The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, begins this Saturday a visit to the Portuguese-American communities in California, the state with the largest diaspora of Portuguese origin and where there is a desire to strengthen the connection with Portugal.
It’s been a while since a president from Portugal came to California and spent so much time here, so I think the community, in general, is very excited about the visit,” Angela Simões, of Portuguese descent, until recently president of Luso -American Leadership Council (PALCUS).
The official stressed that there are two areas of great importance to the community, namely the teaching of the Portuguese language and the improvement of consular services, and the need for greater support from the Portuguese authorities in this regard.
With nearly 347,000 Portuguese-Americans, the largest state on the West Coast has communities concentrated in key spots the President will visit on the itinerary, including San Diego, Artesia (near Los Angeles), San Jose and San Francisco, with steps through the important central valley communities of Turlock and Agustina.
I am very excited for the opportunity to meet the President and, if the room is not too full, have a few words with him,” community leader Zachery Ramos, a member of the Gustine school board, told Lusa.
The town is very active in Portuguese traditions and has long been known for having one of the largest Portuguese festivals in the United States.
Agustina’s GPS Portuguese Salon, to be visited by the president, is one of 100 Portuguese salons scattered throughout California, serving as aggregators for the various generations of Portuguese Americans. They serve as footholds, keep the Portuguese heritage alive, celebrate cultural, gastronomic and religious traditions and organize “festivals” that attract thousands of people.
“I think we have a lot of Portuguese Americans who are really interested in supporting the California and Portuguese economies,” Zachery Ramos said. “This could be an opportunity for business and community leaders here in Agustina to listen to the president’s vision and help make it a reality.”
California’s central valley has some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese Americans in the state, mostly from the Azores. This is where Luso-descended congressmen elected to the House of Representatives, Jim Costa from the 16th District and David Valadão from the 21st District, work. Many of these Portuguese Americans are entrepreneurs in areas such as agriculture and dairy.
I want to share some of the good things about our people and the importance of the economic partnership between our State and Portugal”, said Zachery Ramos. “I hope we can talk about ways we can work together to boost both economies.”
Strengthening economic ties between California and Portugal has been a hot topic in recent years, with several initiatives designed to encourage investment.
In June, the Secretary of State for Internationalization, Bernardo Ivo Cruz, traveled to California and met with several technology companies in Silicon Valley, to attract foreign investment to Portugal.
Shortly before, in May, a Portuguese delegation that had participated in the NAFSA 2022 educational event visited several higher education institutions in California.
That is something that is also on the itinerary of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on this visit, with which he fulfills a promise he had made to the Portuguese communities of the west coast in 2018.
The Portuguese head of state has a trip to Stanford University on the agenda, where he will meet with President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, followed by a meeting with Portuguese businessmen in San Francisco, where the diaspora is more linked to technological and scientific activities.
Before that, he will have lunch with the community of San Diego, participate in the Santos Populares festival in Artesia, listen to folkloric performances in Agustina and have dinner with elected Portuguese in Turlock.
The agenda also includes kickoff at a baseball game, during the SF Giants’ Portuguese Heritage Night in San Francisco, and the cornerstone of a monument to the state’s Portuguese dairy farmers.
The visit ends on September 28, with the return to Portugal scheduled for the following day.
Source: Observadora
