Guest Contribution: First Pilipino Colony in the United States

Photo by androog

What metropolitan area strikes you as the location of the first Pilipino colony in the United States? Near downtown Los Angeles? Daly City near San Francisco? How about over in the New York City/New Jersey area? Many are surprised that the first Pilipino colony was formed not on the East or West coasts, but in New Orleans, Louisiana!

"Coincidentally, in 1763 (right at the end of the Great Upheaval of the Acadians) the first Filipinos to settle in Louisiana established a small fishing village known as St. Malo in what is now St. Bernard Parish.  These Filipinos deserted and escaped Spanish ships that were crossing the Pacific for the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.  St. Malo was only the first of many Filipino communities that would soon sprout all around the Mississippi Delta.

The Filipino fisherman of St. Malo became known as "Manilamen" and began to make their living on shrimp boats.  As such, these Manilamen introduced their Filipino methods of drying shrimp to the local Cajuns, methods that Cajuns still use today.  And, like the Acadians before them, these Filipinos eventually intermarried with the local populace and a community of "Filipino Cajuns" arose.

Therefore, the arrival of Filipinos in Louisiana coincided with the arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana. Filipinos made their living on shrimp boats, introduced dried shrimp to the area, and became a large part of Lousiana's shrimping industry.  Filipinos eventually intermarried with locals and became further entrenched in Louisiana society."

Check out the rest of Marvin G's article, Filipino Americans and Gumbo on his food blog Burnt Lumpia.  Learn about the unique flavor that Pilipinos have been adding to Cajun flavor for decades.  Delicious!