South Stockton merchant urges naming Northeast Stockton Library for Auty family

During public comment at the Oct. 30 Stockton City Council special session, Mark Stebbins, representing the South Stockton Merchants Association, urged the council to name the Northeast Stockton Library after the Auty family, a long-standing Stockton family of Chinese origin. Stebbins described the family's contributions to local culture and said the naming would acknowledge past discrimination: "It's appropriate to let the public know that as you appropriate these funds, that you intend to honor a Chinese family that was discriminated against in segregation in South Stockton for years," he said.

Stebbins said the Auty family had been wrongly targeted during earlier periods of anti-Chinese sentiment and asked the council to "signal your intent to honor Chinese in this particular way." The council did not take action on the naming request at the meeting; Chris Ferro, Director of Community Services, later explained the city's facility-naming process and told the council a committee recommendation for the Northeast Library will come to council in December or January. Ferro said the naming committee includes staff and representatives from commissions such as the Cultural Heritage Board, Parks and Recreation Commission and Arts Commission, and that applications are open to anyone, including nonresidents.

The request was entered as public comment; the naming process requires committee review and a subsequent council vote before any facility name is adopted.