What: A Book Talk and Slide Presentation on the Portuguese Community of San Diego by Donna Alves-Calhoun

When: Thursday, March 25, 2010 from 12:30 to 1:30 P.M.

Where: Prince Henry Society Reading Room of the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, located in the Claire T. Carney Library

FREE - Open to the public.

This presentation by Donna Alves Calhoun, based on her book The Portuguese Community of San Diego, takes us back to the roots of the Portuguese settlement in the early 1900s at La Playa, on the edge of Point Loma, in the city of San Diego, California. There, immigrants from continental Portugal, the Azores and the Madeira Islands began a new life in the New World more than one hundred years ago. Along with their sea-faring traditions, they brought their unique folklore and customs.  They distinguished themselves in the fishing industry, built churches and halls, and celebrated the Feast of Holy Spirit in the streets of their new homeland.  Today, close to 20,000 persons of Portuguese heritage still call San Diego County home and many still live in Point Loma.

Author Donna Calhoun is a second-generation Portuguese born in Point Loma. Currently, she is a director at the Portuguese Historical Center in San Diego, an organization founded in 1977 for the purpose of educating people about the role of the Portuguese in the history of San Diego and preserving Portuguese culture and history.

Organized by the Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives, in collaboration with the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Claire T. Carney Library.

For directions to the UMass Dartmouth campus, see http://www.umassd.edu/vtour/.

Parking Available in Parking Lot 13.

For more information:
Contact: Gloria de Sá, Faculty Director Ferreira-Mendes Portuguese-American Archives
Phone: 508-910-6888
Email: mdesa@umassd.edu