Editing Jean Lafitte, Louisiana (section)

==History==
Jean Lafitte was originally settled by Native Americans, then explored and settled by the French who established the area as a harbor for large vessels coming in and out of New Orleans.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=About Us|url=https://townofjeanlafitte.com/about-us/|access-date=August 26, 2021|website=Town of Jean Lafitte|language=en-US}}</ref> Today, the communities along Bayou Barataria are made up of Jean Lafitte, [[Lafitte, Louisiana|Lafitte]], Crown Point and [[Barataria, Louisiana|Barataria]].<ref name=":1" />

The town of Jean Lafitte was officially incorporated in 1974, an effort led by Leo E. Kerner Jr., who became the town's first mayor. His son, Tim Kerner Sr., later served 7 terms as mayor from 1992 to 2020. In 2020, his son Tim Kerner, Jr. was elected as mayor.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jean Lafitte's legend lives on in town {{!}} Access Code 70067|url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/features/jean-lafittes-legend-lives-on-in-town-access-code-70067/289-73b8af88-bd60-48c7-b3ca-5d00e03db807|access-date=August 26, 2021|website=wwltv.com|date=March 11, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Under the leadership of [[Timothy P. Kerner Sr|Timothy Kerner Sr.]], the town built a number of civic and infrastructure improvements, including: a visitor center, museum, 1,300-seat auditorium, library, civic center, baseball park, senior center, medical clinic, art gallery, and nature trail.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last1=Sack|first1=Kevin|last2=Schwartz|first2=John|date=February 24, 2018|title=Left to Louisiana's Tides, a Village Fights for Time|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/24/us/jean-lafitte-floodwaters.html,%20https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/24/us/jean-lafitte-floodwaters.html|access-date=August 27, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> One of the mayor's major accomplishments was the creation of the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District that eventually secured over $300 million in funds to build tidal protection levees and flood walls.<ref name=":2" />

In 2012, a [[historical marker]] for the community of [[Manila Village]] was placed in Jean Lafitte.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pinoy fishermen honored at marker unveiling in Louisiana |author=Pia Lee-Brago |url=http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/07/01/823193/pinoy-fishermen-honored-marker-unveiling-louisiana |newspaper=[[Philippine Star]] |date=July 1, 2012 |access-date=February 16, 2013 }}<br />{{cite web |url=http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=chart_pubs |title=Enhancing Gulf of Mexico Coastal Communities'Resiliency Through Participatory Community Engagement |author=Shirley Laska |author2=Kristina Paterson |author3=Michelle E. Alcina |author4=Jonathan West |author5=Ashley Volion |year=2010 |work=CHART Publications |publisher=[[University of New Orleans]] |access-date=August 20, 2012 }}<br />{{cite web |url=http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/component/content/article/156-114th-anniversary-phl-independence/5787-historical-marker-for-manila-village-in-louisiana-unveiled |title=Historical Marker for Manila Village in Louisiana Unveiled |date=June 30, 2012 |work=Department of Foreign Affairs |publisher=Republic of the Philippines |access-date=August 20, 2012 |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713055544/http://www.dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/component/content/article/156-114th-anniversary-phl-independence/5787-historical-marker-for-manila-village-in-louisiana-unveiled |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since mid-2013, Manila Plaza, located in front of Jean Lafitte Town Hall, has held several historical markers and commemorative plaques acknowledging important individuals in the area's [[Filipino American]] history.<ref name="LLA2013NOLA">{{cite news |last=Arceneaux |first=Lara L |date=July 12, 2013 |title=Filipino contributions to Lafitte remembered with historical marker |url=http://blog.nola.com/westbank/2013/07/filipino_contributions_to_lafi.html |work=Times-Picayune |access-date=April 24, 2017 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223731/http://blog.nola.com/westbank/2013/07/filipino_contributions_to_lafi.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society participated in the dedication ceremony.<ref name="LLA2013NOLA" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neworleans.me/journal/detail/761/NOLA-Filipino-History-Stretches-for-Centuries |title=NOLA Filipino History Stretches for Centuries |last=Welch |first=Michael Patrick |date=October 27, 2014 |access-date=April 24, 2017 |archive-date=September 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919062244/http://www.neworleans.me/journal/detail/761/NOLA-Filipino-History-Stretches-for-Centuries |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2017}}

While there were several settlements of [[Filipinos]] (sometimes called ''Manilamen'' or ''[[Tagalog people|Tagalas]]'') along the Louisiana coast in the late 19th century, Manila Village was the largest. The residents there implemented a system of platforms on which they dried [[shrimp]], as forerunners of Louisiana's 21st-century [[dried shrimp]] industry. This community-on-stilts thrived for nearly a century, until it was destroyed by [[Hurricane Betsy]] in 1965.<ref name="LLA2013NOLA" />

In 2014, the town of Jean Lafitte unveiled a historical marker sponsored by the Jefferson Parish Historical Commission at the town's visitor center. The historical marker reads: “Named for legendary privateer [[Jean Lafitte]], who helped the United States win the Battle of New Orleans and used area bayous for his smuggling operations. Home to a thriving seafood industry. Incorporated in 1974 as a village. Became a town in 1977. First mayor of village and town was Leo E. Kerner, Jr., 1974-1991.”<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 17, 2014|title=WWL TV: Town of Jean Lafitte honored with historical marker|url=https://townofjeanlafitte.com/wwl-tv-town-of-jean-lafitte-honored-with-historical-marker/|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=Town of Jean Lafitte|language=en-US}}</ref>