Navy’s birthday, and since then, every chief of naval operations has encouraged celebrations to honor Navy heritage and foster pride in service.

The U.S. Navy has proudly defended the nation and its interests both domestically and internationally. From its modest origins, it now ensures global maritime order while also building infrastructure and providing humanitarian aid worldwide.

VAUS members would like to celebrate and recognize the valor and history of our sailors across the globe for their dedication to duty, each other and our country.

U.S. Navy trivia

• First use of submarines: While the Navy’s first commissioned designs for a submarine were handed over in 1875, it wasn’t until 1898 that the first Holland submarine launched successfully.
• The Naval Act of 1794 authorized the building of the legendary six frigates and permanently established the Navy under the U.S. Constitution.

For questions about these days of recognition, please contact Mark Romo or Martha Naber. Learn more about VAUS.

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