Portuguese Community in Brazil

Source: rouxinoldebernardim.blogspot.com

Brazil is the country with the largest Portuguese community outside Portugal and although official records inform that such community have 5 million members, there are unofficial estimations that this number could be of 18 million members.

Most Brazilians have some degree of Portuguese ancestry: some descend from colonial settlers, while others have recent immigrant Portuguese origin, dating back to anywhere between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries.

Due to "miscegenation", Brazilians of different "races" may have Portuguese ancestry: Whites, Blacks, Amerindians and people of mixed race.

There are no reliable figures for how many Brazilians descend from the Portuguese.

This is mainly because the Portuguese presence in Brazil is very old, making it almost impossible to find correct numbers.

Even though most Brazilians have Portuguese ancestry, most Brazilians identify themselves as being simply Brazilians.

In 1872, there were 3.7 million Whites in Brazil (the vast majority of them of Portuguese ancestry), 4.1 million mixed-race people (mostly of Portuguese-Amerindian-African ancestry) and 1.9 million Blacks (some of whom probably had some degree of Portuguese ancestry).

These numbers give the percentage of 80% of people with total or partial Portuguese ancestry in Brazil in the 1870s. 

At that time, the Portuguese were the only Europeans to settle Brazil in large numbers, since other groups (notably Italians) only started arriving in large numbers after 1875.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a new large wave of immigrants from Portugal arrived. From 1881 to 1991, over 1.5 million Portuguese immigrated to Brazil.

In 1906, for example, there were 133,393 Portuguese-born people living in Rio de Janeiro, comprising 16% of the city's population. Rio is still today considered the largest "Portuguese city" outside of Portugal itself.

Genetic studies also confirm the strong proportion of Portuguese genetic ancestry in Brazilians.

According to one study, at least half of the Brazilian population's Y chromosome comes from Portugal. Black Brazilians have an average of 48% non-African genes; most of them may have Portuguese ancestors.

Source: Wikipedia

Larissa Bona

The Portuguese Community in South Africa

Source: crossed-flag-pins.com

The Portuguese explored the coasts of South Africa in the late 15th century, and nominally claimed them as their own with the erecting of padrões (large stone cross inscribed with the coat of arms of Portugal placed there as part of a land claim). 

Bartolomeu Dias did so in 1486, and Vasco da Gama recorded a sighting of the Cape of Good Hope in 1497, en route to India.

The early 20th century witnessed a trickle of emigrants from Madeira whose numbers greatly increased in the decades following World War II.

Madeiran immigrants, who are traditionally associated with horticulture and commerce, form the largest group within South Africa's Portuguese community.

The largest single event of Portuguese settlement occurred when two of the former Portuguese colonies, (Angola and Mozambique), became independent in 1975.

While most Portuguese from the two Portuguese-speaking African countries went to Portugal and the rest to Brazil, some of them were allowed to enter South Africa.

Their entrance made South Africa the home of the largest Portuguese African population, numbering about 49 000, but their number grew to 300,000.

One known Portuguese South African creation was Nando’s, created in 1987, which incorporated influences from former Portuguese settlers from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg after Mozambique's independence in 1975.

The Portuguese South African community is highly active within the South African community, both politically and economically.

Notable members include Maria Ramos who was the former director general of South Africa's National Treasury. She is currently the Group CEO of ABSA, one of South Africa's largest financial services companies.

Other Portuguese involvement within the business community includes companies like Mercantile Bank.

The community is also actively involved in investment activities with other Southern African countries like Angola and Mozambique.

Socially the Portuguese community have held an annual festival called Lusito Land (the second largest festival in South Africa).

Portuguese-South Africans natively speak European Portuguese (many in the Madeiran dialect), while also adopting South African English, which tends to become the first language of second- and third-generation Portuguese-South Africans.

Some others also speak Afrikaans. Many members of younger generations of Portuguese-South Africans can only speak Afrikaans or English.

Source: Wikipedia

Larissa Bona

The Portuguese Community in Canada

Source: crossed-flag-pins.com

Today, I am going to talk about the Portuguese Community in Canada, which is the 6^th biggest Portuguese Community in the world, with around 400,000 members.

The Portuguese migration to Canada is not as ancient as the migration to Brazil or the USA, although there are records of Portuguese migration since the 16^th Century.

The first time that a considerable number of Portuguese people migrated and settled in Canada was in 1953, after the Canadian government invited them to come to Canada, most of them coming from the Azores.

The members of the Portuguese Community in Canada are mostly based in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

In Toronto the neighbourhood Trinity-Bellwoods is also known as Portugal Village or Little Portugal, because the Portuguese Community and now the Brazilian Community are based there. Due to the fact the most of the Portuguese migrants that went to Canada were of Azorean origin, there is also a street there called “Rua Azores”.

There are several notable Portuguese Canadians, being the singer Nelly Furtado the most famous world-wide, who has strong roots with the Portuguese Community, to the point she was the one who recorded the theme-song of Euro 2004, which took place in Portugal.

My personal impression of the Portuguese Community in Canada is that, although they are in a smaller number than in other countries, they seem to be very united and attached to their roots.

I wish that someday I could have more contact with such community and I am really planning to go to Toronto to pay a visit. This may happen sooner than later.

Larissa Bona

The Portuguese Community in the USA

Source: Presidency of Portugal website

Today, I will talk about the Portuguese Community in the USA, the second largest Portuguese community outside Portugal (only Brazil has more Portuguese community members than the USA).

For a long time, there were not accurate numbers with regards to the Portuguese community in the USA, because the American Census always included them in the Latino category.

However, since 2007, the U.S. Census has included the option Portuguese when asking the ancestry of the USA residents and then it was discovered that there were around 1,5 million members in the Portuguese community.

In June of that same year, the President of Portugal, Mr. Cavaco Silva, travelled to the USA and had a meeting with the Portuguese Community in Newark, NJ. And below I put a text I have extracted from the website of the “Meeting with the Portuguese Communities”, talking about the Portuguese people in the USA:

“The Portuguese presence in America goes back to 1850, when many Portuguese took part in the gold rush and in the creation of agricultural settlements in California. Businesses connected with whale fishing equally contributed to a large wave in immigration.

In the first twenty years of the XX century some 130,000 Portuguese emigrated to the USA. From 1900 to 1914, that number represented 16.7% of our emigration. In 1916 and in 1920 that percentage increased to 46.3% and 37.3%, respectively. The 30’s and 40’s witnessed a large decrease (11,372), an effect of the immigration quotas, by the great depression and by the universal instability. From the mid 50’s (Capelinhos volcanic eruption in the Azores) and during the 60’s, emigration to America again increased and, in accordance with official figures, the USA received, from 1960 to 1990, 218,.541 Portuguese. The last American census, dated 2000, states a total number of 1,173,691 Portuguese and Portuguese descendants resident in the USA.

The large majority of the members of the Portuguese Community are employed by industrial enterprises, and a considerable number are employed by the service industry and are also noted personalities in the scientific, educational and arts areas. A significant number are also members of the liberal professions.

At this moment there are approximately 95 Portuguese or citizens of Portuguese ascendancy elected to political office.

There are 385 Portuguese and Portuguese descendant communities in the United States of America, which include recreational and cultural associations, social and sports clubs, educational foundations, libraries, theatrical groups, brass bands, folklore dancing groups, philanthropic and religious societies and regional associations.

Portugal currently has Consulates General in Boston, New York, Newark and S. Francisco, Consulates in New Bedford and Providence and a Consular Section in the Portuguese Embassy in Washington.”

Larissa Bona

Portugal & Qatar - A Re-New Beginning

Source: nuqataropen.wordpress.com

Qatar, a small peninsula in the Gulf, has now become a major international player in the World Market, setting new bench marks in fields of lnnovation, Infrastructure development, LNG, Education and Sports.

With Qatar bidding for the prestigious World Cup 2022, it becomes imperative that this jewel in the pearl of the Gulf has reached new governments to invest in Qatar as the destination of the world.

On a maiden visit to Lisbon in the summers of April 2009, HH Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and Her Royal Consort Sheikha Mozah with the accompanying delegation held official round talks with the Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates and accompanying delegation Minister of State and Foreign Minister Luis Amado, Minister of State and Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos and Minister of Economy and lnnovation Manuel Pinho.

A joint statement, agreement and the MoU were signed for Qatar by Minister of Business and Trade H.E. Sheikh Fahad bin Jassem Bin Mohammad Al-Abdurrahman AL-Thani and for Portugal, the Minister of State and Foreign Minister Luis Amado.

A major boost of co-operations signed between the two friendly countries in May 2010 with HE the Premier of Qatar and Portugal Foreign Minister Luis Amado signed an agreement between both the governments on the cancellation of entry visa for holder of diplomatic and special passports. A protocol of co-operation and joint news exchange was also signed.

Recently on 24 October 2010 Qatar welcomed the arrival of Portuguese Minister of Economy and Innovation Jose Vieira da Silva led by a 15 member delegation held bilateral co-operation in sectors as Banking and Finance, Tourism, Telecommunication and Energy. Portugal famed for its historical tourism is also on the anvil which chips in 11% of Portugal's GDP.

It's hoped Qatar takes this promotion in investing in resorts and hotels in Portugal, adding to economic co-operation including Protection of investment and other instruments to be finalized before end of 2010.

According to Mr. da Silva, the time is right for both countries to move beyond government-level relationship to – where company to company partnership can be created.

Portugal is also interested in importing Qatari LNG and a deep sea harbour is currently being developed to receive supplies.

No links can be possible without flight services and therefore, Qatar Airways, currently ruling the skies in being of the most prestigious airline in the world, is also in negotiating to have direct flight between Doha and Lisbon, once all technical issues are completed.

On a closing note, the former deputy PM of Portugal and chairman of Friendship Association Portugal-Qatar Jose Luis Arnaut said, "any relationship between Qatar and Portugal will be a win-win opportunity for both countries.

With the Portuguese Goan community increasing in Middle East, its hoped that the Portuguese authorities may setup a permanent Cultural office in Qatar with facilities of issuing Passports and legal support making it a one stop destination barring restrictions and simple efficient single window system.

Bonding a partnership with Miguel Reis Associados, the proximity between Europe and the Middle East is as close to a mouse click away to help fellow Goan brethren to claim their right of Portuguese Citizenship.

Anthony Peter D'Souza¹

Doha - Qatar

[1] Mr. Anthony Peter D'Souza is a Portuguese citizen of Goan descent, member of the Portuguese community in Qatar and our partner in that country.

The Portuguese Communities

Source: stormfront.org 

As I have spoken previously, Portugal is well known for being the pioneer in the Age of Discovery and for having created the first global empire of history by colonising several territories, which most of people do not even have a clue that were Portuguese territories in the past, and I include myself in this bundle.

When I was researching to write this post, I found out places that were Portuguese territories that I have never imagined they were once occupied by Portugal as Bahrain, enclaves in Indonesia, Mombasa in Kenya, and Nagasaki in Japan!

I have even found out that the Japanese vocabulary has been influenced by the Portuguese idiom! This is really surprising.

Indeed, seven of the territories that once were Portuguese colonies have become countries (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor) and have created, along with Portugal, the Community of the Portuguese Speaking Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa – CPLP), which is an international organisation that aims to promote economic and cultural interchange among these countries.

Besides these countries, I would like to highlight the Portuguese communities in India (Goa, Daman and Diu) and in China (Macau), which still have a very expressive number of members who are entitled to the Portuguese citizenship.

The Portuguese people are innate sailors and their adventure spirit have made them travel around the globe and not only populate their own colonies, but also to settle down in several countries like the USA, France, South Africa, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Australia, Luxemburg, Belgium, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Andorra, Italy, Bermudas, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Uruguay, Morocco and others.

Personally, I think this is the quality of the Portuguese people that I admire the most because, despite of the fact they come from a very small country, they were able to spread and build their own history in almost every country of the world, without forgetting their roots. You should all be very proud of it.

And I think it is important to talk about the Portuguese communities because they are those who carry the Portuguese blood and, consequently, those who are interested the most in the content of this blog.

Actually, every Thursday will talk about the Portuguese communities around the world. And I take the chance to invite all readers to contribute to this blog by sending texts, about the Portuguese community they are part of, to be published here.

So, if you want to participate, please, send an e-mail to larissa.bona@lawrei.com (put Portuguese Community on the subject) and it will be my pleasure publish your text, because I believe that no one rather than community members themselves have the authority to talk about and promote their own communities.

Larissa Bona

Tomorrow: Portugal & the European Union