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. […]

Book: ‘300 Days of Sun’ by Deborah Lawrenson – Review

12 May 2016

Review by Susan Roebuck (*) This is the second Deborah Lawrenson novel that I’ve read. The first was The Lantern which was set in Provence, an atmospheric mystery that conjured up the sights and aromas of a beautiful landscape that transported the reader right into the story. 300 Days of Sun possesses the same wonderful […]

Read the full story

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

Heritage: Maestro Francisco Lacerda (May 11, 1869 – July 18, 1934) – Azores

11 May 2016

Composer and conductor Francisco Lacerda was born in May 11, 1869, in Ribeira Seca, São Jorge, Azores. At the age of four he studied music with his father. In 1888, he moved to Porto, mainland Portugal, to study medicine but decided to drop out from medical school to study piano. Soon after, he moved to […]

Read the full story

Posted in Arts&Culture, Azores, Community, Featured, Heritage, Music, Organizations, People, São Jorge, World

Book: ‘Rilke Shake’ poetry by Angélica Freitas – Editor’s Note

10 May 2016

Rilke Shake’s title, a pun on milkshake, means in Portuguese just what it does in English. With frenetic humor and linguistic innovation, the Brazilian poet Angélica Freitas constructs a temple of delight to celebrate her own literary canon. In this whirlwind debut collection, first published in Portuguese in 2007, Gertrude Stein passes gas in her […]

Read the full story

Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Brazil, Featured

The Week: Money, money, and more money… – By Len Port

07 May 2016

By Len Port, Contributor (*) This week’s revelations about the money laundering activities of Russian gangsters in Portuguese and other European football circles come just days before an avalanche of new information is published from the leaked Panama Papers. The Russian racket in Portugal was uncovered by the Polícia Judiária (PJ) with the support of […]

Read the full story

Posted in Featured, Life Style, Organizations, Politics, Portugal, Sports, World

May 5th – International Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture – CPLP

05 May 2016

The Lusophone world is celebrating today the International Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture. The celebrations, which were first held in May 5, 2013, will take place in about five dozen countries. The initiative was launched by the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) during the 14th CPLP Council of Ministers meeting, in Cape […]

Read the full story

Posted in Angola, Azores, Brazil, Cape Verde, Community, Damão, Diu, East Timor, Featured, Goa, Guiné-Bissau, Heritage, Macau, Madeira, Mozambique, Organizations, People, Portugal, São Tomé and Prince, World

Lajes: President Vasco Cordeiro to meet Permanent Bilateral Commission this week – Washington, DC

04 May 2016

The President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, will participated May 6 in a high-level bilateral meeting in Washington, DC, with the Permanent Bilateral Commission, between Portugal and the United States, to address the plan in progress to downsizing the US military presence in the Lajes Field, Terceira island. This is the fourth […]

Read the full story

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