Nothing conjures more memories of my immigrant upbringing than the sight of Portuguese-language newspapers. Growing up, one could always spot anywhere from two to four newspapers throughout the house. This tradition began with my grandparents, who soon after they immigrated to the United States from Portugal in 1980, subscribed to the Voz da Figueira (“The Voice of Figueira”)—the main newspaper published in their hometown of Figueira da Foz, Portugal. This newspaper brought political and social news from back “home.” After a few years in their Portuguese-American community in New Jersey, my grandparents also subscribed to the LusoAmericano, the Portuguese-language newspaper published out of Newark, New Jersey. Unlike the Voz da Figueira, the LusoAmericano celebrated and marked, in their native language, the integration of Portuguese immigrants in the United States. For countless immigrants like my grandparents, these and similar newspapers served the dual purpose of representing both their persistent connection to their homelands as well as their integration into the communities that received them. Although the Voz da Figueira no longer exists, today my family and I proudly continue reading the LusoAmericano. 

– Daniel C. Santos

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant