Kent Wong, a prominent labor leader and educator, passed away on Wednesday at a Los Angeles hospital due to cardiopulmonary failure with complications from endocarditis. He was 69 years old. Wong’s death comes at a time when the Los Angeles community is grappling with the effects of federal immigration policies under the Trump administration, marking a grim chapter in the ongoing struggle for immigrant rights.
Wong dedicated his summer to organizing training sessions aimed at educating workers and union organizers on how to peacefully protest against the crackdown on immigrant communities. This work was not just a passion for Wong; it was a lifelong commitment that he felt had taken on increased urgency in the face of blatant racial profiling and the terrorization of Los Angeles communities.
In an interview with The Times in July, Wong emphasized the need for “thoughtful, mass action” in response to such injustices. “How could this blatant racial profiling, the terrorizing of the communities of Los Angeles, take place without a direct challenge to this injustice? That’s why we came together,” he stated.
For decades, Wong championed the principles of nonviolent resistance, both in his professional endeavors and personal life. His family and colleagues remember him as a man driven by understanding and peace. California state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo praised Wong’s unwavering commitment to uplifting immigrant workers, reflecting on the deep ties they forged throughout their years of collaboration.
Susan Minato, co-president of hospitality union Unite Here Local 11, noted Wong’s ability to embrace people from all walks of life. She highlighted his founding of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance in the 1990s, where he actively built inclusive communities. “Embracing people and making people feel comfortable and like they belonged is nonviolence in an interpersonal way, and he practiced that,” Minato remarked.
As a fifth-generation Chinese American, Wong understood the immigrant struggle intimately. He was the son of Delbert Wong, the first Chinese American judge in the continental United States, and Dolores Wong, a psychiatric social worker integral to establishing a public library in Chinatown. His family history profoundly shaped his views on citizenship and community.
Wong’s personal experiences, including his grandmothers losing their citizenship due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, fueled his activism. His son, Ryan Wong, explained that his father’s perspective on citizenship revealed the divisive power it could wield. “He saw how citizenship is often a weapon used to divide communities and divide families,” Ryan said.
Wong made significant contributions to the labor movement that extended beyond domestic borders. He played a pivotal role in establishing sister-city relations between the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and labor councils in Shanghai and Beijing in 2007. Among his many projects was an initiative aimed at organizing a meeting between U.S. and Palestinian labor educators in Jordan, which was meant to foster international ties and educational collaboration.
Ryan Wong characterized his father as a “gentle, loving man,” recalling fondly the everyday moments they shared. He would prepare lunches for his sons each day, often cooking various Asian dishes in under an hour while managing to patiently guide them through conflicts with an emphasis on understanding and resolution.
“Rather than just say, it’s that person’s fault or your fault, he was always bringing his organizer mind to how we would repair the relationship and move forward together,” Ryan recounted. “I would say he lived by his principles of nonviolence and equality and love also in the home.”
Wong was deeply influenced by the teachings of labor and civil rights icons. The Rev. James Lawson Jr., a longstanding mentor and a fellow advocate for peace, instilled in him the values he later incorporated into his own activism. Wong’s admiration for leaders like Durazo and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also defined his career and accomplishments.
A lifelong resident of Silver Lake, Wong attended the People’s College of Law, where legal advocacy for underserved communities was a primary focus. Early in his career, he worked as a staff attorney for a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, and later became the founding president of the United Association for Labor Education and vice president of the California Federation of Teachers.
In 1991, Wong assumed the role of director at the UCLA Labor Center, where he significantly expanded its reach from just three staff members to a robust team of 42. His vision enabled the establishment of a UC-wide network of labor research centers across nine campuses, securing essential state funding for growth.
In 2021, with Durazo’s support, Wong secured funding from the California Legislature to establish a permanent home for the UCLA Labor Center in MacArthur Park, naming the office building to honor Rev. Lawson, who passed away last year.
Mayor Bass expressed profound sorrow at Wong’s passing, describing him as one of the city’s greatest champions for justice. “His legacy lives on in the Labor Centers across the UC system, in the thousands of organizers he mentored, and in every worker who stands a little taller because Kent Wong believed in them,” Bass stated in a public tribute.
Wong’s unexpected death comes in the wake of another significant loss for the community with the passing of Buena Park labor leader Andrea Zinder, further emphasizing the impact of these leaders on the local labor movement.
image source from：latimes
