STOCKTON RECORD -- Dawn Mabalon, who was a consultant for the project, said it was emotional to see her grandfather’s restaurant re-created. Her cousins, she said, cried when they saw it.
The stirring scenes of an intact Little Manila were powerful and will rouse the emotions of people who remember what it used to be, said Mabalon, a History professor at San Francisco State University and co-founder of the Little Manila Foundation. She also wrote the book “Little Manila is in the Heart.”
Mabalon said she was surprised and elated there was interest from Pacific to take on the project. This is an important collaboration between the students and faculty, Pacific and the community, she said.
The Little Manila video game is an innovative and fantastic way to showcase the student’s talents and this community’s history, Mabalon said. It shows this history is not just about Stockton but America and how immigrants built this economy and community with their hands and sweat, she added.