Hello Everyone,
Here is a little more historical information in a timeline based approach.
1587 - A Spanish galleon, the Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza, sent a shore party to explore what is now Morro Bay, California. This occurred on Sunday, Oct 18th 1587. Luzones Indios(Filipinos) were among the crew who landed. On Oct 20 there was a skirmish with local Indians and 1 Filipino was killed, they departed the coast on Oct 22nd.(This information is from Spanish Voyages to the Northwest Coast of America in the 16th century,pub.1929)
1595 - The San Augustin, was shipwrecked near Point Reyes, San Francisco harbor. Filipino seamen were part of the crew. (San Francisco Chronicle, Nov 14th, 1995, referring to Carl Nolte 400th Anniversary of Spanish Shipwreck, Rough first landings in the Bay area)
1763 - The “Manilla Men” established the village named St. Malo in the bayous outside of New Orleans.(Reported by Lafcadio Hearn, in Harper’s weekly March 31st, 1883.)
(There are some reports that Jean Lafitte(1782-1829), the pirate and gentleman, met and used them in his crews)
1789- 1865(The beginning of the Filipino whaling/fishing work in Alaska) – Many Filipino crew members worked on Spanish exploration vessels, as well as Spanish Galeons. These vessels toured the west coast of the United States . In 1865 records from the New Bedford Whaling Museum identify whaling crewmembers in Alaska as “Manilla Men”.
1898 - American ships arrive at Manila Bay, and defeat the Spanish. On December 12, the Treaty of Paris is signed officially ending the Spanish American war and ceding the Americans the Philippine Islands for $20 million dollars from Spain.
1899 The outbreak of the Philippine/American war starts and last approximately 10 years. The total casualties: Filipino Est. 400,00 – 600,000 dead, American Est. 10,000 dead.
1900 – In the early 1900’s, the Alaskeros, work at the Alaska cannery plants. These were Filipino’s who decide to take up permanent residence in Alaska.
1900 – 1903 –The first true wave of Filipino people are settling in Hawaii. As many as 115,000 Filipino’s were employed as cheap labor for sugar production. It was hard work, as demonstrated by the 1946 sugar plant strikes, over 7,000 Filipino workers took part. In 1949 approximately 600 Filipino workers were brought in to break up the striking workers being lead by the Longshoreman’s Union. During the following years you can follow the immigration eastward to California, Alaska, Chicago etc. Following work in canneries, porters on trains, domestic help etc.
1904 - St. Louis World’s Fair 1904 - a group of Filipino tribesman were brought and put on display, as well as many other “native people” from Africa, Ceylon, etc. What was interesting was that after the fair these tribesman didn’t get to go back the Philippine Islands for sometime! In fact there was a great debate in the US press that supported returning the tribesman back to their homeland. Below is a short excerpt of a visitor to the World’s Fair in 1904.
WORLD'S FAIR, ST. LOUIS, 1904
“A very interesting exhibit was the Igorot village which occupied six acres of the most picturesque part of the Philippine Reservation. These 114 natives, from three tribes, -- the Bontogs, the Suyocs and the Tinguianese, -- lived in nipa huts built by their own hands. They are among the most conspicuous races of northern Luzon; their hair is straight and black, their chests strong, muscles well developed. The women are generally well formed, erect and graceful; their clothing consists of a woven breech clout of gaudy color for the men, and not much more for the women. There is much tatooing, especially on their breasts, which tells of their head-hunting raids, and some wore strung around their necks the red beak of a bird, signifying that the wearer has taken at least twenty heads. Headhunting among the Bontog Igorots is not only a means of self-defence, but a pastime. After a member of the pueblo has taken home a human head, a month is given to celebration. All Igorot men eat dogs. It is a tribal dish, and twenty dogs were furnished these men each week by the United States government. We watched them preparing and cooking the dogs, as well as eating them. The women are not allowed to eat dogs flesh because the Igorots say they do not care for their women to fight. These natives wear many bracelets and armlets of beads, and are fond of riding horses. We saw them in all their different activities, including the feast dance and many other dances; and at their games, including a curious game with a ball, which they threw about.”
“California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs”
From the early 1900Â’s to ~1930 over 100,000 FilipinoÂ’s work on infrastructure building in the US.
1946 – The Philippines are given their political Independence by the United States.
1946 – 1965 ~36,000 Filipino’s entered the US as immigrants. Most families located themselves in Hawaii, California, Washington, Alaska, Illinois, and as far east as New York city.
What most of us are familiar with in regards to the historical aspects of FMA, stem in two parts of the country, East and West coast. It is very true that much of the early training in FMA's was behind closed doors and in backyards, but each day more and more of the history and interactions of all these great masters is being released.
Gumagalang
Guro Steve Lefebvre
www.Bujinkandojo.net
. Nice lady in fromt of me about my age, and we tlaked and chatted in line. She had a ring on, so I thought nothing of it. I meet my friends and the lady was sitting near by with her husband who was older. They were with another couple that was his age. The Lady my age asked me about a knife I was inspecting for a friend. It was a balisong. She was a metalurgist, and worked in sales. I explained it was a Filipino knife and that I and another present trained and taught in the FMA's. The wife of the second couple was a Filipina (* If I had to guess in late 50's *). She was upset when she said asked if I meant Karate? I said no Arnis and Escrima. She looked upset, for here she is from the country and does not know. She got quiet, and both men looked unhappy. I turned the Husband of the Filipina, and made the following comments. Sir, I assume your wife came from a family with money. (* He rolled his eyes and smiled as he said Yes *). Well given the time frame those who studied most traditional FMA were from the streets or the lower or lower middle class. Her family probably had no interactions with these types of men. He smiled and relaxed as his wife relaxed for I had given her a way out that she felt comfortable with.
