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. […]

Dementia: A much less talked about pandemic – By Len Port

11 July 2021

The lives of about 50 million people worldwide have been shattered without any hope of recovery by Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. The number is increasing by about 10 million a year, according to the World Health Organisation. In Portugal, around 200,000 people – more than twice as many women as men – have […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, People, Portugal

Community: Bob Correia has died at the age of 82 – Fall River, MA

09 July 2021

Robert Correia, a longtime member of the Massachusetts Legislature and later the mayor of Fall River, has died at the age of 82. He was House majority whip for six years. One of the bigger local political figures in the past 50 years, he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1977 […]

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

Book: ‘Daria’ by Irene Marques – Editor’s Note

08 July 2021

When a young woman is subjected to a violent attack, the impact of colonialism, patriarchy, and who we choose to love are thrown into sharp relief. Daria is an immigrant woman living in Toronto, and as she begins to tell her story, the reader is pulled into different worlds, travelling to various timeframes and locations […]

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

Appointed: Daniela Braga joins the Biden Administration – Washington, DC

06 July 2021

Portuguese born Daniela Braga, founder of DefinedCrowd, was appointed by Biden administration’s National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Resource Task Force, whose 12-member team mission is to advise the federal government. The team will prepare a guide for the creation of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Center, a platform for sharing research and providing artificial information […]

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

Science: São Miguel taking center stage at the GLEX Summit – Azores

05 July 2021

The Azores will host the Global Exploration Summit 2021 (GLEX), between July 6-10, which opens in Lisbon and closes on the island of São Miguel. The GLEX Summit, under the motto “explore and learn”, is part of the celebrations of the 500 years of the circumnavigation voyage of Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521). The […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Organizations, People, Portugal, São Miguel, World

Book: ‘Ocean Crossings’ edited by André Nóvoa – Editor’s Note

04 July 2021

The theme of the seas has long been a central topic in scholarship on the Lusophone world, but more recent research has invested ocean crossings with new relevance and urgency. Instead of focusing on the stereotypical ocean crossings of the Portuguese maritime expansion, Ocean Crossing brings together a diversity of approaches focused on the “less obvious” sea […]

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Posted in Books, Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World