33 years before English pilgrims aboard the Mayflower arrive at Plymouth rock, two native Americans stealthily observe a galleon anchoring on a bay in central California. Soon after, a party disembarking from the ship set foot on the shifting shores and named the place Puerto de San Lucas on a Sunday, October 18, 1587.
The party came in two groups. The first group was led by Pedro Unamuno whose party, armed with coats of mail and arquebuses, was composed of twelve soldiers. The second group was led by Fr. Martin Ignacio de Loyola from Macau, whose party was composed of Luzon natives. Fr. Martin carried a cross in his hands while the Luzon natives were equipped with swords and shields.
As the groups navigated their way through unfamiliar terrain, they came across five native Americans. Wanting to communicate with them they made every effort to do so, but to no avail as the seemingly threatened native Americans fled and went for the hills. Nonetheless, the parties further explored the area, erected a cross, and then later went back to their galleon - the Nuestra Señora de Esperanza.
No one would have heard of this interesting historical episode if it weren't for the original research made by Eloisa Gomez Borah on Pedro Unamuno’s logs. A trustee of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), she made the case for the presence and role of the early native Filipinos in her report published in UCLA’s Amerasia Journal in 1996. Through her research, the role of Filipinos as capable seamen on early exploration and trade 430 years ago is honored and recognized today.
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