A little town barely known outside California was once the heart of Filipinos in the United States, according to a new book by San Francisco State Associate Professor of History, Dawn Mabalon.
Mabalon talked to KQED about his new book, Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California.
“By the 1920s, this was the heart of Filipino America,” said Mabalon. “You have almost 100,000 living on the West Coast on the eve of World War II.” As many as 15,000 came to Stockton for the asparagus season from April through May.
“They were considered some of the most skilled, highly efficient workers. Farmers had some racist reasons why they wanted Filipinos…Well, we’re shorter, we’re closer to the ground, and our skin is impervious to the peat dust that’s here in the Delta.’ ”
You can read more about life of the Filipino American in Stockton and how even jazz great Nat King Cole recorded a song in Tagalog on KQED.
