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 […]

Parliament: Portuguese lawmakers approve gender change bill – Portugal

14 July 2018

The Portuguese parliament has approved a law allowing gender change and name change from the age of 16 without a medical report stating “identity disruption” or considering transgender identity as “an abnormal pathology or mental situation.” A previous law (2011) required transgender citizens to have a medical diagnosis that established ‘gender dysphonia’ when biological sex […]

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

Sports: Red Bull Cliff Diving competition returns to São Miguel – Azores

13 July 2018

For the seventh consecutive year, 16 world class cliff divers from 17 countries gathered in São Miguel, Azores, to participate in the third stop of the 2018 International Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The competition includes 28 athletes men and women from 17 countries. This stop of the extreme sports event is being held July […]

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

BREAKING NEWS! Benfica invites rescued Thai players to train at academy – Portugal

10 July 2018

Portuguese club Sport Lisboa and Benfica (Benfica) has invited the 12 rescued Thai young soccer players and their soccer coach to spend an all-expenses-paid week in Portugal, at their Seixal training academy, Reuters reported. The boys were rescued from a vast cavernous system in northern Thailand on a complex three-day operation. Rescuers completed the rescue […]

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

Parliament: Portuguese lawmakers reject bill banning bullfights – Portugal

06 July 2018

Portuguese lawmakers rejected a bill banning bullfights, submited by PAN, the People-Animals-Nature party. The bill was rejected by all major parties with few abstentions.  During the debate, Deputy André Silva of the PAN, a party represented by a single deputy, defended that bullfighting is execrable fun, based on torture, “consisting in showing the most abject […]

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

Porto: President Barack Obama guest speaker at climate change summit – Portugal

05 July 2018

The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, will be the keynote speaker at a conference titled ‘Climate Change Leadership Porto 2018 Summit’ taking place on Friday, July 6, at the Porto Coliseum. The event will address environmental issues focusing on climate change and solutions. Climate change was one of President Obama’s main concerns […]

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

Travel: Portugal ‘Best European Destination’ by the World Travel Awards – Athens, Greece

02 July 2018

Portugal was voted for the second consecutive year the ‘Best European Destination’ for travelers at the 25the World Travel Awards (WTA), known as the ‘World Tourism Oscars.’ With Portugal, Lisbon and Madeira Island also received international recognition. Lisbon was voted the ‘Best City Destination’ in Europe for the third consecutive year and for ‘Best European […]

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Posted in Awards, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, Portugal, World