Honoring Legacies of Courage and Change

The Larry Itliong Tournament is named after one of the most influential labor organizers in California history. A Filipino American labor leader, Itliong was a key architect of the farmworker movement and a central figure in launching the Delano Grape Strike, which helped unite Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in a shared fight for dignity and fair treatment. Through organizing, negotiation, and solidarity across communities, Itliong worked to improve conditions for workers who had long been excluded from protection and recognition.

SVUDL honors his legacy by encouraging students to develop strong public speaking and critical thinking skills through Speech and Debate. By doing so, we aim to empower the next generation of leaders and advocates to speak up, build coalitions, and fight for justice.

65 students from 10 of our partner schools participated in our first tournament of 2026, coming together as a community to compete and hone their oratorical skills. The tournament took place at James Lick Highschool in San José.

As one coach reflected on the impact of the experience for new competitors:

“Larry Itliong was the first tournament for 5 of my students. Many went into this tournament with bravery knowing they were going to be challenged today, and they came out joyous, full, and with many new friends.

I am grateful to the SVUDL community for making our tournaments a safe space for beginners to learn and practice, and for the fire this tournament ignited for my new students to grow their speaking skills and begin preparing for the final march to the SVUDL League Championship Tournament.” (Aleesha Kashif, KIPP San Jose Collegiate)

In addition, this tournament served as the qualifying tournament to determine which SVUDL team would represent the league at the Urban Debate League National Championship tournament at Harvard University in April. SVUDL will be sending 2 teams in the Policy division, from Independence High School and Yerba Buena High School and 1 team in the Debate en Español division from Andrew Hill High School.

In addition, two of our students recently had the opportunity to compete at the Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational, a long-standing Speech and Debate tournament hosted at James Logan High School in Union City, California.

Held in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the tournament brings together students from across the region to engage in rigorous competition while celebrating Dr. King’s legacy of empowering young voices, promoting competition diversity, and encouraging social justice through performance and research-based advocacy.

Mikim Nguyen

For students, the experience was both challenging and inspiring. Mikim Nguyen (Silver Creek High School) shared how rewarding it was to compete alongside some of the strongest speakers in the region:

“Competing in the MLK tournament the past weekend was such a rewarding experience. It definitely isn’t easy waking up at 6 AM and competing with the best competitors in the region, but I feel like it is worth it to witness and take notes on what makes someone such a good speaker. I got to talk with others from different schools and discuss their strategies for doing well at a tournament, which helps me improve my own speaking for the future.”

Zakaria Aissous

For Zakaria Aissous (Silver Creek High School), MLK marked a meaningful return to in-person competition after focusing on other commitments:

“Because of cross country running and science olympiad commitments, I didn't go to any in-person tournaments before this one. MLK, which is a circuit tournament, as my first one that I competed in Speech for over 2 years was really hard. But it reminded me how fun Speech can be and the importance of structure as well as reigniting a passion for debating that I've been kind of losing this year.”

Silver Creek’s Teacher Coach, Madam Rene, also reflected positively on the experience, noting the welcoming atmosphere and strong organization of the event. Despite previous years being much colder, this year was more comfortable, and the campus buzzed with activity. She highlighted how kind and accommodating the student volunteers were, always ready to help and create a supportive environment for competitors and coaches alike.

Overall, the MLK Invitational provided a powerful space for learning, growth, and community, allowing students not only to sharpen their skills but also to connect with peers who share a passion for advocacy and expression.