Building Filipino American Community

On the third day of Filipino American History Month (FANHS), I proudly write about Louisiana manilamen. ”Manilamen” or Filipino sailors - veterans of the Manila galleon trade (1565-1815) contributed to the shrimp harvesting industry in southern Louisiana by pioneering methods for separating the heads from the shells of dried shrimp.

The earliest permanent Filipino Americans to arrive in the New World landed in 1763, later creating settlements such as Saint Malo, Louisiana and Manila Village in Barataria Bay. These early settlements were composed of formerly pressed sailors escaping from the arduous duties aboard Spansh galleons and were "discovered" in America in 1883 by a Harper's Weekly journalist.

Settlements such as Manila Village in Jefferson Parish and St. Malo in St. Bernard Parish were founded in the mid-nineteenth century and became home to Filipino sailors and laborers. With houses plat-formed on stilts, the fishermen caught and dried their precious commodity, shrimp, for export to Asia, Canada, South and Central America. Weather conditions eventually destroyed St. Malo in 1915 and Manila Village in 1965

On July 24, 1870, the Spanish-speaking residents of St. Malo founded the first Filipino social club called Sociedad de Beneficencia de los Hispano Filipinos to provide relief and support for the group’s members, including the purchasing of a burial places for their deceased.

At the turn of this century, Louisiana was already home of several hundred Filipinos, with over two thousand of the Manilamen in the New Orleans community alone. Inaccurately, the census of 1910 had set the Filipino population in the United States at the low figure of only 160.

The Filipino Cajuns can trace their roots eight generations with many descendants still living in Louisiana today.

First Contact

October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM). In honor of FAHM, I am proud to share the following information about a little known aspect of Filipino American history.

The first recorded arrival of Filipinos in what is now Morro Bay, California was on October 18, 1587, as sailors and crewmen on the Spanish galleons of the Manila-Acapulco Mercantile.

On October 21, 1995 the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) unveiled a plaque commemorating the landing of these first Filipinos in California. The Morro Bay Celebration Edition of the FANHS newsletter Generations (Fall 1995) said in part:

“After a year of planning and fund raising activities, California Central Coast Chapter will dedicate a national historical marker to commemorate the landing of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza in Morro Bay on Oct. 18, 1587. This marked the first presence of Filipinos (referred to in the ship’s logs as Luzones Indios) in the continental United States.”

Happy Filipino American History Month

Today marks the first day of Filipino American History Month (FAHM). It is recognized during the month of October. The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) first declared Filipino American History Month in 1988. In California, Washington, and Hawaii, where a large number of Filipino Americans reside, the state government has taken steps to statutorily establish FAHM.

"Manong Artifacts" Exhibit at the Asian Art Museum

There is an event at the Asian Art Museum to celebrate Filipino Culture and History for October, which is Filipino American History Month.

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), Stockton Chapter will exhibit "Manong Artifacts" including clothing, grooming aids, and early photos from the 1920s through the 1940s.

The event will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2009, at the Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, please visit the Asian Art Museum Web site at http://www.asianart.org/filamhistory.htm.

Filipina Graces the Cover of Oxygen Magazine

Sherlyn Roy, National Physique Committee (NPC) United States Women's Figure Champion is the cover model for the September 2009 issue of Oxygen Magazine. She works hard at staying fit, eating properly and exercising regularly. Throughout it all, she emphasizes being healthy rather than being skinny or fitting a certain ideal.