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AWOC WAS COMPOSED MOSTLY OF FILIPINO WORKERS WHO WERE FIRST IMPORTED BY CALIFORNIA AGRIBUSINESS IN THE 1920'S AND 1930'S TO WORK IN THE AGRICULTURAL FIELDS. IMPORTED AS YOUNG, UNMARRIED MALE-ONLY WORKERS, IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER WORLD WAR II THAT THEY WERE PERMITTED TO MARRY OR OWN PROPERTY, AS A RESULT, MOST OF THE FILIPINO FARMWORKERS WERE BACHELORS - BUT NOT BY CHOICE. IN 1965, EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FARMWORKER MOVEMENT, AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED TO THESE AWOC MEMBERS AS THE FILIPINO BROTHERS.