Portuguese-American Digital Newspaper Collections

Until the advent of Portuguese radio programs, Portuguese-language newspapers were the sole source of news for those not familiar with English.  Through them, Portuguese-Americans were informed not only about what was going on in their local community, but also about developments back in Portugal as well as in U.S. and the world at large. By reading these papers, members of the various Portuguese communities maintained their language and cultural traditions alive, shared in the experience of their compatriots living in other areas of the country and became aware of their common characteristics and needs. 

The history of these newspapers is difficult to patch together as many of the originals are missing and references to them difficult to locate and often contradictory.  For a significant number, the first year of publication is known or can be calculated from information contained in the existing copies, but it is often difficult to establish when they ceased publication.

The Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives has partnered, thus far, with the following institutions to digitize and provide access to Portuguese language newspapers that were not published in New England: the Freitas Library (Portuguese Fraternal Society of America) graciously provided access to California based newspapers; and the Hawaiian Historical Society diligently provided access to the Hawaii based newspapers.

How to find birth, marriage and death information in the newspapers.

This project was originally funded by the Autonomous Government of the Region of the Azores, Mark and Elisia Saab, and Luis Pedroso.

If you have or know of original issues of Portuguese-American newspapers published in the United States, please consider contributing them to the project. You will receive your originals back.