Dear Pacificans,

As we continue celebrating the diverse histories and cultures that have shaped both our university and our region, we pause to honor the enduring legacy of Filipinx Americans whose contributions have helped define Stockton, the Central Valley, Northern California and the story of Pacific itself.

To understand this legacy, one must begin with Stockton's historic Little Manila—a community that became one of the largest concentrations of Filipinos outside the Philippines during the early twentieth century. University of the Pacific's archival exhibits describe Little Manila as a vibrant cultural, economic, and social center for Filipino immigrants who arrived in California seeking opportunity while confronting discrimination and barriers to full citizenship. It became a place of belonging, resilience, entrepreneurship and mutual support.

The history of Little Manila is inseparable from the history of the Central Valley. Filipino farmworkers helped cultivate the agricultural abundance that transformed California and fueled its economic growth. Community leaders and labor organizers—including many whose work emerged from Stockton—advanced movements for fair wages, dignity, and workers' rights that would leave a lasting mark on the nation. Reporting by the Sacramento Bee has highlighted how Filipino labor leaders such as Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz helped shape the farmworker movement and contributed to a broader legacy of social justice and collective action.

Little Manila was more than a neighborhood. It was a home, a center of commerce, faith, culture and fellowship. Although much of the district was lost to urban redevelopment and freeway construction in the mid-twentieth century, its spirit endures through community organizations, family stories, historical preservation efforts by scholars like Dr. Dawn Mabalon, and the continuing leadership of Filipinx Americans throughout California. University of the Pacific scholars, students, and archivists have played an important role in preserving this history through research projects, exhibits, oral histories, and digital recreations of Stockton's historic Filipinx community.

Pacific's connection to this history runs deep. Historical accounts note that some of the earliest Filipino students attending colleges and universities in California—including the University of the Pacific—were present in the Central Valley during the early twentieth century and participated in the life and labor of the region. Their pursuit of education reflected both personal ambition and a collective belief in opportunity, service, and advancement for future generations.

Over the decades, Filipinx students have enriched Pacific as scholars, artists, athletes, student leaders, advocates, professionals, and community builders. While many of their stories remain preserved in personal histories, university records, and family narratives, their collective impact is unmistakable. Generations of Pacific students of Filipinx heritage have carried the university's values into schools, hospitals, businesses, public agencies, nonprofits, and civic institutions across Northern California and beyond.

Their experiences also connect us to the generations who helped establish Filipino communities throughout California. The manongs and manangs—respected elders whose labor, organizing, sacrifice, and community building helped create opportunities for those who followed—remain an important part of this history. Remembering their contributions invites us not only to honor the past, but also to consider how each generation can create opportunities for the next.

That legacy remains vibrant on our campuses today. Student organizations such as Kilusan Pilipino continue to create spaces where students celebrate culture, foster belonging, build leadership skills, serve the broader community, and deepen their understanding of Filipinx history and identity. For more than three decades, the organization has helped generations of Pacific students connect with cultural traditions while engaging with regional partners, including organizations dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Stockton's Filipinx community.

This October, that heritage is being celebrated across our campuses. On the Sacramento Campus, Bon Appetit’s Chef Mark will be curating a Filipino-inspired menu throughout the month, bringing cultural dishes to the student center. The McGeorge Filipino American Law Students Association will also host a sari-sari store, modeled on the neighborhood convenience stores found throughout the Philippines, offering free Filipino snacks to students.

On the Stockton Campus, we invite you to an intergenerational Kamayan Feast on Thursday, October 29 from 6–8 p.m. at the Alex and Jeri Vereschagin Alumni House in partnership with Kilusan Pilipino. Kamayan, the tradition of eating with our hands around a communal spread, is a living expression of kapwa, the Filipino concept of a shared inner self. Through conversation, storytelling, and food, participants will reflect on how communities across generations can practice kapwa in ways that foster belonging for all.

As we reflect on Pacific's relationship with the Filipinx American community, we recognize that this story is still being written.

On behalf of University of the Pacific, I extend our deepest gratitude to the generations of Filipinx Americans whose labor, leadership, scholarship, creativity, entrepreneurship, and service have enriched our communities and strengthened our institution.

May we continue to learn from this history, celebrate this heritage, and create a university community where future generations can thrive, lead and belong.

With gratitude, 

Mary J. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi
Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professor of Communication