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.” […]

Travel: Biometric border control system expanded – Portugal

29 July 2016

Portugal border control system has expanded its RAPID electronic biometric ID system to include a number of countries outside the European Union. The system, using electronic passport biometric data storage for facial recognition, was expanded to include passengers from nine countries, namely the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Madeira, Organizations, People, Portugal, Travel, World

Book: ‘The Poor’ by Raul Brandão – Editor’s Note

22 July 2016

The Poor (Os Pobres, 1906), by Portuguese author Raúl Brandão, is a powerful tribute to the underclasses. Innovative thematically and stylistically, the novel consists of loosely connected vignettes on two narrative levels: the lives of prostitutes, where the inexorable need for love is transformed into a means for survival; and the life of Gebo, a […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Portugal

UNESCO: Plight to conserve the Algarve pristine coast – By Len Port

22 July 2016

By Len Port, Contributor (*) Hopes are being expressed that the most spectacular stretch of coastal habitat left unspoilt along Portugal’s southernmost shore can be turned into a nature reserve rather than being blighted by two more resort urbanisations. The area lends itself perfectly to ecotourism through conservation, but local homeowners who advocate this are […]

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Posted in Community, Featured, Life Style, Portugal, Travel

Book: ‘Wellington against Soult: The Second Invasion of Portugal 1809’ – Editor’s Note

22 July 2016

At the heart of David Buttery’s third book on the Peninsular War lies the comparison between two great commanders of enormous experience and reputation – Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, and Jean de Dieu Soult. In Soult, Wellesley met one of his most formidable opponents and they confronted each other during one of the […]

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

Lisbon: Hosting spectacular 2016 Tall Ships Races – Portugal

21 July 2016

Lisbon is hosting the 2016 Tall Ships Races scheduled for July 22-25, with the participation of more than 50 iconic sailing ships from around the world and more than 5,000 young crew members, from a variety of countries. Lisbon expects about one million visitors at the new cruise terminal, between Santa Apolónia and Praça do […]

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

Terceira: Hosting 2016 Island Biology Conference – Azores

18 July 2016

The Azores are hosting the second international Island Biology Conference taking place on Terceira island this week. Co-sponsored by the University of the Azores, among other partners, the Island Biology 2016 international conference will bring together biologists from around the world to discuss the most recent research in the biology of island species and ecosystems. According […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, Terceira, World