Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
100 years ago | Devastating earthquake shook Faial Island Sports | Fernando Pimenta world canoeing champion Community | 20th Anniversary of Portas da Cidade Celebration Community | The Holy Ghost Festival of New England returns Community | Judge Luis Matos nominated to Rhode Island Supreme Court
 

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 | The Holy Ghost Festival of New England returns – Fall River, MA

The Holy Ghost Festival of New England will be held in Kennedy Park in Fall River, Massachusetts, from August 26–30. Former Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to visit Fall River as a guest of honor for the 40th-anniversary festival celebration, according to reports. The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, […]

Community | Judge Luis Matos nominated to Rhode Island Supreme Court – Providence, RI

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has nominated Superior Court Associate Justice Luis M. Matos, a Portuguese-born jurist with extensive state and federal experience, to serve on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.  Governor McKee said his responsibility was to select someone with “unquestionable qualifications, an impeccable reputation and a strong record in strong and fair judging.” […]

Community: MAPS 2017 Awards Gala to honor individuals and organizations- Cambridge, MA

28 March 2017

The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) 2017 Awards Gala will take place on Saturday April 29th, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, honoring distinguished community members and organizations. The MAPS annual gala will feature a Red Carpet arrival, cocktail reception, banquet, awards ceremony, silent auction, entertainment and much more. The awards will […]

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Posted in Awards, Community, Entertainment, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People

Vatican: Pope to canonize Fátima seers Jacinta and Francisco – Portugal

27 March 2017

By Len Port, Contributor (*) Following the announcement that two of the visionaries of Fátima, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, are soon to be canonized, hopes have been expressed that the process be accelerated to elevate the third and principle visionary, Lúcia Santos, to sainthood. The three shepherd children claimed to have witnessed apparitions of the […]

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Posted in Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, World

Fall 2017: Call for Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies – UMass Dartmouth, MA

25 March 2017

The Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture (CPSC) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is seeking candidates for The Hélio and Amélia Pedroso/Luso-American Foundation Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies Fall 2017. Established in 2001 by the CPSC, the Hélio and Amélia Pedroso/FLAD Endowed Chair in Portuguese Studies allows for the appointment of a distinguished scholar, […]

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Posted in Community, Education, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People

Book: ‘From Dictatorship to Democracy’ by Raphael Costa – Editor’s Note

23 March 2017

This book examines Portugal’s transition from dictatorship to democracy by focusing on Lourinhã’s urbanization and economic development since 1966. Since 1966, Lourinhã’s urban landscape has transformed as Portugal democratized. From a rural town with little infrastructure and few institutions in 1966, Lourinhã emerged by 2001 as a modern European town. This work highlights key areas […]

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

Book: ‘The Midwife of Torment & Other Stories’ by Paulo da Costa – Editor’s Note

22 March 2017

The Midwife of Torment & Other Stories is a collection of sudden fiction that compresses its narrative to deliver a variety of stories that alternate the flavor of a philosophical reflection with the whimsical enchantment of a fable with a twist. These stories also often dwell on the strange–and the horror–found in our mundane lives. […]

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Posted in Books, Canada, Community, Featured, Heritage, Interviews, People, Portugal

Lajes: Decontamination of Terceira island soils must be a top priority – Azores

19 March 2017

The President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro,  is concerned that the decontamination of soils on Terceira island, resulting from the US  presence in Lajes Air Base, is not being addressed as a “top priority” by the Portugal/USA Permanent Bilateral Commission. In a prepared statement, President Cordeiro stated that, “[T]he position taken by […]

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