Saint Malo, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Saint Malo was a small fishing village that existed in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
on the shore of Lake Borgne
from the mid 18th century into the early 20th century, when it was destroyed by the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
. It was the first settlement of Filipinos
in the United States
.
. In 1784 a group of runaway slaves led by Jean Saint Malo
escaped to a marshy area of Lake Borgne
with weapons obtained from freed persons of color and plantation slaves. Jean Saint Malo was eventually captured by Spanish forces. On June 19, 1784, he was hanged in front of St. Louis Cathedral
in what now called Jackson Square
, New Orleans
.
.
ships during the Manila Galleon
Trade. Other accounts suggest that the community was established sometime after 1812. Reasons for their desertion from the ships varied; however their desire to escape the Spanish brutalities is generally regarded as the main reason. They settled in the marshlands of Louisiana where no Spaniards could reach them. The people who settled in the bayous were called Manilamen and later on as Tagalas
. They governed themselves and kept their existence a secret from mainstream society for over a hundred years.
It wasn't until journalist Lafcadio Hearn
published an article in Harper's Weekly
in 1883 that their existence was finally exposed to the American people. Hearn's article is the first known written article about the Filipinos in the United States.
and woven cane did not have the durability to withstand the violent climate of the bayous. Much of the wood needed to build the houses had to be shipped from various parts of Louisiana, as wood strong enough to support dwellings could not be easily found in the swamps. Since many creatures of all kinds lived in the swamps, the dwellers found it necessary to improvise their houses. They had every window closed with wire netting to protect themselves from mosquitos and other insects and also had to be vigilant for reptiles and other animals abound in the swamps. There was no furniture, no table, no chair and no bed in any of the dwellings. What could have been considered as mattresses were filled with what Hearn called “dry Spanish-beard
.” These were laid upon “tiers” of shelves faced against the walls. According to Hearn the fishermen slept at night “among barrels of flour and folded sails and smoked fish.”
, even though it is a staple food of Filipinos.
women, Indians, and others. Some of them enrolled their children in schools in New Orleans.
Whenever possible, if there were still the means of re-connecting with their families back in the Philippines, the Manilamen often sent money to friends in Manila with the profits they made from fishing.
and later cited by Filipino historians, the Manilamen took part in the Battle of New Orleans
in 1815 during the War of 1812
. These men signed up with the French buccaneer
, Jean Baptiste Lafitte to join the army of Major-General Andrew Jackson
.
On January 8, 1815, a British army numbering about 8,000 men prepared to capture New Orleans, Louisiana. Under the command of Major-General Sir Edward M. Pakenham, the British soldiers were against the American army composed of only about 1,500 men under the command of General Jackson. According to historian Marina Espina, the American Army consisted of “regular army troops, state militia, western sharpshooters, two regiments and pirates from the Delta Swamps.” It has long been suspected, but never confirmed, that these pirates were the Manilamen. The pirates were described as "Spanish fishermen" from the Lake Borgne area. The only known Spanish-speaking fishermen living in the area at that time were the Manilamen.
in the Mississippi Delta
by the Gulf of Mexico
; Alombro Canal and Camp Dewey in Plaquemines Parish; and Leon Rojas, Bayou Cholas, and Bassa Bassa in Jefferson Parish, all in Louisiana. Manila Village on Barataria Bay was considered to be the largest and most popular, Saint Malo, however, was the oldest. Houses in Manila Village were built on stilts on a 50 acres (202,343 m²) marshland; this community survived until 1965, when Hurricane Betsy
destroyed it. Among the legacy introduced by the Filipinos was the production of dried shrimp, known as "sea bob" from the French term "six barbe". Dried shrimp is still produced by the Cajuns of Louisiana. Some of the descendants of the original settlers continue to live in Louisiana to this day as Multiracial Americans.
Louisiana was not the only place where Filipinos jumped ship. Others deserted and found homes in various parts of Mexico where many assimilated easily because of their fluency in Spanish.
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish is a parish located southeast of New Orleans in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Chalmette, the largest city in the parish. As of 2000, its population was 67,229. It has been ranked the fastest-growing county in the United States from 2007 to 2008 by the U.S....
on the shore of Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to coastal erosion, it is no longer actually a lake but rather an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes from the French word borgne, which means "one-eyed".-Geography:...
from the mid 18th century into the early 20th century, when it was destroyed by the New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
New Orleans Hurricane of 1915
The New Orleans Hurricane of 1915 was an intense Category 4 hurricane that made landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana during the 1915 Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane killed 275 people and caused $13 million in damage....
. It was the first settlement of Filipinos
Overseas Filipino
An Overseas Filipino is a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines. This term applies both to people of Filipino ancestry who are citizens or residents of a different country and to those Filipino citizens abroad on a more temporary status.Most overseas Filipinos migrate to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Etymology
The area of St. Malo is named after the leader of a group of runaway slavesSlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. In 1784 a group of runaway slaves led by Jean Saint Malo
Jean Saint Malo
Jean Saint Malo in French , also known as Juan San Malo in Spanish, was the leader of a group of runaway slaves in colonial Louisiana, then under rule by Spain....
escaped to a marshy area of Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne
Lake Borgne is a lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to coastal erosion, it is no longer actually a lake but rather an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Its name comes from the French word borgne, which means "one-eyed".-Geography:...
with weapons obtained from freed persons of color and plantation slaves. Jean Saint Malo was eventually captured by Spanish forces. On June 19, 1784, he was hanged in front of St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans
Saint Louis Cathedral , also known as the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans; it has the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States...
in what now called Jackson Square
Jackson Square, New Orleans
Jackson Square, also known as Place d'Armes, is a historic park in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.-Design:...
, New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
Location
St. Malo was on a waterway about 5 miles (8 km) east of the fishing village of Shell Beach called St. Malo BayouBayou
A bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river , or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks that see level changes due to tides and hold brackish water which...
.
Origin
The Saint Malo settlement was established, by some accounts, as early as 1763 by Filipinos who deserted from SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ships during the Manila Galleon
Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...
Trade. Other accounts suggest that the community was established sometime after 1812. Reasons for their desertion from the ships varied; however their desire to escape the Spanish brutalities is generally regarded as the main reason. They settled in the marshlands of Louisiana where no Spaniards could reach them. The people who settled in the bayous were called Manilamen and later on as Tagalas
Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an ethnic group in the Philippines. The name Tagalog comes from either the native term tagá-ilog, meaning 'people living along the river', or another native term, tagá-alog, meaning 'people living along the ford', a ford being a shallow part of a river or stream where people,...
. They governed themselves and kept their existence a secret from mainstream society for over a hundred years.
It wasn't until journalist Lafcadio Hearn
Lafcadio Hearn
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn , known also by the Japanese name , was an international writer, known best for his books about Japan, especially his collections of Japanese legends and ghost stories, such as Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things...
published an article in Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
in 1883 that their existence was finally exposed to the American people. Hearn's article is the first known written article about the Filipinos in the United States.
Dwellings
Hearn was able to visit the village, and his account provided very detailed information regarding their dwellings. The Manilamen lived in small houses which were supported above the water by stilts. The palmettoPalmetto
-Botany:Members of several genera of small palms:*the genus Sabal of the Arecaceae family**Dwarf Palmetto**Sabal palmetto*Saw Palmetto, Serenoa repens*Silver saw palmetto, Acoelorraphe wrightii-Place names:United States...
and woven cane did not have the durability to withstand the violent climate of the bayous. Much of the wood needed to build the houses had to be shipped from various parts of Louisiana, as wood strong enough to support dwellings could not be easily found in the swamps. Since many creatures of all kinds lived in the swamps, the dwellers found it necessary to improvise their houses. They had every window closed with wire netting to protect themselves from mosquitos and other insects and also had to be vigilant for reptiles and other animals abound in the swamps. There was no furniture, no table, no chair and no bed in any of the dwellings. What could have been considered as mattresses were filled with what Hearn called “dry Spanish-beard
Spanish Moss
Spanish moss is a flowering plant that grows upon larger trees, commonly the Southern Live Oak or Bald Cypress in the southeastern United States....
.” These were laid upon “tiers” of shelves faced against the walls. According to Hearn the fishermen slept at night “among barrels of flour and folded sails and smoked fish.”
Diet
The diet in the village was mainly fish. They rarely ate riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, even though it is a staple food of Filipinos.
Religion
The predominant religion of the Manilamen was Roman Catholicism, although it was not known if a priest actually visited the settlement from nearby New Orleans to minister or perform any Christian rites and sacraments.Government
The Manilamen paid no taxes and had no policemen. They had set their own rules and laws that all those living in the village were bound to obey. In case of disputes, it was usually left to the oldest man currently living in the settlement to mediate the situation. If a man refused a given verdict or likewise became a problem, he was jailed in what was called a “fish-car”, a makeshift jail cell. Due to the harsh conditions and lack of food, the offender would usually change his mind and obey any rule or decision. The village was never visited by any Louisiana government official or tax man even though it was within the jurisdiction of the nearby St. Bernard Parish.Family
Rarely did women live in the village. In fact there were no women in the village during Hearn's visit. Those fishermen who did have families had them live in New Orleans or in other localities. The reason for this can be attributed to the isolated and harsh conditions of the settlement. Since there were no Filipino women, the Manilamen often courted and married CajunCajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
women, Indians, and others. Some of them enrolled their children in schools in New Orleans.
Whenever possible, if there were still the means of re-connecting with their families back in the Philippines, the Manilamen often sent money to friends in Manila with the profits they made from fishing.
Role in the War of 1812
According to oral historyOral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
and later cited by Filipino historians, the Manilamen took part in the Battle of New Orleans
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 and was the final major battle of the War of 1812. American forces, commanded by Major General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast territory the United States had acquired with the...
in 1815 during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. These men signed up with the French buccaneer
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
, Jean Baptiste Lafitte to join the army of Major-General Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
.
On January 8, 1815, a British army numbering about 8,000 men prepared to capture New Orleans, Louisiana. Under the command of Major-General Sir Edward M. Pakenham, the British soldiers were against the American army composed of only about 1,500 men under the command of General Jackson. According to historian Marina Espina, the American Army consisted of “regular army troops, state militia, western sharpshooters, two regiments and pirates from the Delta Swamps.” It has long been suspected, but never confirmed, that these pirates were the Manilamen. The pirates were described as "Spanish fishermen" from the Lake Borgne area. The only known Spanish-speaking fishermen living in the area at that time were the Manilamen.
Legacy
Saint Malo was only one of the Filipino settlements in the Southern United States. The other settlements were Manila Village on Barataria BayBarataria Bay
Barataria Bay, also Barrataria Bay, is a bay of the Gulf of Mexico that is located in southeastern Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish, United States....
in the Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
by the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
; Alombro Canal and Camp Dewey in Plaquemines Parish; and Leon Rojas, Bayou Cholas, and Bassa Bassa in Jefferson Parish, all in Louisiana. Manila Village on Barataria Bay was considered to be the largest and most popular, Saint Malo, however, was the oldest. Houses in Manila Village were built on stilts on a 50 acres (202,343 m²) marshland; this community survived until 1965, when Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
destroyed it. Among the legacy introduced by the Filipinos was the production of dried shrimp, known as "sea bob" from the French term "six barbe". Dried shrimp is still produced by the Cajuns of Louisiana. Some of the descendants of the original settlers continue to live in Louisiana to this day as Multiracial Americans.
Louisiana was not the only place where Filipinos jumped ship. Others deserted and found homes in various parts of Mexico where many assimilated easily because of their fluency in Spanish.