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These Filipino Fishermen Built the First Asian-American Settlement in the United States

These Asians were responsible for the thriving shrimp industry of Louisiana State

Jhemmylrut Teng
The Collector
6 min readMay 18, 2021

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Manila Village of Louisiana | Credit: State Library of Louisiana

There are over 4 million Filipino migrants living across the United States. The relationship between Filipinos and Americans has gone way back in the early twentieth century when Filipinos were once an annex of America in Asia.

However, records show, that long before American imperialism occurred in the late nineteenth century and the annexation of the Philippines after that. Filipinos had already arrived on American soil in the 1700s and established their settlement in the murky mosquito-infested marshland, St. Malo, in Louisiana.

Galleon Trade

Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade | Credit: Amuraworld.com

In the 16th century, the Philippines was one of the colonies of the Spanish Empire on the east side of the world. Manila, the Philippines’ capital, transported goods to the western colonies of the Spanish crown — the New Spain, which is composed now of Latin America, the west coast of America, and Louisiana.

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The Collector
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Jhemmylrut Teng
Jhemmylrut Teng

Written by Jhemmylrut Teng

Media and communication specialist. A Filipino journalist residing in New Zealand, who has passion for history, geopolitics, and news.

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