Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
Honor | Writer João Pedro Vala recipient of the PEN/O. Henry Award Space | Portugal launches satellites honoring national literary figures Community | 2026 International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA)  Community | Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho remains on paid leave FLAD | Carlos Costa Neves appointed director of the Luso-American Development Foundation
 

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. […]

Space | Portugal launches satellites honoring national literary figures – Santa Barbara, CA

Portugal successfully launched six satellites aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, US. The mission reinforces Portugal’s growing role in the global space economy, while also strengthening strategic, scientific, and economic links across the Atlantic. Among the satellites are four named after some of the nation’s most celebrated literary figures […]

Community | 2026 International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA)  – Providence, RI

The International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA) will return on Saturday, April 25, 2026, for its 14th annual edition at the Providence Performing Arts Center, bringing together leading artists from across the global Portuguese-speaking world.  The event, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and hosted by Daniella Ruah and Ricardo Farias, will be broadcast internationally, continuing its mission […]

Community | Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho remains on paid leave – Los Angeles, CA

Alberto M. Carvalho, the Portuguese-American superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), remains on paid administrative leave following a federal investigation involving the nation’s second-largest school system.  The move comes after agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants at Carvalho’s residence and district offices in late February 2026, in […]

FLAD | Carlos Costa Neves appointed director of the Luso-American Development Foundation – Portugal

The Board of Trustees of Lisbon based, Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) appointed Dr. Carlos Henrique da Costa Neves, 72, to the Executive Board, chaired since January 15, 2026, by José Manuel Durão Barroso. Born in Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores,  Costa Neves holds a degree in Law from the University of Lisbon. He has held […]

Elaine Ávila: Portuguese Canadian playwright debuts new play – Interview

10 November 2019

By Millicent Borges Accardi Meet Elaine Ávila, a Portuguese-American-Canadian writer who grew up in San Jose, California, and now lives in Canada.  Originally her grandparents immigrated from Ribeiras, Pico, Azores, to the Prusch Ranch and then, later, her grandfather worked in the tuna-fishing industry of San Diego.  She still has family in Santarém (mainland Portugal) […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Azores, Entertainment, Featured, Heritage, Interviews, Music, People, Pico, Portugal, World

George Monteiro: A brilliant mind (1932-2019)

07 November 2019

Dr. George Monteiro, Professor Emeritus of English at Brown University, passed away on Wednesday, November 6, at the age of 87. Degrees and Honors: Professor Monteiro received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Brown University in 1964. In 1956, he earned his Master of Arts from Columbia […]

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

Vasco Dantas: Piano recital debut at Carnegie Hall – New York, NY

31 October 2019

Portuguese pianist Vasco Dantas makes his New York debut in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, on Sunday November 17 at 2:00pm. Winner of more than 50 international awards, Vasco Dantas’ recent awards include Winner of Senior Grand Prix at Valletta International Piano Competition (Malta, 2017); 1st prize at Estoril Lisbon Music Competition (2015); […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Awards, Community, Entertainment, Featured, Music, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

Travel: Delta stops flying to Ponta Delgada in 2020 – Azores

25 October 2019

Delta Air Lines will stop flying to Ponta Delgada from New York next year, the president of the Azores Tourism Association Carlos Morais has confirmed. A note sent to Lusa news agency, by Delta’s press service in Portugal, also confirms that Delta Air Lines will discontinue summer service between Ponta Delgada and New York. In […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Featured, Organizations, Portugal, São Miguel, Travel, World

Textile Art: Vanessa Barragão reclaims ancestral craft – Interview

16 October 2019

By Millicent Borges Accardi Portuguese textile artist Vanessa Barragão’s latest artwork “The Botanical Tapestry” is installed at London Heathrow. The tapestry was developed to celebrate a partnership between Heathrow and Kew Gardens.   The artwork is 100% handmade, using ancestral techniques. Barragão says the three-dimensional world map uses “8kg of jute and cotton and 42kg […]

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

Update: Government to assess damages caused by hurricane Lorenzo – Azores

04 October 2019

The office of the Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa has announced that the Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira, is traveling to the Azores to assess damages caused by hurricane Lorenzo and prepare “an effective response” from the central government. The storm ravaged the nine islands of the archipelago of on Wednesday, with high winds, […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, People, Portugal, World