From as early as 1763, Filipino migrants have settled in St. Malo, Louisiana and since then, the state has been home to a diverse Filipino American community. Over 10,000 current Louisiana residents identify as Filipino or Filipino American and this thriving community has kept their history and culture alive. The resource below offers a guide to the history and culture of Filipinos in Louisiana and can provide a meaningful contribution to U.S. History classrooms.

Resource Highlights:

St. Malo, Manila Men, and Filipino Louisiana History

In 1763, a group of Filipino men escaped from a Spanish trade vessel and formed the beginnings of the first permanent Asian-American settlement in the United States, St. Malo, a fishing village thirty miles east of New Orleans in present-day St. Bernard Parish. The above link is to "Filipino La," a nonprofit organization dedicated to archiving resources on the history of Filipinos in Louisiana. These archives include resources and information on St. Malo, as well as generations of Filipino community well-established in this southern state.

More information on the commemoration of Filipino history in Louisiana

As we expand our digital presence in 2021, we will be continually adding resources to this guide and others in our AAPI Histories of the South collection.