Two young contestants of Azorean descent from the United States, Amanda da Rosa of California and Kelsey D’Andrade Almerico of Washington State, have won the “I Love Azores” competition.
The Azores Government initiative was organized by the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, in partnership with SATA/Azores Airlines.
The contest was launched as part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the 85th anniversary of SATA, inviting young members of the Azorean diaspora in North America to share, in English, their personal connection to the islands.
The competition received entries from Azorean-descendant communities across the United States and Canada, with prizes consisting of round-trip travel to the Azores from Boston, New York, Toronto, and Montreal.
The jury was chaired by American writer of Azorean descent Katherine Vaz, José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities, and Graça Silva, SATA’s Sales and Marketing Director. The two winners were selected on literary quality, originality, and authentic connection to Azorean identity.
Amanda da Rosa’s winning entry reflected on growing up “between two worlds,” blending vivid sensory memories of the islands with the experience of balancing Portuguese and American identities.
Kelsey D’Andrade Almerico’s text recounted her emotional journey to Terceira Island in 2018 and explored the deep ancestral ties preserved through family history despite growing up in a small Portuguese-American household in Washington State.
Open to Azorean descendants between the ages of 18 and 40, the competition accepted submissions from February through April 2026 and required participants to reference the “Autonomous Region of the Azores,” “Azorean Communities,” and “SATA” in their essays.
Organizers said the initiative reflects the Regional Government’s and SATA Group’s continued commitment to strengthening Azorean identity among younger generations in the diaspora, while allowing the winners to reconnect directly with the archipelago through travel and cultural experience.
Source: Press release @ azores.gov.pt
PAJ/Staff
The Azores (population 250,000) is a region of Portugal composed of nine islands. The archipelago, discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, became an Autonomous Region of Portugal in 1976. The government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores includes the Legislative Assembly, composed of 57 elected deputies, elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term; the Regional Government and Presidency, with parliamentary legitimacy, composed of a President, a Vice-President and seven Regional Secretaries responsible for the Regional Government’s executive operations. The Autonomous Region of the Azores is represented in the Council of Ministers of the Central Government by a representative appointed by the President of Portugal. According to the latest US census, over 1.3 million individuals of Portuguese descent live in the United States, the majority of whom have roots in the Azores. It is estimated that over 20,000 US citizens live in Portugal.
More @ Political Status of the Azores
