Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
Social Media | Parliament proposes bill requiring parental consent for minors Update | Persistent severe downpouring forces evacuations Election’26 | Diaspora vote count shows strong support for André Ventura Book | An Azorean Family Election’26 | Socialist António José Seguro wins presidency
 

Social Media | Parliament proposes bill requiring parental consent for minors – Portugal

Portugal’s parliament has approved legislation that would restrict minors’ access to social media platforms by requiring parental authorization for users under the age of 16, making it one of Europe’s most concrete legislative steps toward regulating youth activity online. The proposal, introduced by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), mandates explicit, verified parental consent for minors […]

Update | Persistent severe downpouring forces evacuations – Portugal

Heavy and persistent rainfall continues to affect mainland Portugal as successive Atlantic systems prolong saturated ground conditions and heighten flood risk across several regions, forcing evacuations. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described the extreme weather episodes as a “devastating crisis” affecting communities across the country while emphasizing that emergency coordination and recovery efforts continue nationwide. Mário […]

Election’26 | Diaspora vote count shows strong support for André Ventura – Portugal

Portugal’s presidential runoff election provisional vote count indicates that Chega candidate André Ventura secured the largest share of votes cast by Portuguese citizens living abroad. As final counts are still being compiled from abroad, Ventura has received approximately 51.88% of the diaspora vote, compared with 48.12% for Seguro. These figures reflect global voting and remain […]

Book | An Azorean Family’s History: Our Faria and Moitoso Roots | By Keith Tavares – Editor’s Note

Genealogical research is a journey into the past, uncovering the stories and connections that define our heritage. For Keith Daniel Tavares, this journey explored his Faria and Moitoso ancestors, unearthing the rich history and legacy that has shaped his family. An Azorean Family’s History delves into the significant findings of Keith Tavares’ genealogical research, highlighting […]

Election’26 | Socialist António José Seguro wins presidency – Portugal

Socialist António José Seguro was elected President of Portugal today, in a second-round runoff election, winning about 66–67% of the vote against far-right populist Chega candidate André Ventura with about 33–34% – according to near-final ballots counted. The national tally is not yet fully closed, as some precincts and consular votes remain to be counted. […]

Azores | Police seized vessel with 6’5 tonnes of cocaine – Portugal 

26 March 2025

Portuguese police have seized nearly 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a semi-submersible “narco-submarine” intercepted about 500 nautical miles south of the Azores, Portugal’s judicial police said on Tuesday. The vessel was intercepted “in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, around 500 nautical miles (more than 900 kilometers)” south of Portugal’s Azores archipelago, the judicial police […]

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Posted in Azores, Featured, Portugal, World

Report | Portuguese people less happy in 2025 – Portugal

20 March 2025

According to the 2025 World Happiness Report, Portugal has dropped five positions in the global ranking after steadily improving its standing in recent years. In 2025, Portugal is ranked 60th with 6.013 points, among over 140 countries, against 6.030 points in the previous year. Meanwhile, Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Featured, Heritage, Madeira, Organizations, Portugal, World

Community | New partnership signed with UC Berkeley – Portugal

18 March 2025

The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) and the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) signed new cooperation agreements under the Portugal-Berkeley Program in January. Created in 2025, through a memorandum of understanding between the three institutions, the Portugal-Berkeley Program has as its main objective to promote academic exchange and scientific collaboration […]

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

Book | Facilitating an Empire: The Jesuits in Portuguese Territories and Beyond (1540-1975) |  By Maria de Deus Beites Manso – Editor’s Note

15 March 2025

This book explores the Jesuit order of its origins, historical evolution, missionary endeavors, and global dynamics, with a specific focus on Portugal and the challenges arising from changes in the former Portuguese Empire. The narrative unfolds in three parts, with the initial section exploring the foundation of the Jesuit order in 1540, approved by Pope […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Books, Featured, Heritage, Politics, Portugal, Religion, World

Crisis – Portugal to hold snap legislative elections following government collapse – Update

15 March 2025

Portugal is scheduled to hold a snap legislative election on May 18, 2025, following the collapse of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s center-right Democratic Alliance (AD) minority government.  The government fell on March 11, 2025, after losing a parliamentary confidence vote amid allegations of conflicts of interest related to Montenegro’s family business, Spinumviva. Montenegro has said […]

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Posted in Featured, Politics, Portugal, World

Community | Portuguese Heritage celebrated at Whaling Museum – New Bedford, MA

12 March 2025

The New Bedford Whaling Museum will present two immersive cultural programs this spring as part of the Portuguese & Lusophone-World Lecture Series, celebrating the rich traditions of Portuguese-American communities. On March 20th, the Museum will host a special screening of Malassada Day, a heartwarming documentary that explores the cultural significance of the beloved Portuguese treat. […]

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Posted in Arts&Culture, Azores, Books, Community, Featured, Film, Heritage, Organizations, People, World