College renames building to honor Fil-Am historian Dawn Mabalon

Dr. Dawn Mabalon was a champion of the Filipino community, activist and author. (Photo: San Joaquin Delta College)

A building of San Joaquin Delta College was renamed after the late Filipino American historian Dawn Mabalon.

It’s among the three buildings the college’s Board of Trustees renamed to honor distinguished community members.

The West Forum was changed to the Mabalon Forum, the North Forum, to the Tony Fitch Forum, and the South Forum, to the Campesino Forum.

Delta College said the request to rename the buildings came from campus community members who wanted to honor accomplishments of individuals within their communities.

The West Forum was renamed to honor Dawn Mabalon, a nationally recognized scholar and historian and an award-winning author.

Mabalon, a leader in the Filipino community, “Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipino American Community in Stockton, California.”

According to Delta College, “The book elevated the histories of Filipinos in Stockton to a national level and gave a historical viewpoint for future generations.”

Mabalon died in 2018 at the age of 45 while on vacation with her family in Kauai.