[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5sVMJnoZLU]
Tonight, we dedicate the whole show to Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, a beloved academic at San Francisco State University. In addition to being a scholar, she was an activist who loved her hometown of Stockton, her Giants, and her Warriors. The Filipino Women’s Network named her one of the 100 Most Influential Filipinas in the world in 2013. Dawn passed away unexpectedly on August 10th this year and the impact of our community’s loss is still being felt.
To convey the depth of Dawn’s work, we’ll talk with three people whom she has worked closely with on projects connected to Stockton: Gayle Romasanta, Dillon Delvo, and Celine Parreñas Shimizu.
Gayle, Dawn, and illustrator Andre Sibayan produced on a children’s book about labor leader and Stockton Larry Itliong called Larry Itliong: Journey for Justice, which is now available for purchase.
Professor Celine Parreñas Shimizu, had been working with Dawn on a documentary, The Celine Archive, about Celine Navarro, a Filipina woman murdered by her own community in Stockton in the 1930s.
* Please note, this audio archive has removed mention of Tim Lincecum’s family heritage.
Dillon Delvo talks about Little Manila Rising, an organization that grew out of Dillon and Dawn’s successful effort to mitigate the destruction of the Little Manila district in Stockton.
We also hear from speakers and performers at the Dawn’s Life Celebration at San Francisco State on October 6. We’ll hear from Jaelyn Sanidad from Little Manila Rising, Joyce Manalo, Kiwi Illafonte and Native Guns, and DJs Celskiii and Deeandroid.
Clips of Dawn Mabalon in this show were provided by Celine Parreñas Shimizu from The Celine Archive movie, and Gayle Romasanta from the Larry Itliong called Larry Itliong: Journey for Justice Indigogo campaign.
In addition to thanking tonight’s guests for sharing deeply personal stories about their beloved friend, thank you to Allyson Tintiagco Cubales, Arlene Daus-Magbual, and the crew at SF State for your help in recording the SF State memorial. Thank you Allan Manalo. Thank you to Dawn’s husband, Jesse Gonzales. Thank you to my in-laws who have that special Stockton connection to Dawn: Aurora and Rolando Saria; JR. Lorie and Levie Saria; Ron, Tricia, Cecily, Leia, and Romy Ramos. Thank you to my husband and my rock, Oliver Saria.