Filipino lawyers in Hawaii are working to raise the profile of Pablo Manlapit, a labor organizer who led Filipino sugar plantation workers in a 1924 strike on the islands. Manlapit, who arrived in Honolulu in 1910, is often overlooked in histories of the Asian American labor movement, which more commonly highlight the 1965 Delano grape strike in California led by Cesar Chavez and Larry Itliong.
Manlapit organized Filipino workers in the 1920s, leading a strike in 1924 that was met with violence. The strike, known as the Hanapepe Massacre, resulted in the deaths of 16 Filipino strikers and four police officers. Manlapit was later convicted of conspiracy and deported to the Philippines.
Lawyers from the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu and local Filipino bar associations have launched efforts to commemorate Manlapit's legacy, including a planned historical marker and educational events. They argue that his contributions to labor rights in Hawaii deserve broader recognition.
