The Hotel Mariposa, set in the heart of Stockton's Little Manila district, housed hundreds of Filipino laborers and served as a labor union headquarters when the city was home to the largest concentration of Filipinos outside of the Philippines.

After remaining vacant for decades, the hotel property is now in foreclosure proceedings. Officials with the Little Manila Foundation said Sunday they were launching a campaign to raise more than $2 million to support restoration efforts for the hotel, which has been designated a historical site by the city.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Little Manila as one of the country's most endangered historical areas in 2003, a few years after buildings in the neighborhood were razed to make way for a gas station and a McDonald's. Just three of the district's original structures survive: The Mariposa, the Rizal Social Club and the Emerald restaurant.

"It's not just Filipino-American history, it's Stockton history," said Dawn Mabalon, chairwoman of the nonprofit Little Manila Foundation. "The Mariposa Hotel is the starting point."

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