Portuguese American Journal

07/09/2026

Today in History | Brazilian Independence Day!

On September 7, 2026, Brazil marks the 204th anniversary of its independence from Portugal, which led to the creation of an independent Brazil in 1822. Emperor Pedro I of Brazil declared Brazil’s separation from Portugal near the Ipiranga River in São Paulo with the famous proclamation “Independência ou Morte!” (“Independence or Death!”). The date became one of Brazil’s most important national holidays and is celebrated annually as Dia da Independência.

Brazil’s path to independence was closely connected to Napoleon’s forces preparing to invade Portugal, when the Portuguese royal court transferred to Rio de Janeiro, making Brazil the center of the Portuguese monarchy. King João VI eventually returned to Portugal in 1821, leaving his son Pedro in Brazil. Growing tensions ultimately led Pedro to reject orders to return to Portugal and declare independence in 1822. Portugal formally recognized Brazilian independence in 1825, following negotiations between the two countries.

Today, September 7 is celebrated throughout Brazil with military and civic ceremonies, flag-raising events, cultural programs and public commemorations, with the principal national ceremonies traditionally taking place in Brasília. More than two centuries after independence, Brazil and Portugal maintain exceptionally close cultural, linguistic, diplomatic and economic ties, shaped by a complex shared history and by extensive migration in both directions.
More @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(Brazil)

07/09/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

WHEN: September 10 | 5-7:00 p.m
WHERE: Christopher’s Cafe,1816 South Main St., Fall River, MA
EVENT: Meet Democrat Senator Mark Rodrigues, a first-generation Portuguese American legislator. He is a politician from Southeast Massachusetts who has served in the Massachusetts Legislature since 1996. He is currently a member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the 1st Bristol and Plymouth district. He serves as Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee @ https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/MJR0
More @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Rodrigues_(politician)

04/09/2026

The ceremony brought together regional and national leaders to commemorate one of the central institutions of the new political and administrative autonomy granted to the Azores under Portugal's 1976 Constitution.

The Autonomous Region of the Azores marked a historic milestone with a Solemn Session on Friday, September 4, at the inaugural session of the Regional Assembly in Horta, Faial, honoring the 50th anniversary of the

04/09/2026

CONGRATULATIONS!

Portuguese athlete Irina Rodrigues won the gold medal in the women’s discus throw at the 2026 Mediterranean Games in Taranto, Italy, delivering a winning throw of 62.51 meters. Italy’s Daisy Osakue claimed silver with 60.96 meters, while Turkey’s Özlem Becerek earned bronze with 60.18 meters.

The 35-year-old athlete, born in Leiria, mainland Portugal, a physician on Terceira Island in the Azores, opened the competition with 58.98 meters before producing her winning 62.51-meter throw. She later recorded throws of 61.75 and 59.49 meters. Rodrigues, a three-time Olympian, celebrated the victory as a reward for her determination to continue competing while balancing athletics with her professional career in medicine.

Rodrigues’ victory was part of an outstanding day for Portuguese athletics, as Patrícia Silva also captured gold in the women’s 1,500 meters, finishing in 4:08.41. Rodrigues’ triumph contributed to Portugal’s record-breaking performance at Taranto 2026, where the national delegation finished with 32 medals, including 16 gold.

04/09/2026

CONGRATULATIONS!

Portuguese middle-distance runner Patrícia Silva was crowned Mediterranean Games champion in the women’s 1,500 meters on Wednesday, September 2, in Taranto, Italy. The 26-year-old produced a strong finish to take the gold medal in 4 minutes, 8.41 seconds, narrowly defeating Morocco’s Souad Elhaddad, who claimed silver in 4:08.51. Turkey’s Silan Ayyildiz rounded out the podium in 4:09.79.

The victory continued an outstanding season for Silva, who only weeks earlier won the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, finishing in 4:09.22. In June, she had also demonstrated her growing international stature by setting a personal best of 3:58.74 over 1,500 meters at the Paris Diamond League.

Silva’s gold was the eighth medal won by Portuguese athletics at Taranto 2026, bringing Portugal’s overall total at that point to 31 medals. She joined Portuguese athletics gold medalists José Carlos Pinto in the 5,000 meters, Omar Elkhatib in the 400 meters, Auriol Dongmo in the shot put and the women’s 4x100-meter relay team. Portugal concluded the Mediterranean Games with 32 medals — 16 gold, 7 silver and 9 bronze — finishing eighth in the overall medal standings.

02/09/2026

SAVE THE DATE!

WHEN: September 18, 5:00 pm
WHERE: UMass Dartmouth, Room 102, Maclean Campus Center
EVENT: The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will present a bilingual reading by actor Manuel Wiborg of "Ode Marítima" - the famous 1915 long poem written by Álvaro de Campos, a heteronym (pen name with a distinct personality) of the Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa.

01/09/2026

The monument will become the second replica of the landmark outside the Azores and the first in Canada, following the replica erected in Fall River, Massachusetts, 20 years ago.

One of the most recognizable symbols of the Azores, Portas da Cidade (City Gates) of Ponta Delgada, will soon have a new home in Brampton, in Canada's Greater Toronto Area. The inauguration of a full-scale

01/09/2026

The achievement adds another historic chapter to the career of the athlete from Ponte de Lima, widely regarded as Portugal's greatest canoeist. Pimenta currently shares the record for the most medals ever won in the K1 Men 1000m at the World Championships.

Portuguese canoeing star Fernando Pimenta was crowned world champion in the K1 1000 meters, winning a dramatic final at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Poznan, Poland, on August 29, 2026.  The achievement adds another

01/09/2026

Many families left Faial after the 1926 earthquake, joining an Azorean diaspora that had already established strong communities in New England, particularly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

One hundred years ago today, on the morning of August 31, 1926, the island of Faial was violently shaken by one of the most destructive earthquakes in the modern history of the Azores.  A century

25/08/2026

NETFLIX FEATURES “THE SPECIAL ONE” …
Netflix’s three-part documentary series “Mourinho” features the remarkable career of Portuguese soccer manager José Mourinho, offering relatively little that is genuinely new about the man behind “The Special One.” The series traces his rise from his historic success with FC Porto to some of the biggest clubs in European soccer, highlighting the trophies, tactical brilliance, controversies and confrontational style that made him one of the most recognizable managers of his generation.

Featuring figures such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Luís Figo, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Iker Casillas, the documentary concentrates particularly on Mourinho’s years at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Former players and colleagues describe his extraordinary ability to motivate teams and command loyalty, while also recalling the conflicts and intense relationships that have followed him throughout his career.

After a remarkable international career, José Mourinho returned to Benfica in September 2025, 25 years after his brief first spell as the club’s head coach in 2000. His return carried considerable symbolic importance because Benfica was where Mourinho began his career. The three episodes concentrate heavily on Mourinho’s defining periods at Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.