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 degree from New Jersey City University, has over thirty years of experience as an award-winning magazine Art Director. She has earned awards from the New Jersey Advertising Club, Art Directors Club of New Jersey and a Graphic Design award from USA magazine. Her artwork has been exhibited in a number of group shows, including exhibitions for Fado Portugal Day, Eclipse, Newark Design 100, and Metaphors. She has curated the following art exhibits: Newark Nostalgia, Dia da Mulher, Eu Sou, and Brick City Beautiful.
Ana Paula Rodrigues has also served as a design judge for a number of art competitions, including Campaign & Elections magazine, Folio’s Ozzie Awards, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
For more than a decade, she has been teaching art as an adjunct professor at various colleges: The Art Institute in New York, University of New Haven, and Montclair State University, and is currently a faculty member at a high school in Newark, where she teaches graphic design.
Her strong connection to Portuguese-American culture and the community, along with her extensive background in art, design, and politics, drives Rodrigues’ creative work, including this new collection of immigrant stories. Voices & Voyages is available here.
In this interview for the Portuguese American Journal, Ana Paula Rodrigues reflects on her Portuguese heritage and describes her mission to preserve, for future generations, the stories of the Portuguese-American immigrant experience in Ironbound’s community in Newark, New Jersey.
Q: As the author of Voices & Voyages, a new book that chronicles the lives of Portuguese immigrants, what compelled you to tell these stories?
A: I was compelled to tell these stories because of a personal regret.
In my twenties, I wanted to document the life stories of my maternal grandmother and her circle of friends, all of whom had migrated from Portugal. I had the privilege of hearing firsthand accounts of the challenges and the joys they experienced as immigrants. Listening to them speak felt like a history book coming to life. But I didn’t follow through. I never put their stories to paper, and over the years, we lost the voices of that entire generation.
While fragments of their stories live on through family lore, much was lost in the retelling, especially the nuance, the emotion, and the deeply personal details that only the original storytellers could convey. That loss still haunts me. Voices & Voyages is, in many ways, my way of honoring them and making sure that others’ stories are not lost or forgotten.
Q: How did the book come about? I mean, what sparked the first idea?
A: In 2020, I returned to school to pursue a second bachelor’s degree. My final class, The History of Newark (NJ) at Rutgers University, required a final project documenting an immigrant group’s migration story and its impact on the city. Understandably, I chose the Portuguese, as I am a first-generation Portuguese-American.
Through extensive research, I discovered that the Portuguese began migrating to Newark as early as the late 1800s. By the turn of the century, they had already begun to establish a community where they founded businesses and social institutions like Sport Club Português (1920), Sport Marítimo Murtuense (1926), and the Luso-Americano newspaper (1928), which was an invaluable resource for Portuguese immigrants and has remained so for nearly a century.
After the course ended, a friend casually asked me, “What’s next?” With my final project still fresh in my mind, and a feeling of saudade for my grandparents, those two currents merged. Just days after the class ended in August 2021, I had outlined the foundation for this book.
What began as a school assignment quickly transformed into a personal mission driven by the desire to preserve the stories of the Portuguese people for generations to come.
Q: What did writing this book teach you about the complexities of the immigrant experience in the US, particularly among the Portuguese people?
A: Writing this book taught me how many Portuguese immigrants live in a perpetual state of cultural suspension. Through their stories, I saw how returning to Portugal often meant being viewed as American, while in the United States, being seen as Portuguese. This leaves them in a constant state of cultural limbo. The straddling of two cultures creates a distinct identity, shaped by both places, yet not fully accepted by either.
Q: How are the stories with the 18 immigrants told? Is the book an anthology memoir (written by the immigrants?) or a collection of fictional tales?
A: The stories of the 18 immigrants in Voices & Voyages is a non-fiction collective biography. I had the privilege of sitting down with each person one-on-one to conduct in-depth interviews. Based on their answers, I wrote a cohesive and compelling narrative that captures their immigrant experience.
Q: What barriers or hardships did these immigrants (ranging from the 1950s-1990s) face in America? Can you give one or two specific examples from the book?
A: The most consistent barrier faced by the immigrants in Voices & Voyages was the language barrier, a universal challenge for many immigrant communities. However, the degree to which this obstacle shaped their experiences varied significantly depending on the time period of their arrival.
Those who migrated in the early twentieth century faced greater difficulty adapting to an English-speaking only society, as most Portuguese communities were not as fully realized as they were by the 1970s and 1980s.
Justin DeOliveira, for example, arrived in America in the 1950s and recognized early on that learning English was essential for his success in America, so he enrolled in night school. By contrast, many of the immigrants who arrived in the 1970s through the 1990s found themselves in well-established Portuguese communities, where the need to learn English was not a priority. They lived, worked, shopped, and worshipped in communities where Portuguese was the dominant language.
Q: Are there any unique problems that Portuguese migrants face that other immigrants may not? Related to, possibly, language or cultural norms?
A: A unique problem that Portuguese migrants often face that other immigrants may not face is the alteration of their last names. Portuguese names like Rodrigues, Lopes, Nunes, and Fernandes often get changed to Rodríguez, López, Núñez, and Fernández.
Since Spanish surnames are more common in the United States, people tend to assume the two are interchangeable; they’re not.
Q: And can you share an excerpt (1-3paragraphs) from Voices & Voyages for our readers to whet their appetite? Maybe pick one of the stories?
A: An excerpt taken from Maria Leonor Marecos’ story. She and her family arrived in America on December 8, 1981 (page 129):
A few weeks into living in America, we had an issue with our landlady. She only spoke English, so my uncle served as our intermediary. She approached him, claiming that we had dirty mouths and cursed a lot during dinner, especially my mother. My uncle was dumbfounded. We were raised not to swear, especially my mother, a devout Catholic, so he asked us what we were saying during dinner that had upset the landlady so much. The accusation offended my mother, and she insisted, “One thing is for sure: we are not cursing!”
Determined to get to the bottom of it, my uncle left but returned a few days later during dinner. Through the window, he heard my mother instructing me to place a garfo (fork) and faca (knife) next to the plate, repeating it several times. That’s when he figured out the confusion. The landlady thought my mother was saying “fuck” when, in reality, she was simply saying faca, the Portuguese word for knife. To this day, I can’t help but smile mischievously whenever I hear the word faca.
Q: As an award-winning Art Director and graphic designer, you have a different eye for writing. What insights has your art background brought to your writing?
A: My background as a graphic designer has shaped how I approach writing. In design, you learn to be intentional; every element on the page guides the viewer’s eye and helps tell a story.
Writing works the same way for me. I carefully choose every word, sentence, and paragraph to lead the reader through the story. Since both graphic design and writing are forms of visual storytelling, I often visualize what I want to say before I ever start writing.
Q: Would you ever imagine an art exhibition to accompany your book?
A: That is an interesting premise that I would need to give further consideration.
Q: What is the difference between past (larger) waves of Luso immigration to the US and the current?
A: In the past, the larger waves of the Luso immigration to the United States were driven by the political unrest during the Salazar dictatorship, poverty and a lack of economic opportunity. Many immigrants left Portugal out of necessity. They were motivated by the hope and desperation to improve their lives and those of their families. This often meant relocating permanently to the United States.
Today, Portugal and the European Union offer better economic opportunities, so the United States is no longer the primary destination it once was for immigrants from Portugal. Those who do come are often pursuing higher education or short-term professional opportunities, with plans to eventually return home shortly. Additionally, the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States has made it a less welcoming option for those who are considering leaving Portugal.
Q: Is there an example from the book of racial discrimination among the Portuguese immigrant population?
A: In the book, Palmira Acevedo de Oliveira, who immigrated to America in August 1991, recounts experiencing racial and cultural discrimination when a former employer insisted on paying for diction classes to eliminate her Portuguese accent. Palmira found the suggestion demeaning. It made her feel self-conscious about the way she spoke, despite the fact that she liked her accent and saw nothing wrong with it. In the end, though, she had the last laugh. The diction classes didn’t work, and her accent remained intact.
Q: What steps have Portuguese immigrants taken to sustain Portuguese culture? What has worked best in terms of community involvement?
A: Portuguese immigrants have sustained their culture largely through the creation of social clubs. These spaces bring people together over shared traditions (such as food, music, dance, art, and language) and experiences. These clubs help immigrants find community and navigate their new environment, while offering first- and second-generation Portuguese-Americans a connection to their roots.
Over the years, these clubs have also become places of support and opportunity. A large and active membership creates a wider network of support, helping members find jobs, housing, education, and social stability.
Above all, these clubs are cultural anchors. The fact that so many have served their communities for nearly a century speaks volumes to their enduring impact.
Q: You were born in the Ironbound. What Portuguese events did you attend as a child and what do you participate in now? Have things changed?
A: I have always been involved in the Ironbound’s Portuguese community. As a child, I marched in Newark’s very first Portugal Day Parade dressed in traje folclórico from the Aveiro region and danced in a rancho, where I learned traditional Portuguese folkloric dances.
From a young age, I was also active in Igreja da Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Our Lady of Fatima’s Portuguese Church), participating in both the Girl Scouts and the Youth Group.
These organizations were led by dedicated Portuguese volunteers, many of whom committed over thirty years to mentoring Newark’s Portuguese youth.
My family was equally involved. My father was a founding member of the Beira Mar Club in Newark, and we often took part in the club’s events and supported fundraisers for other Portuguese organizations throughout the area.
As an adult, I continue to serve the community through the church. Each year, I volunteer at the Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (Our Lady of Good Voyage) feast, where I help prepare and serve febras (traditional pork sandwiches).
I remain actively involved in fundraising efforts and supporting civic engagement within the Portuguese-American community. I have also worked on campaigns to elect Portuguese-Americans to public office. I am a proud card-carrying member of Sport Clube Portuguese and PALCUS (The Portuguese American Leadership Council of the United States), both of which advocate for Portuguese-Americans.
Over the years, the Ironbound has changed dramatically. Once a bustling Portuguese neighborhood, it is now home to a growing South American population. While beloved traditions, such as the Azorean festival and the feasts of St. Anthony and Sts. Peter and Paul, still take place, but attendance has noticeably declined.
The closure of iconic Portuguese businesses like Iberia Restaurant and Leslie Furniture on Ferry Street signals the end of a significant chapter in our community’s history. Yet the spirit of the Portuguese in the Ironbound lives on, perhaps smaller in scale, but no less meaningful.
Q: How do you feel the Portuguese immigration has shaped neighborhoods and the patchwork of America? What have we added?
A: Portuguese immigration has had a lasting impact on neighborhoods across America, especially in places like the Ironbound in Newark. When the Portuguese arrived, they renovated run-down homes and transformed the entire community through pride in ownership. Wherever the Portuguese settled, they brought a commitment to beautifying their surroundings.
Additionally, the Portuguese brought an entrepreneurial spirit, opening bakeries, restaurants, travel agencies, and shops that helped turn Ferry Street into a thriving business district. They also arrived with valuable skills, working in trades like construction and in the textile and apparel industries.
Their legacy continues to impact America today, as their children have taken on roles that exceed their immigrant parents whether in business, the arts, or in political and judicial roles.
Q: Since we have been called “the silent minority,” what do you think we can do to expand our impact in American culture?
A: To expand our impact on American culture, we must increase our visibility. The Portuguese narrative must expand through storytelling, in books, academic research, journalism, film, and podcasts. We must also celebrate and support the artistry within our communities. By engaging and promoting cultural producers (of art, music, dance, and literature), we increase Portuguese visibility and impact American culture at all levels.
However, the most impactful expansion into influencing American culture is through civic engagement. We need Portuguese and Portuguese-Americans to take on public leadership roles in government, where their lived experience as an immigrant or as a first-generation Portuguese-American helps create policies and programs that address concerns not only for Americans, but immigrants as well. By holding space in government, we not only participate in American culture but we get to help shape it.
—————-
Millicent Borges Accardi, a Portuguese-American writer, is the author of four poetry books, including Through Grainy Landscape (inspired by Portuguese writings) and the recent Quarantine Highway. Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright, CantoMundo, California Arts Council, Foundation for Contemporary Arts (Covid grant), and Fundação Luso-Americana (Portugal). She serves as a mentor in the AWP Writer 2 Writer and Adroit writing programs. She also curates the popular Kale Soup for the Soul reading series.
