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. […]

2020: Portugal dropped in the Index of Democracy – The Economist

05 February 2021

Portugal has dropped in the Index of Democracy compiled annually by The Economist magazine, to be no longer a “fully democratic country,” back to being in the category of a “flawed democracy.” The main reasons for the drop, result from restrictions in civil liberties imposed by the COVID’19 pandemic and a reduction on active parliamentary […]

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Posted in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Featured, Guiné-Bissau, Heritage, Mozambique, Organizations, Politics, Portugal, São Tomé and Prince, World

Poetry: True North with Sam Pereira – Interview

02 February 2021

By Millicent Borges Accardi Raised in Los Banos, California, Portuguese-American writer Sam Pereira has published six books, most recently, True North and Untrue You (Nine Mile 2020), a poetry collection which David St John (author of The Last Troubadour: New and Selected Poems) states is “uniquely American. . . as if Lenny Bruce had written songs […]

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

Portugal: Pandemic is causing mental health havoc – by Len Port

01 February 2021

Mental health issues are festering on the sidelines of the constant news reports about COVID’19 infection and death rates, strict lockdown measures, the economic slump and vaccination plans.   As is the case globally, a great many citizens in Portugal have to cope with Covid-related stress, anxiety, loneliness, fear, depression, anger or worse.  Other symptoms include […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Portugal

Euthanasia: Lawmakers vote in favor of medically assisted suicide – Portugal

30 January 2021

Portugal Parliament voted overwhelming, on Friday, 136-78 with four abstentions, in favor of euthanasia, allowing doctors to medically assist patients to commit suicide through lethal drugs. Although President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, with 20 days to deliberate, has the power to approve, veto or send the law to the Constitutional Court for review, Parliament can […]

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

Corruption: Portugal dropped three places in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index – Transparency International

28 January 2021

Portugal dropped three places, to 33rd place with 61 points, in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index report, published on Thursday, by Transparency International. With the lowest score ever, Portugal is now “well below the average figures for Western Europe and the European Union, set at 66 points,” it was reported. Transparency International (TI), a non-governmental […]

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

Book: ‘Slave Trade and Abolition: Gender, Commerce’ by Vanessa S. Oliveira – Editor’s Note

26 January 2021

Well into the early nineteenth century, Luanda, the administrative capital of Portuguese Angola, was one of the most influential ports for the transatlantic slave trade. Between 1801 and 1850, it served as the point of embarkation for more than 535,000 enslaved Africans. In the history of this diverse, wealthy city, the gendered dynamics of the […]

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Posted in Angola, Arts&Culture, Azores, Books, Brazil, Cape Verde, Featured, Guiné-Bissau, Heritage, Madeira, Mozambique, People, Portugal, São Tomé and Prince, World