In 2012, the first historical marker was unveiled in front of the Town of Jean Lafitte Courthouse in Jefferson Parish (2654 Jean Lafitte Boulevard, Lafitte LA 70067). This marker describes Filipino life in the region after the migration of the first settlers.

During the late 1800’s, a group of Filipino fishermen led by Quintin de la Cruz built a few shelters on stilts on top of some oyster reefs at the mouth of Barataria Bay in South Louisiana. They called it Manila Village to remind them of their homeland and the hundreds of small fishing villages that dotted the coastline of their Philippine Islands. 

A year later on June 30, 2013, the PLHS unveiled a marker for Clark Cheniere, another shrimping village that was built by a group of Filipinos led by John (Juan Roxas) Rojas. It is located not far from the Manila Village marker (Jean Lafitte Blvd., south of Church Street, Lafitte LA 70067).

In 2019, the PLHS unveiled the second marker at the lawn of the Los Isleños Museum Complex (1357 Bayou Rd, Saint Bernard, LA 70085). This marker aligns with the Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society’s mission to recognize the varied histories and cultures that helped shape the area.

In the first half of the 19th century, Filipino sailors established a village on the southern shore of Lake Borgne on a site previously settled by Native Americans and Maroons. By the mid-19th century, St. Malo was the largest fishing village on the lake and a symbol of the growing Filipino presence in Louisiana.