About Randy

  • Dr. James Wilson/BORSF Eminent Scholar Endowed Professor in Southern Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
  • English professor who teaches courses in professional writing and Asian American Studies.
  • Filipino American interested in researching and sharing the history of Filipinos in Louisiana.
  • Co-vice president of Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society (PLHS).
  • New Orleanian who spent fourteen years living and teaching abroad. 

Selected Writings

Book

Gonzales, Randy. Settling St. Malo: Poems from Filipino Louisiana. Lafayette, LA: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press [2023]. Listen to a selection from “When Manilamen Fished at St. Malo (1840s-1906)” recorded for Disappearing St. Malo, 2022, a public art exhibit by Cheyenne Concepcion.

Essays

—. “Stories Told About the Nineteenth Century Filipino Settlement at St. Malo, Louisiana.” Louisiana Folklore Miscellany: 29 (2019): 5-22. Print.

—. “(Un)Documented, a Narrative of M— in Letters to/from US Institutions.” Proceedings from the Document Academy: 4.1 (2017). Web.

—. “The Filipino Mission Moves to Talisheek, Louisiana.” Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley 16.2 (2017): 83-96. Print.

Contributions

—. “Manilamen at Saint Malo.” The American Mosaic: The Asian American Experience, ABC-CLIO, [2023].

—. “Filipino Americans and U.S. Civil War,” The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies. Kevin Nadal,  Leo Yabut Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, and E.J.R. David, editors. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 2022.

—. “The War of 1812,” The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies. Kevin Nadal,  Leo Yabut Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, and E.J.R. David, editors. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 2022.

—. “Philipino Colony Bar and Refreshment Co. and Caballeros de Dimas-Alang Louisiana Lodge No. 34,” The People’s Guide to New Orleans. Lynnell L. Thomas and Elizabeth Steeby. University of California Press [forthcoming]. Print.

Community History

Filipino La.: History and Culture of Filipinos in Louisiana, Filipino Louisiana, 2015. www.filipinola.com.

“Philippine Louisiana Historical Society.” Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society. Flyer.

“Philippine Independence Day History Posters,” Filipino La. Poster.

St. Malo

St. Malo marker as it appeared the day it was unveiled, framed by US and Philippines flags.

“St. Malo” Louisiana State Historical Marker. Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society, St. Bernard, LA, 9 November 2019. 

Gonzales, Randy. “Brief History of St. Malo.” 9 November 2019, Los Isleños Museum Complex, St. Bernard, LA. Introductory Address.

“Unveiling of Louisiana Historical Marker Commemorating the 1st Permanent Filipino Settlement in the United States.” Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society, 14 September 2019. Press Release.

St. Tammany Parish

“‘There has to be Lechon’: Celebration in the Filipino Community.” YouTube, Filipino Louisiana, 14 October 2016.

In the Media

Carter, Stephanie Jane. “Saint Malo: The First Asian Settlement in the US,” BBC.com, British Broadcasting Corporation, 28 November 2022.

“New Look at One of America’s Oldest Communities Affected by Climate Change,” Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, created by Joie Chen, Hearst Media Production Group, 23 October 2022.

Williams, Liz. “St. Malo and Filipino Louisiana,” Tip of the Tongue, 140, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, 8 August 2022.

Tayag, Claude. “Two Poems, a Song, and a Tribute to the Pinoy Adobo.” The Philippine Star, Philstar Daily Inc., 28 July 2022.

“Mix Mix.” Take Out. Created by Lisa Ling, season 1, episode 1, Part2 Productions, 2022. HBOMax.

“Climate Change is Destroying an Important Piece of Filipino American History.” Now This News, Group Nine Media, 2 December 2021.

Ramirez, Rachel. “This Site is an Important Piece of Filipino American History. Climate Change is Destroying It.” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 October 2021. 

Tanglao, Leezel. “From the Bay to the Bayou: 10 Places that are Steeped in Filipino American History.” The Points Guy, The Points Guy LLC, 6 October 2021

Yuchengco, Mona Lisa. “Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 30.” Positively Filipino, Positively Filipino LLC, 29 September 2021. 

Sandweiss, Ethan. “The Challenges of Reclaiming Filipino Louisiana’s Centuries-Old History.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 10 September 2021.

Tayag, Yasmin. “Remembering America’s First Filipino Settlement before It Vanishes into the Sea.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 24 June 2021.

“Historical Marker Unveiled to Mark the First Filipino Settlement in the U.S.” YouTube, ABS-CBN Balitang America, 11 November 2019.