John Delloro, a lecturer in the Asian American studies department and a well-known labor organizer, died of a heart attack on June 5. He was 38.

Delloro’s passion for community activism was a defining aspect of his personality, and he often incorporated his own stories about labor involvement into his classes. During his nearly three-year period at UCLA, Delloro taught various classes about Asian American and Pacific Islander labor organizing, leadership development and oral history.

With his enthusiastic lectures and teaching style, Delloro wanted his students to realize their power to effect change in their communities, said Kelly Li, a recent graduate in Asian American studies who took Delloro’s research methodology class. He added that this was done through a personal approach to the classroom, as Delloro told his students about his own background and insisted that they call him by his first name since he considered them to be colleagues.

“He had no ego,” Li said. “Every time we talked, it was what mattered to us as students.”

While Delloro gave opportunities for students to join his work, Li said the professor never pressured his students into volunteering at labor conferences, though they often wanted to get involved.

Delloro’s influence as an educator was not lost on his colleagues, some of whom had been his professors during his years at UCLA.

“Back in 1996, John was in my (Asian American Studies) 200B seminar for the first-year Asian American studies masters students,” said Dr. Lane Ryo Hirabayashi, chair of the Asian American studies department, in an e-mailed statement. “Even though this was a class of ‘stars,’ John stood out. John was a phenomenal thinker, as well as organizer, and he was one of the most impressive graduate students whom I have worked with over the past 30 years.”

As a result, Delloro’s sudden death was a shock to many of his co-workers.

“It didn’t hit me when I first saw an e-mail about John’s passing because I wouldn’t have possibly made the connection,” said Dr. Min Zhou, a professor of Asian American studies and sociology who both taught and worked with Delloro. “When a second e-mail came, I was stunned, shocked and frozen in total disbelief. I am deeply saddened by this loss.”

Delloro was born in 1971 in New Jersey. After graduating from Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills in 1989, Delloro attended College of the Canyons and earned an associate degree in social science. He then transferred to UCLA and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a specialization in Asian American studies in 1994. He returned to the university for graduate studies and received a master’s degree in Asian American studies in 1996.

Delloro’s first introduction to community activism came from his mother’s successful attempts to organize a union at the hospital where she worked as a nurse. From there, Delloro sustained an interest in the labor movement and became an organizer for a union for hotel and restaurant employees in Las Vegas. He eventually became the executive director of the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute in Los Angeles, which seeks to expand labor studies curriculum to Los Angeles community colleges. Delloro was also involved with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and was elected national president last year, becoming one of the organization’s youngest leaders.

“John literally just electrified the organization,” said Malcolm Amado Uno, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance.

Uno added that Delloro inspired other young leaders to see that they had a place in the group and strengthened the partnership between the labor movement and the community, as well as the solidarity between students and workers.

Delloro also managed the first statewide and national hearings on Asian American workers and their rights, which had broad participation, Uno said.

These accomplishments were characteristic of Delloro’s natural charisma and visionary attitude, as he was always positive about his organizing endeavors.

“He had an incredible gift – he inspired others to see what they couldn’t see in themselves,” Uno said. “John was a gift to others – he had an incredible sense of humanity and he always was very interested … about what you were going to do as an individual.”

Delloro is survived by his wife, Susan Suh, who holds a doctorate in sociology, and his children Mina and Malcolm.