Azorean Culture and Assimilation

Azorean Character

This summary seems to capture the character of the Azorean as 
represented in the literature:  
	
	The Azoreans are seen as possessing a character that is deeply religious,
	good-natured, submissive, indolent, sensitive, pacific, orderly, family
	oriented, industrious, nostalgic and somewhat sad. That character is deeply
	endowed with a strong sense of family responsibility, one which transmits
	to children a worldview calling for adherence to a hard-work ethic and to
	well-disciplined obedience.1 

This excerpt complements the above and further reveals the nature 
of Azoreans in America:

	They are home lovers and home owners. They have attained middle-class
	economic status, and  are satisfied, and no thought of leaving. They are
	proud of their achievement as well as of the fact that they have seldom
	needed welfare aid, even in times of depression . . . they are
	peace-loving people and seldom come before the courts . . .2  

Personality types differ in the Azores. They seem to be distinct 
for each island primarily caused by the people who immigrated
there. For example, Sao Miguel saw a greater amount of southern 
Portuguese settlement and Spanish influence than the middle and 
western islands which were settled primarily by the other 
Portuguese and Flemings. 

Consequently, the Sao Miguelan is "rough, industrious, sturdy and 
tenacious," while the Azorean from the middle and western islands 
are "affable, somewhat cunning, fond of festivities, and indolent." The 
people of Pico are a mixture being "vigorous, wholesome, sometimes 
heroic, and always takes life seriously.3  

All of the Azoreans have been affected by the sea, the isolation of the 
islands, and by the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The 
influence of this natural phenomena on the psyche of the Azorean 
has been richly written about. Terceirense ethnologist, Luis Riberio, 
wrote this: 

	The contemplation of the sea makes men dreamers, saddens and depresses
	them with its monotony . . . the rythmmic cadence of the waves and of the
	tides regulates his slow steps and wooden gestures, gives a tone to his
	drawl and song-like intonation, wrinkles his face and sharpens his sight.4

	During a vulcanic eruption or an earthquake, man feels both his own
	weakness and power of the unfathomable natural forces around him,
	with the usual violence. Surprized, terrorized, he seeks desperately
	for the shelter of divine protection, because the forces unleached
	about him vastly exceed his every possibility of defence.5 


Thriftiness of the Azoreans has been alluded to throughout this
study. Their frugality comes from their peasant background where 
every resource was needed for survival. In the United States, the 
immigrant set goals for his money. For example: he would save 
enough to bring his family to America, or he would save to buy a 
house or land. Azorean families were large too making frugality a 
must.6 

The "Azoreans make good citizens" a statement which is found 
endlessly in the literature. For example, this was said by a Kings 
County citizen: "They are law-abiding, God-fearing folk, good 
neighbors and liberal givers to any good cause."7 Azoreans are also 
considered to be hard workers. A Cape Cod visitor writes, "They 
manage to do their work without fuss or ostentation. They even 
create beauty as they work . . . "8 

Culture

Azorean culture is family based. Family means survival to the 
Azorean peasant because everyone is needed to work the land in 
order to provide food, shelter, and clothing for everyone. Raising 
healthy children mean a continuation of the family and hence the 
culture.9 This cultural tradition was transferred to the United States 
with the immigrants. 

Women are considered working equals on the islands because of the 
manual labor required. They work with their husbands in the fields 
and around the homestead.10 In New England, Azorean women have 
worked away from their home, typically in the factories. This 
exception is allowed culturally because her employment is necessary 
to the family.11  (2:48 & 116:127) In California though, most Azorean 
women have lived in rural areas staying at home which makes them 
more traditional than their New England counterparts.12 

The Azorean family is strongly male-dominated which causes stress 
in the immigrant family in America. Divorce is not uncommon 
because of it.13 There has always been respect for the elderly in the 
Azorean culture. Kissing the elderly person's hand and asking their 
blessing is traditional as well as addressing them as sir or madam. No 
backtalking is allowed from children.14 These Azorean practices have 
been largely discontinued in America. 

Azoreans are generally friendly and each individual will have 
several personal friends. A relative is trusted before a friend 
because "blood is thicker than water." In America, friends cannot be 
in the same occupation because the Azorean is a strong competitor.15 
A father will like his son to succeed, but he does not want him to be 
more successful than he is.16 

The Azorean Godparent system provides security for children. 
Godparents are selected to be sponsors of children by the parents.
They can be a friend or relative. The Godparents are expected to help
Godchildren in times of need if the parents are deceased or are 
incapable. In America, this system disappears quickly after the first 
generation because the need for aid is not as great here, and the 
Americanization of the second or third generations has taken place.17 

The immigrant Azorean has made the best effort to keep their culture 
intact. Throughout this study we have seen how Azoreans have lived 
in conclaves isolated from American society instances especially in 
farming, dairying, and fishing communities. Their system of 
immigration of bringing family and friends to the United States and 
settling them in the same location keeps the Azorean culture alive.
This way the language can continue, their tradition of religion and
celebration remains. The standard occupations of farming and fishing 
give links to that tradition.18 

Religion

To be Azorean is to be Roman Catholic. It is part of the culture. 
Portuguese Jews are accepted, and Portuguese Protestants are
tolerated but arose suspicion. The church gives the Azorean peasant 
security because of its conservatism. A peasant wants things to
remain the same because a static society and steady economy means 
survival. The ritual of the Catholic church is important for the
stability of the peasant class: 

	From a peasant perspective, it was not necessary to understand the tenets
	of the church as long as one had faith and followed the religious dictates
	of the priest. Bordering on mysticism, their religion combined the 
	inordinate faith in the power of the saints with a strict devotion to the
	ritual and ceremony of the mass.19 


Women are the spiritual motivators in the Azorean culture. Men
are basically inactive church members but expect their children and 
women to attend. Male Azoreans are anticlerical. They are suspicious
of the devout priest and his lack of world practicality. They do 
expect him to remain moral and to teach their children.20 Priests are 
referred to as "mother-in-laws" by the men because of their 
seemingly nagging disposition.21 The negativism of the Azorean man 
towards the priest is no much so that to utter the word "priest" 
aboard ship is to bring bad luck.22 

The church however is the nerve center of the traditional Azorean
society. It provides not only spiritual aid but social and cultural
support as well. Many of the Azorean celebrations are church-related 
and church gatherings are contacts for people and especially children 
who will someday marry.23 

In the United States, the Azorean immigrants built churches from 
their savings and with their manpower. Masses held in Portuguese 
were special and every parish strived to have a Portuguese priest 
because it continued the culture with which they were familiar. The 
illiterate Azorean also needed someone who spoke the language so he 
could understand the faith. It was not easy though to get a 
Portuguese priest as most communities discovered.24 

What's in a Name?

Azoreans have little reverence for family names surprizingly. They 
will take their mother or father's surname at will. Some are even 
given a nickname and are saddled with it the rest of their life. For 
example, Antoine Joaquim Souza had a head that reminded someone 
of a cantaloupe. He became Tony Melao (Melon) for life. 

The names of many Azoreans were changed when they entered the
United States. Mostly illiterate, they couldn't write their names so 
when an immigrant official asked for a name he usually wrote what 
he heard or changed it to something recognizable in English. Teachers 
and census takers did the same thing. Joao became Joe or John. Mello 
became Miller; Rodrigues became Rogers; Pereira became Perry; and 
Madeira (translated wood) became wood. The most frequently cited 
example was the man whose name was Joaquim; he changed his 
name to "Joe King" because it sounded like Joaquim.25 

Immigrant Azoreans would give their children typical Portuguese 
names, such as Joao or Maria, but some wanted to Americanize their 
children quickly by giving them standard English names, such as
Charles or Alice. Second and subsequent generations gave their
children English names dropping the Portuguese forms altogether. 
This bears out in the biographies of the Azoreans found in the county 
histories.

Language and Education

Language is the backbone of a society. It allows societal members to 
communicate their needs and opinions. It acts as a symbol of the 
society, and its mastery by individuals leads to higher status.26 
Azoreans in 1900 were 82% illiterate.27 This high percentage of 
illiteracy is revealed in the drastic drop in Azorean immigration 
when a literacy requirement was put in effect. The immigrant 
needed only to read forty basic words in Portuguese, but many were 
completely unschooled and consequently couldn't meet the 
requirement.28 

In California, as we have seen, many immigrants isolated themselves 
in Azorean enclaves where they could operate by using their native 
language. But in New England this was different because in the mills 
they had English-speaking supervisors. They had to learn basic 
English to understand their work and communicate with others. In 
fact, the better English that one spoke the better position one would 
get.29 

The immigrant's inability in  speaking the common operating 
language sometimes is seen as a sign of lack of intellect. This is
not true as shown in the many research studies. Language can be  
tied to patriotism at the chagrin of and unfairness to the 
immigrant.30 

The first generation immigrant will speak some of his new country's
language. The second generation is generally bilingual while the 
subsequent generations will not speak the old country's language at 
all. The second generation is then the buffer between two languages 
and two cultures. He must communicate to both sides.31 

When the second generation was with his immigrant parents, the
old country's language was used at home, while outside the home,
the new country's language was used. It was common for the first
and second generations to speak with each other mixing the two 
languages in the conversation. The second generation will not teach 
his children the language of his parents because of the stigma 
associated with accented speech. Normally in his home the old 
language is not used.32  

Media is not only for information and entertainment, but it helps 
cultures to understand one another. Portuguese language newspapers 
were spawned by immigrants in the United States for those reasons. 
Radio and television programming followed later and has served as a
vehicle to inform and to assimilate immigrants into society.33 

When languages come into contact, they influence one another. A 
word, a phrase, or pronunciation is adopted. The Portuguese language 
took on a new look in the United States as it did in Brazil, Hawaii and 
elsewhere. Occasionally, there is some adaptation too such as these 
examples: bridge in Portuguese is "ponte" but in California 
Portuguese it is "brij."  These are some others: carrot is "carrota"; 
cellar is "cela"; truck is "troque"; somebody is "samebari"; and to farm 
is "farmar".34  

In the United States, education has been associated with success. In 
the Azores, it has not, because of the emphasis is on manual labor for 
success; therefore, peasants see no value in education.35 Priests have 
been the educators in Azorean society, but they haven't been trusted 
by Azorean men because of their advanced education. They feel that 
priests have no practical knowledge, and also that they keep their 
children in school and away from work.36 Through the centuries, 
compulsory education in the Azores has been nonexistent which has 
led to very high illiteracy.37 

New England had schools for the immigrants, but most Azorean 
parents stopped sending their children to school once they reached 
the age required by the government. Not only did they want their 
children to work, but they also considered public education injurious 
to traditional Azorean culture and values. The purpose of public 
education is to prepare students to function in the surrounding 
American society. Wiser immigrant parents knew of this purpose and 
its benefit to their children and consequently supported public 
education.38 

Organizations

Mutual aid societies are unique to the Portuguese. It began in the 
15th century as support groups for widows when fishermen were 
lost at sea. In the United States, these societies were formed
again to be beneficial to those fellow-countrymen who needed help 
in time of need. They provided a life insurance policy that paid 
burial costs and other expenses. But their purpose went much 
further. They provided forums for communication to the immigrant 
at their meetings and celebrations. They also kept the Azorean 
culture and Portuguese language alive. It gave the new immigrants 
programs that would help he or she settle in their new country.39 

The first fraternal organization began in San Francisco in 1868 and
was the Associacao Portuguesa Protectora e Beneficente (A.P.P.B.).
In San Leandro in 1880, Uniao Portuguesa do Estado da California
(U.P.E.C.) was chartered. In San Jose the next year, Irmandade do 
Divino Espirito Santo (I.D.E.S.) began.40 Two women organzations 
were started: Sociedade Portuguesa Rainha Santa Isabel (S.P.R.S.I.) 
began in 1901 at Oakland, and Uniao Portuguesa Protectora do Estado 
da California (U.P.P.E.C.) began in 1901 also in Oakland. There have 
been organizations for the individual islands, for the mainland 
Portuguese, and for the other Portuguese in the United States.41 

U.P.E.C., I.D.E.S., S.P.R.S.I., and U.P.P.E.C. have been the most successful 
of the Portuguese mutual aid organizations serving their constituency 
well. At first, the church was against these organizations, especially 
when they organized and promoted events, which had Christian 
connotations but didn't have church involvement.
The church felt that these were lodges and would corrupt the faith of 
the people and secularize Christianity. The organizations 
demonstrated their strong beliefs in the church and invited church 
sponsorship. Some priests accepted this compromise and others
didn't, but before long the organizations and their programs became
traditional and fully acceptable.42  

Most anyone can join these organizations, men, women, children, 
Portuguese, and non-Portuguese. They are family-oriented where 
everyone gets involved in their programs.43 

Festivals

In the United States in the spring and summer, Azorean communities 
have traditionally staged festivals to honor patron saints, the Virgin 
Mary, the Holy Ghost, and Jesus. There are processions with bands 
and floats. There is a Mass followed by a feast, music, and dance in a 
fellowship hall. It is a time for the Azorean ethnic group to share, 
worship, and entertain. In Portuguese it is called a "festa."44 

In the Azores, the various islands and villages will have their own
festa, but everyone is invited. The celebration festivities are more 
primitive in the islands than in the United States, but the tradition is 
the same. Many of the festas in the United States are modeled after 
the Azorean ones.45 

The most common festa is the Holy Ghost Festival or Festa do Divino 
Espirito Santo which has its roots in medieval Hungary or Aragon 
depending upon which version. Elizabeth of Hungary in 1296 
honored the poor in a celebration. Queen Isabel of Aragon did the 
same about the same time. The idea was to make the poor royalty for 
a day where they could eat and dance escaping from the druggery of 
being poor. This celebration has been continued annually and was 
brought to the Azores by either the Portuguese or the Flemings, 
maybe both.46 

In the Azores as in the United States, a crown is placed on an 
emperor or empress, and he or she is escorted through the streets
followed by a parade to the local church where Mass is held. The
entourage goes to the fellowship hall where there is a feast and
a dance. This has wide variation depending upon the tradition and
monetary support. Anyone is invited to eat as it is free following
the tradition of feeding the poor or the masses. The food is soup
and sweet bread called "sopas" and "massa sovada" or "pao doce" 
respectively.47 On the crown is the symbol of a dove representing the 
Holy Ghost, the third member of the Christian Godhead.48 

There are are festas celebrating saints who the originators feel
have helped them in times of trouble. Because the Azores can
be harsh and the sea treacherous, many faithful have requested 
intercession in times of fear and difficulty. A promise is usually
made to a patron saint which can be a festa in the saint's honor. 

On the island of Terceira, a priest built a chapel in the 16th century 
and placed in it an image of the Virgin Mary which he attributes to 
miracles. Since then the image is celebrated with hope of further 
miracles. It is called Nossa Senhora dos Milagres or Our Lady of 
Miracles, and in California, it is held annually in Gustine. As many as 
30,000 have attended. It is a week celebration ending with a feast, 
dance, and a bloodless bullfight. Keeping with the Portuguese interest 
in dairying, cows are milked and fresh milk given to the celebrants.49 

This is one non-Portuguese's observation of a festa he attended
in the Bay Area just after World War II:

	I went last summer to this big fair they [Portuguese] have there: singing
	and dancing; a big barbeque, in these pits they got set out; a million
	kids running around; buses of Portuguese from all over the state . . . 
	Really had quite a time . . .50 

Portuguese Language Newspapers

Portuguese language newspapers in the United States began in the 
1870's and 1880's both in New England and in California. Their
purpose was to provide information to Portuguese immigrants. They
contained local news, and translated news stories of the Azores, 
Portugal, Europe, and the United States. They ran advertisements and
served as a community bulletin board. Some were dailies and some
were weeklies. They were mostly poorly written at first but the
journalistic style improved within time. Their political and editorial 
stances were important giving the immigrants viewpoints to ponder 
as part of their American education. Some newspapers failed 
immediately while others continued for decades.51  

Because many of the immigrants were illiterate, newspapers were
read to them by their friends or neighbors who could read. Voz 
Portuguesa was the first Portuguese language newspaper in 
California, published in 1884 at San Francisco. Uniao Portuguesa
published in San Francisco and later in Oakland lasted until 1940.
O Arauto ran from 1896 to 1917 in Oakland. Another Oakland 
newspaper was A Liberdade lasting until 1937. O Imparcial was 
published in Sacramento from 1903 to 1932. O Jornal de Noticias
was another important newspaper running from 1917 to 1932 in San 
Francisco.52 

Assimilation

An underlying theme in this study is assimilation. Did the Azorean 
acculturate and become part of the American society? Of course
the United States is an unique nation being a country of immigrants.
At some point, every family's forefathers had to come into contact
with an existing society somewhere within our borders. 

The first group of immigrants from Europe were northern Europeans 
who were the first to establish values, language, and culture in 
America. This immigrant culture set the status quo for the American 
society. One had to be Protestant, speak English, value education, 
hardworking, self-sufficient, egalitarian, and love freedom. Anyone 
coming afterward were expected at some point to fulfill these 
requirements to be an American. This would not be difficult if one 
came from England, Germany, or Scandinavia. The adjustment 
wouldn't take long.

Most immigrants, regardless who they are, are looking for an 
opportunity to improve their prior condition with the feeling that 
there will be some compromising to be able to function in the new 
environment. With this in mind, how did the Azoreans fare?

In the eastern United States, they were late immigrants. A few 
Azoreans had found their way to America prior to the 19th century, 
but not many. This meant that American culture had been 
established before they arrived. The Azoreans began entering in the 
form of young men who had found passage on whaling ships. Shortly 
they joined the massive immigration of southern Europeans of late 
19th century and early 20th century.

Southern Europeans differ with the northern Europeans in several 
ways. They were non-Protestant, darker skinned, shorter, less 
reserved, and didn't speak English. There was a clash of cultures 
which found expression in anti-immigrant statements in newspapers 
and in governmental circles. This eventually led to immigration laws 
based on a quota and isolation in American foreign policy.53 

The Azorean immigrants didn't speak English, were Catholic, and had 
a culture different from their hosts. The transition would not be easy. 
It would take one or two generations for real acculturation to occur 
in the genealogy of the family. Learning the English language would 
be their most important endeavor. Since many of them began 
working at the textile mills, they needed some English to be affective, 
and they learned as much as they needed.54 

Their religion they kept. There was religious toleration in America, 
but the Protestant Reformation was fully in place. The differences in 
cultural practices could be smoothed over with some public 
education.55 

Public education is the basic method of acculturation. This would 
eventually allow the Azorean to slip into American society. It is in 
the classroom and on the playground that basic citizenship and 
tolerance is learned. The Azorean children learned the English
language and the ways of the surrounding Protestant society. 
They tried to bring this home to their immigrant parents many
times with a great deal of conflict. Intermarriage is also an
outgrowth of public education because of its social mix and a serious 
step towards assimilation.56 

The working place too acculturates the immigrant. New ways are
learned. Backwardness and ignorance of the peasant must come to an
abrupt end. To function and to be successful, change had to take 
place. According to the literature, the Azorean did this as well as any 
other southern European immigrant group. They soon owned their
own houses and then their own farms. They became owners of sea 
vessels and businesses.57  

In California, assimilation came at a slower pace because of the
isolation of Azorean immigrant in the various farming enclaves. He or 
she didn't have to learn English, a new culture, or change 
occupational techniques. This was especially true in the dairy
settlements. On a dairy, no English was needed to talk to the animals. 
Technologically, hands were all that was needed, and
farming skills were imbeded into the Azorean mind. It was only 
when the second and third generations came along when full 
Americanization would take place.58   

There were though several similarities culturally between the 
Azorean and his new countrymen. Azorean peasant society found
everyone equal which is the basic American political concept. One 
had to work hard to survive which again is American being a free 
enterprise nation. There was also a strong interest in family
which has been the core of American society.59 

A non-Portuguese in the Bay Area wrote this shortly after World
War II. It reveals the acceptance of the Portuguese in the 
surrounding society: 

	The Portagees? Sure. Two of my mechanics are Portagee fellas. Over
	around the church, on Park Boulevard, is where you'll find them.
	They aren't as clannish as the Mexicans or the Italians either . . . 
	there isn't what you could call a Portuguese neighborhood . . .
	No, nobody would even think about it if a Portagee was to move in
	next to them. I wouldn't have thought about it myself, if you hadn't
	asked.60 

The Azorean is a composite of many nations as we have seen, and he 
is very tolerant of other peoples because of it. Politically the Azorean 
is connected to Portugal, but his interest and love is for America. 
There was in fact a recent movement wanting the United States to 
annex the Azores because Azoreans are American-oriented. As we've 
seen, every Azorean family, every Azorean village, has an American 
son or daughter.

One looks at the American society today and without question the
Azorean has assimilated. He or she has blended into the American 
society still though keeping something Azorean. However, 
acculturation isn't easy as can be seen in this true but rather 
humorist account told by an Azorean immigrant:

	One of our Cousins, who had lived here for some time, gave us a live turkey
	for our Thanksgiving dinner. My mother didn't know how to cook a turkey.
	As a matter of fact, she had never seen a turkey before. My father saved
	the day by going to town and buying a big pork roast . . . We kids made a pet
	out of that turkey. It would eat out of our hands and followed us all over
	the barnyard. It finally died of old age . . . "61  

Back to Table of Contents