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Luso-Americans or Lusitanic American is an American whose background culture is from Portuguese language cultures.
Lusitanic Americans came from several places where Portuguese is the dominant language. There are two main countries of origin, Portugal and Brazil. Therefore, Luso-Americans are not a specific ethnic group, but a cultural group. Even so, Luso-Americans are primarily ethnic Portuguese from these two countries. In addition, Luso-Americans can include Italians, Germans, Slavs, Jews, Africans, and Asians (mostly Japanese) from Brazil, as well as Africans and Asians from the former Portuguese Empire. Many people also came from areas where Portuguese is largely used but not official and not really ruled by Portugal, for example South Africa, Bermuda, and Luxembourg.
The presence of Portuguese in North America could be even pre-columbian, although there is lack of solid historical evidence. Navigators, like the Corte-Real family may have visited the North American shores. There is a monumental landmark, the Dighton Rock, in Massachusetts, that testifies their presence in the area.
In September 1654, shortly before the Jewish New Year, twenty-three Jews of Portuguese ancestry from Recife, Brazil, arrived in New York, which at the time was under Dutch rule and known as New Amsterdam. It was the beginning of Jewish-American history. Sephardi Portuguese Jews were also the early settlers of Newport, RI; Charleston, SC; Phialdelphia; and Baltimore. The oldest fuctioning synagogue in America is the Portuguese Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island.
In the late 19th century, many Portuguese, mainly Azorean and Madeiran immigrated to U.S., establishing in cities like East Providence, Rhode Island; Bristol, Rhode Island; New Bedford, Massachusetts; Fall River, Massachusetts; Newark, New Jersey; and Jacksonville, Illinois.
Although Luso-Americans can be found in all states, there are sizeable Luso-American communities in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Hawaii, and Florida. In total, the members of this community may be more than 3.5 million Americans.
In the past, many Portuguese immigrants had their names changed, such as in the following cases: Luis to Lewis, Pavao to Peacock, Rodrigues to Rogers, Ferreira to Ferry, Pereira to Perry, Oliveira to Oliver, Silva to Silver, Esteves to Stevens.
Language
Portuguese has been spoken in the United States by small communities of immigrants, especially in Miami; Pompano Beach; Orlando; Ludlow, Massachusetts; New Bedford, Massachusetts; Framingham, Massachusetts; New Jersey; Bristol, Rhode Island; East Providence, Rhode Island; San Francisco, California; San Jose, California; Tulare, California; San Pedro, California and the metropolitan New York City area. The Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey is also called "Little Portugal", and 46th Street in Manhattan is also named "Little Brazil Street". It is also spoken by Chinese and Macanese immigrants from Macau, especially in California.
Luso-Americans also include speakers of Portuguese-based creole , such as Macanese (Patuá or Macaista Chapado) and Papiamento. Elements of the Portuguese language can also be found in other former colonies such as Goa and Timor.
There is a significant difference between Continental Portuguese (spoken in mainland Portugal) and other regional variations, notably Brazilian Portuguese. Language schools (especially in the U.S.) which claim to offer Portuguese classes often teach the Brazilian dialect.
Wherever there is a Portuguese community of any appreciable size, there will usually be a social club. There are also a number of Portuguese churches in the U.S. In many of these places, schools have been established to teach Portuguese to children of immigrants. They are usually attended in addition to regular school in the late afternoon and evenings.
Famous Luso-Americans
Other Luso-Americans (not Brazilian nor Portuguese):
Angolan
Cape-Verdean
Guinea-Bissauan
Indian
Chinese
Mozambican
São Tomean
External links
- Igreja Portuguesa de Nossa Senhora de Fátima — Church of Our Lady of Fatima, Yonkers, New York
- Portuguese American Community Center, Yonkers, New York
- Portuguese-American Historical & Research Foundation Franklin, North Carolina
- Congregation Shearith Israel — the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue (New York, NY, USA)
- Kahal Kadosh Mikveh Israel (Philadelphia, PA, USA)
- Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island
See also
Ethnic groups in the United States | Languages of the United States | Portuguese language | Portuguese-Americans | Brazilian-Americans | Mozambican-Americans
"Luso American"