Communities Speak
Stockton
Project Title: We Were Young: The Experiences of Stocktonians Across Three GenerationsSponsor: Jacoby Center for Community and Regional Studies
Project Director: Robert Benedetti
Three generations of Stockton residents — grandparents, parents and young people — shared their coming-of-age stories of as part of “Stockton Speaks.” The story-sharers represented nine ethic groups: African American, Chinese American, Italian American, Japanese American, Filipino American, Mexican American, Cambodian American, Hmong American and Native American. “The challenge in such a multicultural city as Stockton is to find a way to bridge the city’s many cultures,” said Project Director Bob Benedetti, professor of political science at the University of the Pacific and executive director of the university’s Jacoby Center for Community and Regional Studies.
The project collected 54 interviews from 18 families. The stories were edited by students in a writing class at University of the Pacific. “It was a way to get students involved in the community,” Benedetti said. Findings from audience surveys conducted by Harder+Company revealed that almost 80 percent of respondents believed that the project helped them see themselves as an important part of their community. And findings from focus groups revealed that many participants thought the project helped people shed misconceptions about other cultures and led to increased tolerance.