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New book honors first Filipino settlers in U.S.

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Paul Garilao | TFC News Louisiana

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4G7gP2bs8QU?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>A Filipino-American professor pays tribute to the first Filipino settlers in the U.S. in his book &quot;Settling St. Malo.&quot;The book honors the early Filipino sailors who sailed in the Louisiana town, marking what is historically recognized as the first Filipino settlement in the United States.In the early 1700s, some Filipino crewmen for the Manila Galleon trade on board Spanish ships deserted their masters and sought refuge on the shores of Lake Borgne in St. Malo, now known as St. Bernard in Louisiana.For poet and author Randy Gonzales, the book serves as a reminder that Filipinos have been in American soil decades before the birth of the United States of America.“Filipinos who came here just decided to stay a little bit longer,&quot; he said. &quot;Some of them stayed for a lifetime. Some of them might have stayed briefly and went back. And once Filipino community was established here, more Filipinos came.”“Settling St. Malo” is at a time when Filipinos have the largest population in Louisiana.The Filipinos here were known for developing dried fish technology that served as their way of living.Gonzales added that many historical documents about St. Malo had been destroyed because of the series of storms that hit the village through the years.But he decided to write the book in poetry because the straight narrative form does not answer all questions about the history of early Filipino settlers.“The book of poetry kinda addresses these gaps of knowledge,&quot; said Gonzales. &quot;That is why I eventually write in poetry rather than writing in straight narrative because there are so many gaps. And poetry has blended into exploring the gaps in our history, the gaps of knowledge.&quot;He added: &quot;I found it to be a good a vehicle for settling this issue on Saint-Malo.”Even with using poetry as the genre for his book, Gonzales made sure that an accurate narrative of history would be portrayed.“I tried to write like a history and utilize all the resources I have,&quot; he said. &quot;So, you can see some of the newspapers. I used footnotes, and you can see some of the things I am citing, but I do it in a creative way and not in an academic way.”Writing the book was personal for Gonzales as he paid tribute to his great-grandfather Miguel Guilera, who among those who joined the U.S. Navy in the early 1900s.Back then, Filipinos were allowed to enlist through an Executive Order of U.S. President William McKinley.“They came with the Great White Fleet. He came on USS Kansas,&quot; Gonzales said about Guilera. &quot;He worked for the government and the military for a close of thirty years.”&quot;Settling St. Malo&quot; is now available on Amazon Books and University of Louisiana Press.

A Fil-Am professor in Louisiana pays tribute to the first Filipinos who settled in the U.S. through his new book, 'Settling St. Malo.'