Members of the Filipino community gathered at Delta College to honor a well-known historian and beloved friend, the late Dr. Dawn Mabalon. 

Dawn attended Delta College and went on to represent her community. Now her legacy is etched at the Delta College forum, named after her with a portrait, standing tall and officially lit up.

The portrait overlooks the auditorium where Stockton community members filled the seats to honor her life, cut short in a tragic accident back in 2018.

Dawn's sister shared some of those memories.
 
"It's overwhelming because she was a student here," said Darleen Mabalon. "She sat in these classrooms. To know she's going to be here, she gave birth to hundreds of activists, students, some on the panel today were her mentors, so it's all full-circle. My sister was very powerful."

After attending Delta College, the first Pinay—a woman of Filipino descent—went on to earn a Ph.D. in American history from Stanford University.

Dawn was a third-generation, born in Stockton and known for the intensive work she did, chronicling Filipino American history as a national and global advocate, garnering multiple awards.

"Decades of fight and struggle, we worked alongside Caesar Chavez, which was Larry Itliong. We were a part of the biggest strikes that would help with the union labor," Darleen said. "That was one of the biggest things I learned from my sister. She wanted to make sure we had a voice."

Her legacy continues through the organization she co-founded in Stockton, the Little Manila Foundation, embodying what the Filipino sun flying high daily, which stands for unity, freedom, democracy and sovereignty. It's what Dawn stood for.

"They are now deep in the community, there's the asthma initiative, social justice, after-school programs woven with ethnic studies, Darleen said. "There's so many ways kids can learn about their history and not just Filipino-American history, Mexican-American history, Black studies, all these things STEM from everybody organizing, little Manila sparked fires in different communities because who are we if not standing together?"

Not just a respected historian and community leader, she was an author, filmmaker, poet, chef, baker, and dearly loved and remembered by her family, friends, Stockton community, and Filipinos worldwide.

One of the ways Mabalon's legacy continues is through the Stockton Unified District, which is pioneering options for students to select ethnic studies such as Filipino history, Latino history, and Black history as alternatives to U.S. history.