According to Randy Gonzales, a fourth-generation Filipino Louisianan, historian and professor of English at the University of Lafayette, the Manilamen saw opportunity in the Louisiana Gulf, an area that many people found too wild and hostile. Though mosquitoes often swarmed and hurricanes battered it, the Manilamen were used to typhoons in the Philippines. Like the Philippines, St Bernard Parish was ruled by Spain; Spanish was the primary language in the area, and the Manilamen shared Spanish heritage with many residents. It also wasn't very populated, offering economic opportunities for those who knew how to harness its wild spirit.
