Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
1976-2026 | Azores celebrate 50 Years of Constitutional Autonomy Book | Bag of Kisses | By Melanie Pereira April 25th |  “Dia da Liberdade” celebrated nationwide and across the diaspora Community | Justice Department moves to revoke citizenship for naturalized immigrants Honor | Writer João Pedro Vala recipient of the PEN/O. Henry Award
 

1976-2026 | Azores celebrate 50 Years of Constitutional Autonomy – Azores 

The Autonomous Region of the Azores is preparing for a historic year of celebrations in 2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of its Constitutional Autonomy. This milestone underscores five decades of self-governance, regional identity, and transatlantic connection.  The commemorations will culminate on September 8, 2026, marking the formal implementation of autonomy under the Constitution of […]

Book | Bag of Kisses | By Melanie Pereira – Editor’s Note

For a little girl whose daddy is a fisherman in the #1 fishing port in the world, goodbyes are never easy. But before he leaves for sea, her parents share a special secret―a magical bag of kisses that keeps their love close, no matter how far the waves carry him. As the days pass and […]

April 25th |  “Dia da Liberdade” celebrated nationwide and across the diaspora – Portugal

The Portuguese nation commemorates today the 52nd anniversary of the Carnation Revolution transition to democracy, with a nationwide program of official ceremonies, public demonstrations, and cultural events. The celebrations expanded abroad, connecting the country to its global diaspora, particularly in the United States. At the center of the national commemorations will be the traditional formal […]

Community | Justice Department moves to revoke citizenship for naturalized immigrants – Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Department of Justice is moving to accelerate efforts to revoke the citizenship of certain naturalized Americans, targeting cases where individuals are suspected of having obtained citizenship through fraud or misrepresentation. Citizenship is considered one of the most secure legal statuses in the United States. Therefore, the overall impact of such measures is likely […]

Honor | Writer João Pedro Vala recipient of the PEN/O. Henry Award – New York, NY

Portuguese writer João Pedro Vala has been awarded a prestigious PEN/O. Henry Award for his short story “Inês,” a recognition widely regarded as one of the highest honors in English-language short fiction. The first Portuguese author to receive that distinction, his short story ‘Inês’ was selected for inclusion in the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories anthology. […]

Olympic Games: Pedro Pichardo wins gold for Portugal – Tokyo,Japan

05 August 2021

Pedro Pichardo, 28, is the new Olympic Champion in the triple jump. He won the 4th medal in these games, the 1st gold. The Cuban-born Pichardo athlete recorded 17.98 meters on his third attempt to clinch his first Olympic title. He previously won silver medals at the 2013 and 2015 world championships while representing Cuba. […]

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Posted in Awards, Featured, People, Portugal, Sports, World

Community: More resources for Portuguese language learning abroad – Portugal

03 August 2021

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, announced that the Portuguese language teaching abroad network [Ensino de Português no Estrangeiro (EPE)] will be provided with more teachers and more teaching materials in the next school year. The project will provide a “massive distribution” of computers and updated educational content to students and teachers, he […]

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Posted in Community, Education, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

João Melo: From citizen of the world to Lusophone writer – Interview

01 August 2021

By Millicent Borges Accardi Writer João Melo was born in Luanda, Angola. His work has been translated into English, French, German, Arabic, and Chinese. A jack of all trades, he has had a wide variety of jobs including writer, press correspondent, journalist, communication consultant and professor. Besides Angola, he has lived in Rio de Janeiro […]

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Posted in Angola, Arts&Culture, Books, Brazil, Featured, Portugal, World

Book: ‘Selected Shorter Poems’ by Luís Vaz de Camões – Editor’s Note

30 July 2021

Luís Vaz de Camões (ca.1524/25-1580) is reckoned the greatest poet in the Portuguese language, granting him a position in the national literature akin to that of Dante, Shakespeare, or Goethe. He wrote a considerable amount of lyric poetry and at least three dramas but is best remembered for his epic poem Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), which set […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World

Wildfires: Severe climate predictions for Portugal – by Len Port

30 July 2021

The recent rural wildfire that encroached on the municipality of Portimão in the Algarve was yet another reminder that scientists consider Portugal to be one of the most vulnerable countries in Europe to climate change. The latest blaze came almost on the third anniversary of the inferno that destroyed so much across the Monchique hills […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Madeira, Portugal, World

Book: ‘The Lusiads’ by Luís Vaz de Camões – Editor’s Note

28 July 2021

Camões (ca.1524/25-1580) is the national poet of Portugal, with a status in the Lusophone world akin to that of Shakespeare, Dante, Cervantes and Goethe elsewhere. A wonderful lyric poet, and also an occasional dramatist, his masterpiece is Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), an epic poem on the beginnings of the Portuguese maritime empire, for which the author himself […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World