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 | Migration, Mill Work, and Portuguese Communities in New England | Cristiana Bastos et al – Editor’s Note

30 August 2024

A century after the publication of the controversial Two Portuguese Communities in New England, Migration and Mill Work brings together analytical research essays, personal testimonies, poems, fiction, photos and drawings on Portuguese and Portuguese-Americans in their predicaments, struggles, encounters and achievements experienced under the pressures of upwards mobility, racialized tensions, politics of assimilation or multiculturalism, and labor and […]

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

Travel Alert | Strike at all Portuguese airports this weekend – Portugal

30 August 2024

The Portuguese Transport Workers’ Union (Sindicato dos Trabalhadores dos Transportes de Portugal – STTAMP) has issued a strike notice involving the Portuguese Handling Services, scheduled to impact all national airports from 00:00 on August 31 until midnight on September 1, 2024. The union has warned of potential delays and widespread disruptions to airport services, noting […]

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

Community | Azores Government creates office dedicated to the diaspora youth – Fall River, MA

24 August 2024

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estevão, announced that the Government of the Azores is making a historic commitment to recognizing and valuing the Azorean diaspora. Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the Azorean communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, held at the House of the Azores of New England, in […]

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

Calamity: Devastating wildfires threaten world treasure – Madeira Island

23 August 2024

The wildfires that erupted in Madeira on August 14, 2024, initially began in the mountainous region of Ribeira Brava. Still active, the fires have since spread to neighboring areas, including Câmara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol, and beyond.  Now entering their tenth day, the wildfires have scorched over 5,000 hectares of land and temporarily […]

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

Great Feast | The Holy Ghost Festival of New England returns to Kennedy Park – Fall River, MA

15 August 2024

The Great Feast of The Holy Ghost of New England will be held in Kennedy Park in Fall River, Massachusetts, from August 21 to 25, attracting more than 100,000 participants from across the country, Canada and abroad. Established in Fall River in 1986, and held every year on the last weekend of August, the festival […]

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Posted in Azores, Community, Entertainment, Featured, Heritage, Organizations, People, World

Opinion | Sizzling heat and drought in southern Portugal – Len Port

07 August 2024

Reservoir levels in southern Portugal have fallen again, coinciding with global temperatures reaching record highs. Official meteorological statistics show that at the end of June, the south of Portugal was suffering extreme drought, while the intensity was more moderate in the cities of Beja and Evora in the Alentejo, as well as part of the […]

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Posted in Featured, Portugal, Spotlight, World