Pinoy Pod 29

The struggle for Little Manila

From the 1920s through the 1960s, Little Manila in Stockton was a center of the Filipino American community, a vibrant neighborhood where the likes of Carlos Bulosan and other prominent Pinoys lived and worked.

But by the 1980s, Little Manila was disappearing as developers replaced the historic structures with fast food joints and parking lots.

When the last buildings were scheduled for demolition, San Francisco State University professor Dawn Mabalon and other FilAms led a campaign to save the neighborhood. Today, Little Manila is an official historic site.

In an interview with Pinoy Pod, Mabalon talked about growing up in Little Manila, where her grandfather became good friends with Bulosan, the famous Filipino American writer and activist. She also recalled what made her decide to help preserve the neighbhorhood's colorful past.

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