This is actually a photograph of the village of St. Malo, on Lake Borgne in St. Bernard Parish. The village had been ravaged by hurricanes, but twenty years ago, a few of the stumps could still be seen jutting from the water. I'm sure that hurricane Katrina has finished the job, and the waters have reclaimed any signs of St. Malo. My first ancestor, Felipe Madriaga of Ilocos Norte, Philippines (then called provencia Manila, New Spain), and his Irish wife Brigett Nugent, lived in St. Bernard Parish according to the U.S. Census of 1860. With his wife and daughters living with him, he probably did not stay at St. Malo, but he fished out of there according to family oral history. Manila Village, built in 1895 on Barataria Bay in Jefferson Parish, is where many of the St. Malo fishermen moved to. Although our famly lived in New Orleans, Manila Village was more family friendly, and often the wives and children joined the men there during shrimp season. The 1910 U.S. Census bears this out. St. Malo is not only an important part of the history of St. Bernard Parish, but of Asian-American history in general. Right now, in 2007, our parish is still trying to find its feet two years after Katrina tried to wash us away. I doubt that now is a good time to approach the parish government about adding Filipino history to their parish web sight. ~ Rhonda Lee Richoux, Chalmette, Louisiana
