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 […]

Book | Charles II’s Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza | By Susan Abernethy – Editor’s Note

30 June 2025

Catherine of Braganza has regularly been referred to as ‘the forgotten queen’ and there is much truth in this statement. Following her death in 1705, a fully detailed biography in English remained unwritten until 1915. The last major bio published about her was in Portuguese in 1941 and it has never been translated into English. […]

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Posted in Books, Featured, Heritage, Portugal, Uncategorized, World

FLAD | New partnerships offered for Portuguese and American higher education institutions – Portugal

29 June 2025

The Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) has officially opened applications for the 2025–2026 edition of its UP Ensino Superior program, a strategic funding initiative aimed at strengthening academic and research partnerships between Portuguese and American higher education institutions.  This program supports structural and sustainable collaboration, enabling joint degrees, faculty mobility, virtual exchange programs (COIL), and co-supervision […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Community, Education, Featured, Organizations, Portugal, World

Travel Alert | Department of State expands Visa screening to include social media history – Washington, DC

29 June 2025

As of June 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of State has expanded its visa application requirements for non-immigrant categories, mandating that all applicants for F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange visitor) visas disclose their social media activity from the past five years. The J nonimmigrant visa is the best known of these. It covers […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Education, Featured, Madeira, Portugal, Travel, World

Summit | President Bolieiro stresses the strategic importance of Lajes Base  – Azores 

26 June 2025

The President of the Government of the Azores, José  Manuel Bolieiro, spoke today, June 25, during the opening of the Sister Cities Summit held in Ponta Delgada, emphasizing the strategic importance of the Azores as a bridge between Europe and North America. Highlighting  the geostrategic position of the archipelago in the North Atlantic for defense, economic […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Politics, Portugal, São Miguel, World

Honor | Director Miguel Gomes to join the ranks of the Academy Awards – Hollywood, LA

26 June 2025

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the organization behind the Oscars, has officially invited Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes to join its ranks in 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to film. This invitation was part of the Academy’s 2025 class, which welcomed 534 new members from around the world. Gomes, celebrated […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Awards, Entertainment, Featured, Film, Heritage, Organizations, People, Portugal, World

Voices & Voyages | Ana Paula Rodrigues’ Memoirs Between Two Worlds – Interview

25 June 2025

By Millicent Borges Accardi Born and raised in the Ironbound area of New Jersey, Ana Paula Rodrigues is the author of Voices & Voyages, a new collection of compelling stories about the Ironbound’s Portuguese immigrant experience in Newark, New Jersey. Rodrigues, who earned two bachelor’s degrees from Rutgers University and a Master of Fine Arts […]

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