Portuguese-American Heritage Month

Each year, the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issues a proclamation designating June as Portuguese-American Heritage Month in recognition of the significant contributions Portuguese–Americans have made to the commonwealth and to the United States.

Approximately 467,000 residents of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island identify as Portuguese. The largest portion of the community resides in Southeastern Massachusetts, including in Fall River and New Bedford. The reason the numbers are so high along the coast is that many Portuguese-Americans immigrated during the commercial whaling era.

UMass Dartmouth is home to the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture, a multidisciplinary international studies and outreach unit dedicated to the study of the language, literatures and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world. The Center is home to Tagus Press, a leader in bringing Portuguese literature, history, and culture to an English-speaking audience. The Dartmouth campus also hosts the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese American Archives, which houses the largest collection of historical material documenting the experience of Portuguese immigrants and their descendants in the United States.