Portuguese Americans
luso-americanos ( Roman Catholic | |
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Related ethnic groups | |
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Portuguese Americans (Portuguese: portugueses americanos), also known as Luso-Americans (luso-americanos), are citizens and residents of the United States who are connected to the country of Portugal by birth, ancestry, or citizenship.
Americans and others who are not native Europeans from Portugal but originate from countries that were
Some Melungeon communities in rural Appalachia have historically self-identified as Portuguese. Given their complex ancestry, individual Melungeons may descend from Portuguese people, but not all do.
History
Bilateral ties date from the earliest years of the United States. Following the American Revolutionary War, Portugal was the first neutral country to recognize the United States.[3]
Portuguese people have had a very long history in the United States, since 1634. The first documented Portuguese to live in colonial America was Mathias de Sousa, possibly a Sephardic Jew of mixed African background.[4] The oldest synagogue in the country, the Touro Synagogue, is named after one of these early Portuguese Jews, Isaac Touro.
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Some of the earliest European explorers to reach continental North America in the Age of Discovery were Portuguese explorers, such as João Fernandes Lavrador. Navigators, like the Miguel Corte-Real family, may have visited the North American shores at the beginning of the 16th century.[5] João Rodrigues Cabrilho was a Portuguese navigator who became the first European to reach California in 1542.
There is a historic landmark, the
During the Colonial period, there was a small Portuguese immigration to the present-day U.S., especially to the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Peter Francisco, the giant soldier in the Continental Army, is generally thought to have been born Portuguese, from the Azores.
In the late 19th century, many Portuguese, mainly
In the 1840s, whaling ships were the way to get to America, after a slow voyage of two to three years.[7] In the early 1700s, Massachusetts dominated the whaling industry with Nantucket, Cape Cod and New Bedford. By the early 19th century, New Bedford had become the center of whaling in America. When whalers were out at sea, they would frequently stop in the Azores to recruit crew members for help.[7] At the end of their voyage, they docked in New England, where crew members often settled as immigrants. Today, one can visit the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts and encounter authentic Portuguese whaling history.[7]
Another part of Massachusetts that attracted many Portuguese immigrants was Northern Massachusetts, most notably Lowell and Lawrence. In addition, Many Portuguese immigrants also went to nearby Southern New Hampshire. Massachusetts was a key location for Portuguese immigrants due to the availability of low skill jobs. Many migrants came to the United States with little knowledge of the English Language, and textile jobs were frequently available in these areas. Portuguese migrants had to seek out low skill jobs because of education in Portugal and the lack of job availability in the nineteenth century.
A number of Portuguese immigrants settled in the city of
A Portuguese community existed in the vicinity of the Carpenter Street Underpass in
On the West Coast in
Many of the Portuguese communities on the west coast were farming towns. Portuguese who moved to California often saved money to buy land to start farming. Portuguese farmers in California and along the west coast of the United States often hired other Portuguese migrants as farm hands. Aside from farming Portuguese migrants also were able to secure jobs as fishermen in port cities.[9]
20th century
After World War II, there was another wave of Portuguese immigration to the country, mainly in the northeastern United States (New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maryland), and also in California. Many were fleeing the right-wing dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. There are Portuguese clubs, principally in the larger cities of these states, which operate with the intention of promoting sociocultural preservation as venues for community events, athletics, etc.
Many Portuguese Americans may include descendants of Portuguese settlers born in Africa (like
A general contribution the Portuguese people have made to American music is the
A large amount of mingling took place between Chinese and Portuguese in Hawaii.[11] There were very few marriages between European and Chinese people with the majority being between Portuguese and Chinese people.[12][13] These unions between Chinese men and Portuguese women resulted in children of mixed parentage, called Chinese-Portuguese. For two years to June 30, 1933, 38 of these children were born; they were classified as pure Chinese because their fathers were Chinese.[14] Curiously, these marriages are in marked contrast to the situation in Macau, where very few Han Chinese married Portuguese settlers; instead, the Portuguese mixed with indigenous Tanka people, leading to the Macanese people.[15]
As with other immigrants that arrived in America, several Portuguese surnames have been changed to align with more American sounding names, for example Rodrigues to Rogers, Oliveira to Oliver, Martins to Martin, Pereira to Perry, Moraes or Morais to Morris, Magalhães to McLean, Souto to Sutton, Moura to Moore, Serrão to Serran, Silva to Silver or Sylvia, Rocha to Rock (or Stone), Madeira or Madeiros to Wood, Pontes to Bridges, Fernandes to Frederick, Costa to Charlie, Emo or Emos to Emma and Santos to Stan.
Azorean Refugee Act of 1958
In 1957–58, the Capelinhos volcano erupted on the Azorean island of Faial, causing massive destruction from lava and smoke. In response, then Senators John F. Kennedy and John Pastore co-sponsored an Azorean Refugee Act.[16]
President
This led to the passing of the 1965 Immigration Act, which stated if someone has legal or American relatives in the United States, they could serve as a sponsor and, therefore could be a legal alien. This act dramatically increased Portuguese immigration into the 1970s and 1980s.[7]
Bullfighting
In California's Central Valley, the historically Portuguese community has developed a form of bullfight in which the bull is taunted by a matador, but the lances are tipped with fabric hook and loop (e.g. Velcro) and they are aimed at hook-and-loop covered pads secured to the bull's shoulder. Fights occur from May through October around traditional Portuguese holidays. Bullfighting was outlawed in California in 1957, but the law was amended in response to protests from the Portuguese community in Gustine. Lawmakers determined that a form of "bloodless" bullfighting would be allowed to continue, in affiliation with certain Christian holidays. Though the bull is not killed as with traditional bullfighting, it is still intentionally irritated and provoked and its horns are shaved down to prevent injury to people and other animals present in the ring, but serious injuries still can and do occur and spectators are also at risk. The Humane Society of the United States has expressed opposition to bullfighting in all its forms since at least 1981.[citation needed]
Portuguese-American literature
There are four anthologies of Portuguese-American literature: Luso-American Literature: Writings by Portuguese-Speaking Authors in North America edited by Robert Henry Moser and António Luciano de Andrade Tosta and published in 2011, The Gávea-Brown Book of Portuguese-American Poetry edited by Alice R. Clemente and George Monteiro, published in 2013, Writers of the Portuguese Diaspora in the United States and Canada: An Anthology edited by Luís Gonçalves and Carlo Matos, published in 2015, and Behind the Stars, More Stars: The Tagus/Disquiet Collection of New Luso-American Writing edited by Christopher Larkosh and Oona Patrick, published in 2019 by Tagus Press.
A list of accomplished writers include:
In recent years, the Portuguese in the Americas Series at Tagus Press at UMass Dartmouth has been particularly active in publishing works by Portuguese-American authors, the most recent of these being The Poems of Renata Ferreira, by Frank X. Gaspar, published in 2020.
Demography
Portuguese-Americans are the fourth largest ethnic group in the state of Hawaii, fifth largest group in Rhode Island and the eighth largest group in Massachusetts.[18]
Largest communities
Portuguese-American communities in the U.S. according to the 5 Year Estimates of the (2016 American Community Survey):[19][20]
U.S. by Ancestry: 1,367,476
U.S. by Country of Birth: 176,286
Top CSAs by Ancestry:
- Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-RI-NH CSA: 393,457
- New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA: 141,522
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA: 124,652
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA: 49,465
- Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, CA-NV CSA: 40,972
- Modesto-Merced, CA CSA: 38,031
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL CSA: 21,842
- Hartford-East Hartford, CT CSA: 21,599
- Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA: 14,245
Top CSAs by Country of Birth:
- Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-RI-NH CSA: 68,875
- New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA: 47,964
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA: 10,570
- Modesto-Merced, CA CSA: 5,841
- Hartford-East Hartford, CT CSA: 3,873
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL CSA: 3,493
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA CSA: 3,153
- Springfield-Greenfield Town, MA CSA: 3,105
- Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA: 2,610
Top States by Country of Birth:[21]
- California: 350,011
- Massachusetts: 265,455
- Hawaii: 91,003
- Florida: 84,486
- Rhode Island: 83,414
- New Jersey: 82,964
- New York: 58,093
- Connecticut: 50,077
- Texas: 40,688
- Washington: 28,048
Top Cities by Country of Ancestry:
- Fall River, Massachusetts: 37,350
- New Bedford, Massachusetts: 30,390
- New York City: 13,837
- Taunton, Massachusetts: 13,825
- East Providence, Rhode Island: 13,295
- Dartmouth, Massachusetts: 12,907
- San Jose, California: 11,712
- Newark, New Jersey: 9,764
- San Diego: 9,307
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island: 7,077
- Honolulu: 6,328
- Sacramento, California: 6,007
- Boston: 5,948
- Turlock, California: 5,007
- Tiverton, Rhode Island: 4,838
- Elizabeth, New Jersey: 4,558
- San Francisco: 4,518
- Providence, Rhode Island: 4,486
- Tulare, California: 4,046
- Somerville, Massachusetts: 3,435
- Kearny, New Jersey: 3,958
- Philadelphia: 3,366
- Las Vegas: 3,233
- Hanford, California: 3,071
U.S. states with largest Portuguese populations
State/Territory | Portuguese American Population (2020 count)[22][23] |
Percentage |
---|---|---|
Alabama | 3,428 | 0.07 |
Alaska | 1,942 | 0.26 |
Arizona | 19,999 | 0.28 |
Arkansas | 2,289 | 0.08 |
California | 350,077 | 0.89 |
Colorado | 14,909 | 0.26 |
Connecticut | 50,042 | 1.4 |
Delaware | 1,956 | 0.2 |
District of Columbia | 2,205 | 0.31 |
Florida | 89,144 | 0.4 |
Georgia | 14,163 | 0.14 |
Hawaii | 48,005 | 3.38 |
Idaho | 8,288 | 0.47 |
Illinois | 12,323 | 0.1 |
Indiana | 4,309 | 0.06 |
Iowa | 1,464 | 0.05 |
Kansas | 2,727 | 0.09 |
Kentucky | 2,613 | 0.06 |
Louisiana | 3,863 | 0.08 |
Maine | 7,611 | 0.57 |
Maryland | 13,006 | 0.22 |
Massachusetts | 265,355 | 3.86 |
Michigan | 7,507 | 0.08 |
Minnesota | 4,334 | 0.08 |
Mississippi | 1,255 | 0.04 |
Missouri | 5,628 | 0.09 |
Montana | 2,273 | 0.21 |
Nebraska | 1,479 | 0.08 |
Nevada | 18,240 | 0.6 |
New Hampshire | 19,601 | 1.45 |
New Jersey | 82,951 | 0.93 |
New Mexico | 4,246 | 0.2 |
New York | 58,083 | 0.3 |
North Carolina | 17,076 | 0.16 |
North Dakota | 563 | 0.07 |
Ohio | 9,470 | 0.08 |
Oklahoma | 4,285 | 0.11 |
Oregon | 21,984 | 0.53 |
Pennsylvania | 23,569 | 0.18 |
Rhode Island | 83,373 | 7.9 |
South Carolina | 8,147 | 0.16 |
South Dakota | 583 | 0.07 |
Tennessee | 6,838 | 0.1 |
Texas | 40,020 | 0.14 |
Utah | 7,401 | 0.24 |
Vermont | 2,731 | 0.44 |
Virginia | 20,284 | 0.24 |
Washington | 27,938 | 0.37 |
West Virginia | 855 | 0.05 |
Wisconsin | 4,246 | 0.07 |
Wyoming | 900 | 0.16 |
USA (2020) | 1,454,262[24][21] | 0.44 |
Notable people
See also
- Portugal–United States relations
- Portuguese Australians
- Portuguese Canadians
- Portuguese Brazilians
- Portuguese in the United Kingdom
- Portuguese New Zealanders
- Portuguese Argentine
References
- ^ "2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. Table B04006". United States Census Bureau. 2019.
- ^ "Observatório da Emigração". observatorioemigracao.pt.
- U.S. Department of State, "A GUIDE TO THE UNITED STATES' HISTORY OF RECOGNITION, DIPLOMATIC, AND CONSULAR RELATIONS, BY COUNTRY, SINCE 1776: PORTUGAL", [1]
- ^ Robert L. Santos (1995). "Azorean Immigration Into the United States". Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ^ "Associação Dr. Manuel Luciano da Silva" Acervo Documental". Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2006.
- ^ "Cities with the Highest Percentage of Portuguese Population in Rhode Island". Zip Atlas. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Ponta-Garça, Nelson, director. Portuguese in New England. 2016.
- ^ Martin, Andrea. "Carpenter Street Underpass" (PDF). Springfield Railroads Improvement Project. US Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
- ^ S2CID 147321899– via JSTOR.
- ^ "Ukulele origins from Madeira Portugal". Retrieved February 12, 2007.
- ^ United States Bureau of Education (1921). Bulletin, Issues 13–18. U.S. G.P.O. p. 27. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-4179-9268-3. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ Margaret M. Schwertfeger (1982). Interethnic Marriage and Divorce in Hawaii: A Panel Study of 1968 First Marriages. Kessinger Publishing.
- ISBN 978-1-4179-9268-3. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ISBN 0-8264-5749-5. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
- ^ "Chronology, 1958–Present". Portuguese Immigrants in the United States. Library of Congress Hispanic Division. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ "Text of H.Res. 1438 (110th): Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Azorean Refugee Act of 1958 and celebrating ... (Passed the House version) – GovTrack.us". GovTrack.us. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- ^ "Portuguese American Population Numbers". Retrieved February 12, 2007.
- ^ "2016 American Community Survey Selected Population Tables". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "Census table". data.census.gov. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ a b "PALCUS: 2020 US Decennial Census Reveals Increase in Population of Portuguese in the United States". www.prnewswire.com.
- ^ "Ancestry table". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder – Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
Further reading
- Barrow, Clyde W. (2002). Portuguese-Americans and Contemporary Civic Culture in Massachusetts.
- Cardozo, Manoel da Silviera Soares (1976). The Portuguese in America, 590 B.C.–1974: A Chronology & Fact Book
- Leal, João, and Wendy Graça (2011). Azorean Identity in Brazil and the United States: Arguments about History, Culture, and Transnational Connections. Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Tagus Press.
- Norden, Ernest E. "Portuguese Americans." in Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 493–508. online
- Pap, Leo. The Portuguese-Americans (Twayne Publishers, 1981).
- Warrin, Donald, and Geoffrey L. Gomes (2013). Land, as Far as the Eye Can See: Portuguese in the Old West. Dartmouth, Massachusetts: Tagus Press. 376 pages. Traces the experiences of Portuguese immigrants as frontier settlers.
- Williams, Jerry R. (2007). In Pursuit of Their Dreams: A History of Azorean Immigration to the United States (2nd ed.). North Dartmouth, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
- Wolforth, Sandra (1978). The Portuguese in America.
- "Azoreans to California: A History of Migration and Settlement" (PDF). California State University Stanislaus. – Compiled by Robert L. "Bob" Santos – HTML version
- "Stories of California Azorean Immigrants An Anthology of Personal Life Sketches" (PDF). California State University Stanislaus. – Compiled by Robert L. "Bob" Santos – HTML version
External links
- Portuguese-American Historical & Research Foundation
- Portuguese Americans. – Culture, History & People
- UMass-Dartmouth Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives
- Portuguese-American Federation
- Portuguese American Journal Portuguese American Journal