Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
1976-2026 | Azoreans mark 50 years of Autonomy with solemn ceremony Canada | Brampton to inaugurate replica of Portas da Cidade 100 years ago | Devastating earthquake shook Faial Island Sports | Fernando Pimenta world canoeing champion Community | 20th Anniversary of Portas da Cidade Celebration
 

1976-2026 | Azoreans mark 50 years of Autonomy with solemn ceremony – Horta, Faial

The Autonomous Region of the Azores marked a historic milestone with a Solemn Session on Friday, September 4, at the inaugural session of the Regional Assembly in Horta, Faial, honoring the 50th anniversary of the establishment of self-government. The Regional Assembly’s first solemn session took place exactly 50 years ago in Horta and was presided […]

Canada | Brampton to inaugurate replica of Portas da Cidade – Toronto, Ontario

One of the most recognizable symbols of the Azores, Portas da Cidade (City Gates) of Ponta Delgada, will soon have a new home in Brampton, in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area. The inauguration of a full-scale replica of the historic monument is scheduled for September 12, 2026, at Azores Park, 100 Malta Avenue.  The monument will […]

100 years ago | Devastating earthquake shook Faial Island – Azores

One hundred years ago today, on the morning of August 31, 1926, the island of Faial was violently shaken by one of the most destructive earthquakes in the modern history of the Azores.  A century later, the Museu da Horta is commemorating the disaster with historical photographs, educational activities and an earthquake-preparedness exercise involving about […]

Sports | Fernando Pimenta world canoeing champion – Poznan, Poland

Portuguese canoeing star Fernando Pimenta was crowned world champion in the K1 1000 meters, winning a dramatic final at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznan, Poland, on August 29, 2026.  The achievement adds another historic chapter to the career of the athlete from Ponte de Lima, widely regarded as Portugal’s greatest canoeist. Pimenta currently […]

Community | 20th Anniversary of Portas da Cidade Celebration – Fall River, MA

Mayor Paul Coogan, in conjunction with the Portas da Cidade Advisory Committee and the Prince Henry Society, will host a special ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Portas da Cidade (City Gates), one of Fall River’s most recognizable symbols of its Azorean heritage.  The celebration will take place Monday, August 31, at 10:30 am […]

Community | Competition ‘I Love Azores’ open to young Azorean descendants – Azores

30 January 2026

The Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for Communities, and SATA/Azores Airlines are launching, in partnership, the “I Love Azores” competition—an initiative designed to strengthen cultural and emotional ties between young Azorean descendants living in North America and the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The competition is part of the […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, Travel, World

Storm Kristin | Central country region devastated by widespread damage – Portugal

29 January 2026

One of the most powerful winter storms to hit Portugal in recent years, storm Kristin, caused severe destruction across central regions of the country, resulting in multiple fatalities, widespread power outages, and extensive damage to infrastructure.  Thousands of emergency incidents were reported nationwide. According to official sources, the storm caused at least five to six […]

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Posted in Featured, Portugal, Uncategorized, World

In Memoriam | Filmmaker João Canijo, 68, leaves a remarkable legacy – Portugal 

29 January 2026

Portuguese cinema is mourning the death of filmmaker João Canijo (1957-2026),  one of the most influential and uncompromising voices in contemporary Portuguese film. Throughout his career, he collaborated closely with actors and writers to develop a unique narrative universe centered on family dynamics, social tensions, and the complexities of power and identity. Renowned for his […]

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

UPDATE | Presidential election heads to runoff as diaspora voters decry voting barriers – Portugal

19 January 2026

Portugal’s presidential election, held on January 18, concluded without a decisive winner, sending the country to a runoff election on February 8, 2026, following one of the most polarized presidential contests since the return of democracy.  According to the official provisional results, the socialist left-center candidate, António José Seguro, led the first round with 31.1% […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Madeira, Organizations, People, Politics, Portugal, Uncategorized, World

Elections’26 | One of the most presidential contests in decades – Portugal

16 January 2026

Portugal will hold its next presidential election on  Sunday, January 18, 2026, with a possible runoff scheduled for February 8, 2026, if no candidate secures a majority. In what analysts describe as one of the most unpredictable presidential contests in decades, the presidential election is expected to be closely watched both domestically and internationally as […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Madeira, Politics, Portugal, World

Book | Luso-Orientalism(s) On Imagined Projections And Ruins | By Maria do Carmo Piçarra – Editor’s Note

15 January 2026

This book aims to explore the multiple ways in which Portuguese colonialism in former “Portuguese Asia” has been imagined. It focuses primarily on how Estado Novo (1933–1974), the longest-running European dictatorship, “imagined” these territories and peoples. Images played a pivotal role in the exercise of colonial power, propagating established ideas and portraying a colonial reality […]

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