Portuguese American Journal

Portuguese American Journal

Featured Stories
Community | New green card applicants required to leave the United States 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
 

Community | New green card applicants required to leave the United States – Washington, DC

The US Department of Homeland Security has introduced a series of new visa and immigration measures in 2025–2026 that are expected to affect tourists, students, temporary workers, and green card applicants, prompting concern among immigrant communities and legal advocates. The new rule, announced Friday, may not be evenly applied to all immigrants. The Department of […]

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 […]

Book | The Falling Snow and other Stories | by José Maria Eça de Queirós – Editor’s Note

17 January 2023

The great nineteenth-century Portuguese author José Maria Eça de Queirós (1845-1900) has long been known for his novels, especially The Crime of Father Amaro (1880) and The Maias (1888). However, he also wrote short stories, and several of them, having stood the test of time, are now regarded as masterpieces. Although there is no question […]

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

Opinion | Catholicism in decline amongst the most devout – Portugal

12 January 2023

By Len Port Pope Emeritus Benedict XVl has been buried. Pope Francis has mobility impairment. The Catholic religion is in decline. However, the Sanctuary of Fátima in Portugal is surging ahead and this will again welcome millions of pilgrims and tourists. Benedict, the first pontiff to resign in six centuries, did so in February 2013; […]

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

Travel: Portuguese passport sixth on the world passport index – Portugal

12 January 2023

The Portuguese passport was ranked sixth, down from fifth, as one of the most “powerful” in the world offering visa-free passports for 187 countries, according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index (HPI). Portugal shared the same spot with France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The HPI, based on data from the International Air Transport Association […]

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

Book | Atlantic Linchpin: The Azores in Two World Wars | by Guy Warner – Editor’s Note

11 January 2023

On a map, the Azores appear as nine tiny specks in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but their location was to prove strategically vital in two world wars. The Atlantic became a crucial battleground twice within the space of 25 years, as the U.S. arsenal of democracy sent firstly stores, arms, and equipment, followed […]

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Posted in Azores, Books, Featured, Heritage, Terceira, World

Vatican: Late Pope Benedict XVI visited Fátima in 2010 – Portugal

31 December 2022

Benedict XVI (1927-2022) visited Portugal from May 11 to May 14, 2010, at the invitation of President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, to preside over the religious ceremonies at Marian Sanctuary of Fátima on May 13th where he was joined by over 500,000 pilgrims. On his pastoral visit to Portugal, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at the […]

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Posted in Featured, Heritage, People, Portugal, Religion, World

Book | (Dis)connected Empires| by Zoltán Biedermann – Editor’s Note

22 December 2022

(Dis)connected Empires takes the reader on a global journey to explore the triangle formed during the sixteenth century between the Portuguese empire, the empire of Kotte in Sri Lanka, and the Catholic Monarchy of the Spanish Habsburgs. It explores nine decades of connections, cross-cultural diplomacy, and dialogue, to answer one troubling question: why, in the end, […]

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