Los Islenos Heritage & Cultural Society

Lots of amazing history, along with beautiful area for events. The buildings from the past are well kept taking you on a journey into the beginning of a rich culture.

As a person of Filipino descent, our visit to Los Islenos was part of a personal last-minute itinerary. When I was a DePaul University student, I took an Asian studies class and learned that 10th generation Filipinos exist in Louisiana. As I got older, my fascination about these descendants grew and ever since, I longed to know their origins.Saint Malo was the first Filipino fishing village established in Louisiana with historical records of Filipino sailors inhabiting the land as early as 1763. They arrived to this swampy marsh land through the Manila Galleon Trades during 1565-1815. These so called "Manila men" pioneered the first Filipino settlement in the United States and from this settlement, a flourishing fishing village in Saint Malo was born. These Manila men took what they've learned from shrimp farming in the Philippines and developed the process of drying shrimp. By doing so, the process prolonged shelf life making dried shrimp accessible for trade beyond its borders. The method revolutionized the shrimping industry in New Orleans and influenced Cajun cuisine.If you are looking to tour the facility, visit their website and schedule a tour. FYI - You'll need to provide a few days' notice. Although my stay was brief, I left with so much more to appreciate about my heritage and the contributions Filipinos made to society.

Its cool to see how some people lived "way down da road" as we say. Nothing to jump up and down about.

In the opposite direction of the more favored plantations is this historical museum that remembers the first settlers of this area from the Canary Islands. I came here right before the COVID shutdown of 2020 for a festival they hold annually. It was quite a lovely festival. I knew I wanted to come back for a tour. Fast forward 6 months and I email them asking about tours and precautions. Because I was a party of 1, I was able to come on the weekend. The tour is free, they do ask for a $5 donation for upkeep. The whole tour was very personal and given by someone with deep roots in the area. It was all very lovely. I ended up buying some merchandise, which was all reasonably priced. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something off the beaten path to do.

While looking for something to do in the Upcoming Events section of nola.com last weekend, I was excited to come across the article about the Los Islenos Christmas in St. Bernard. I love historical and cultural events and since it was an early event, for 5 pm, I was excited to participate in something both unique to South Louisiana and Christmassy. From our house, it was a short drive to the Islenos Village, several buildings from around the parish that had been moved and refurbished, especially post Katrina. My favorite was the house build in 1790 with a glass encasing showing the original fossilized and disintegrating logs. The tiny buildings were decorated in dollar tree ribbons and ornaments and plastic candy canes. A true wonderland. The program began at 5 pm and we were there in time to see most of the Christmas program. Chalmette high school students performed music and read about the history of the Islenos, Spanish settlers who came from the Canary Islands in the early 18th century and founded San Bernardo, or St. Bernard as we know it today. There were cute children in Santa hats singing and cookies for all! I actually found the long sleeves and fuzzy hats to be hilarious since, in true New Orleans fashion, the temperature was in the high 70s. There were mosquitos everywhere. I counted 15 bites later that evening up and down my legs and arms. A huge bonfire was constructed and lit in the back. Mosquitos buzzed, the scent of lighter fluid wafted, and Papa Noel came out on a hayride wagon, pulled by a tractor.And I thought, goddamn, I love living here.

The Los Islenos Museum is a great location for several St. Bernard events, but the event that attracts the most people would be the Los Islenos Fiesta that takes place in March of every year. Well known musicians and dancers from the Canary Islands attend this event to provide entertainment to the guests, and there is a spread of delicious Spanish food and drink as well. The fiesta also has traditional New Orleans food and some local bands. There are activities and rides for the children plus it is a very educational weekend. You can check to see other events being held there year round, but you can also pass through when there aren't any major events to check out the history of the area. You can walk through some of the historic houses, and you might even get lucky to see the historian there to tell you some interesting stories along the way. If you aren't from St. Bernard Parish, you should definitely make the drive "down the road" to see the Los Islenos Museum while you're in town.