Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
Faith May 5th | World Portuguese Language Day Celebrated Globally 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
 

Faith & Tradition | Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres returns May 8 – Azores

The Feast of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres returns to the city of Ponta Delgada from May 8 to May 14, 2026, with the main procession scheduled for Sunday, May 10, the fifth Sunday after Easter. Considered the largest religious celebration in the Azores and among the most significant Catholic festivities in Portugal, the celebrations […]

May 5th | World Portuguese Language Day Celebrated Globally – Portugal 

World Portuguese Language Day [Dia Mundial da Língua Portuguesa] is being celebrated today across the globe, recognizing the cultural, historical, and geopolitical importance of one of the world’s most widely spoken languages.  The day is celebrated by cultural and academic initiatives in approximately 50 countries, including conferences, literary events, exhibitions, and educational programs, from Lisbon […]

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 […]

Book | Knowledge Exchanges Between Portugal and Europe | By Nuno Luís Vila-Santa Braga Campos – Editor’s Note

30 March 2025

Following recent historiographical appeals on the need to study knowledge exchanges between European maritime rivals and their impact on overseas expansionist processes, this book makes this study for the Portuguese overseas empire between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. As the first European maritime power to systematically launch long-distance voyages, Portugal became a model worth emulation […]

Read the full story

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

Book | Approaches to Teaching the Works of Fernando Pessoa | By Paulo de Medeiros & Jerónimo Pizarro – Editor’s Note 

30 March 2025

The writings of Fernando Pessoa, one of Portugal’s most renowned authors, stand alongside other significant works of modernist world literature and offer a view into the specific milieu of early-twentieth-century Lisbon. Writing under several identities known as heteronyms, Pessoa created works in many genres, including fragments that were assembled into his best-known text, The Book […]

Read the full story

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

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 […]

Read the full story

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 […]

Read the full story

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 […]

Read the full story

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 […]

Read the full story

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