Filipino History

St. Malo: Discussing the first Filipino settlement in Louisiana Introduction Historians are often tasked to determine whether narratives are factual. What is possible, isn’t always probable. Myths and legends are often confused with facts. Common myths in American Histories, such as when George Washington “could not tell a lie” about chopping down his dad’s cherry tree are taught to American children at a young age. [1] Once a myth is perpetrated to the general public as fact, it can be hard to correct. The narrative of Filipinos in the New Orleans area during the Early American Republic is marred by half-truths, deception, and historical romanticism. Filipinos did settle in New Orleans and its surrounding areas between the American Revolutionary War and Civil War. The exact dates of arrival and their roles in historical events has been an area of contention for many historians. Participation of Filipinos in the War of 1812 is within the realms of possibility, but the curren