Azorean Immigration into the United States
by Robert L. Santos
California State University, Stanislaus
Librarian/Archivist
Early Period
Modern scholars have speculated, with supporting evidence, that
Europeans had discovered America before Columbus. The Norsemen
and the Portuguese are frequently cited as being those early
discoverers. The following are some of the claims and evidence. In a
1424 nautical map, found at the University of Minnesota, has the
Portuguese in the Antilles. In 1472 or 1473, Azorean chronicler,
Gaspar Frutuoso, has it recorded that Joao Vaz Corte-Real from
Terceira had landed in New England. A British historian has evidence
that a Portuguese explorer with the name of Dualmo had reached
America in 1489.1
Setting speculation aside, it is well-documented that the Portuguese
did explore the New England shores shortly after Columbus
discovered the Caribbean islands. In 1497, sailing for England, John
Cabot found the Grand Banks off Newfoundland. The banks lie in
shallow water which is primarily a breeding ground for codfish.2
History has it that before this voyage, "men of Brittany and the
Iberian Peninsula had been bringing home codfish which had been
split, salted, and stretched for curing on a stick" which was called
"bacalhau," a Portuguese word for codfish. When Cabot went to name
the banks, we are told that he used the local native's word for it
which was "baccalaos." "Bacalhua" and "baccalaos" are very similar
words. Does this mean that the Portuguese had had contacts with
the native peoples, and those people adopted the Portuguese word?
This could be. But, there were Portuguese in Cabot's crew who were
taken on board when he stopped at the Azores. Thus, there were
Portuguese speakers on ship who certainly could have suggested the
name "baccalaos."3 In fact, Cabot assigned the name "lavrador" to the
land mass he saw directly west which is a Portuguese word for
farmer.4 What ever is the case, Portuguese names were given to
geographical discoveries on this voyage, and there were Azorean
men in the crew.
Corte-Real
In 1500-1501, Gaspar Corte Real, Joao Core Real's son, sailed to
Greenland and Labrador, and then down the New England coast.
There were two ships in the voyage, one commanded by Gaspar and
another commanded by his brother Miguel. The ships got separated,
and Gaspar's ship was never seen again. In 1502, Miguel returned to
find his brother, but to confound history, he disappeared too. Years
later near Dighton, Massachusetts, an inscription was found on a
large rock near the shore. The date inscribed was1511 and read,
"Miguel Cortereal, by the will of God here chief of the Indians."
Drawn on the Dighton Rock is the Portuguese coat-of-arms and
Christian crosses.5 It was the practice of the Portuguese to plant a
stone pillar of several feet high at discovery sites claiming the land
for Portugal. It had the captain's name, date, and Portuguese coat-of-
arms.6 Was the Dighton Rock a replication of the Portuguese stone
markers? Obviously this whole mystery has stimulated much debate.
There is some more evidence of the Corte Reals' landfall. The
Wampanoag tribe in southern New England was identified by Roger
Williams in 1643 as having light-skinned members. They also used
Portuguese words such as "cabbo" for cape, "pico" for peak, and
"sementels" for grain. In Newport, Rhode Island there is an old stone
tower which was not made by native peoples and shows every
evidence of being Portuguese. This is near the Dighton Rock. Are
these proofs then that the Corte-Real brothers and their crews lived
in southern New England after wrecking their ships?7
The debate continues.
Living in New England
In 1500, a company was formed in Portugal to fish the Grand Banks.
In the royal account book for 1505, it is recorded that the King of
Portugal paid a group of sailors for their work in Newfoundland. A
year later, the sailors paid 10% tax on the profits they reaped.8 As
early as 1506, this company was sending codfish to Portugal from
the Grand Banks.9
In 1520, Joao Alvares Fagundes, a Portuguese, explored
Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.10 A year later, a
company of Portuguese settlers built 80 houses along the coast of
Cape Breton Island. They returned to Portugal in1526 abandoning
the project.11 Francesco de Souza wrote about this enterprise in 1570:
It will be 45 to 50 years since certain gentlemen of Vianna [Portugal]
associated themselves together and according to information which they
had of Terra Nova de Baccalaos, they determined to go to settle some part
of it, as in fact they did go in one vessel and one caravel. But finding the
country to which they were bound very cold, they sailed along the coast
from east to west. They then sailed from northeast to southwest, and there
settled . . . They were in the company of some families from the Azores,
whom they took on their way, as is well known.12
The Portuguese were involved at many levels within exploration
companies. They serve not only as leaders but also as a general
members. For example, eight Portuguese were with Hernando de Soto
in 1539 and five with Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1540.
Portuguese blood was spilled too in these, at often times, violent
expeditions.13
In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland for the English,
and while doing it, he found Portuguese fishermen there. They
outfitted Gilbert's ship with supplies as was recorded by him:
Put aboarde our provision, which was wines, bread or ruske, fish, wette
and dire, sweet oyles, besides many other, as marmalades, figs, lymmons
barrelled, and like . . . In brief, wee were supplied of our wants commodiously,
as if we had been in a countrey or some citie populous and plenty of things.14
Without question mainland Portuguese and Azoreans had been active
along the Canadian and New England coast for many years in the
early exploration and settlement period. They had been explorers,
fishermen, and settlers and were some of the first Europeans
to live and work in upper North America.
Portuguese Jews
Many Shephardic Jews from Portugal fled persecution and came to
the colonies. Mathias de Sousa was one such Jew who arrived in
Maryland in 1634 being the first documented Portuguese to live in
the colonies.15 In 1654, 23 Shephardic Jews arrived in New
Amsterdam fleeing persecution in Brazil. These Jews and other
Jews in the area formed what became known as the "Portuguese
Nation."16
In 1733, forty Portuguese and Spanish Jews left England and settled
in Georgia. They lived in Savannah and also Charleston, and were
split on the slavery issue.17 In 1752 Aaron Lopez, who was
born in Lisbon and baptized Catholic, was really was a Jew which he
proclaimed once he got to Newport, Rhode Island. He helped build
the first Jewish synagogue in America at Newport. Lopez founded the
sperm whale oil industry in America and had 30 ships in his fleet. He
got his crews from the Azores and operated out of New Bedford,
Massachusetts. These whalers were the first documented Azorean
settlers in the United States. They came from Sao Jorge, Faial, Pico,
and Flores.18
In 1790, about 3,000 Jews lived in the newly formed United States.
with many being Portuguese. They could be found living in Boston,
Philadelphia, and Richmond.19
Serving the New Nation
John Paul Jones had twenty-eight Portuguese aboard his ship the
Bonhomme Richard, and in the battle with the British ship Serapis,
eleven were killed. Peter Francisco, a Portuguese, served in the
Continental Army. There is a monument in Greensboro, North
Carolina commemorating his effort. Part of its inscription reads:
"strongest man in the Revolutionary armies." He was an orphan who
lived in Patrick Henry's uncle's home. He was shopkeeper,
blacksmith, planter, and eventually a wealthy country squire.20
Francisco also became a friend of Layfayette and accompanied him in
his 1824 visit touring the United States.21
Some Portuguese settled in Louisiana about 1800 and fought with
French Pirate Jean Lafitte who attacked British shipping. During the
Battle of New Orleans at the end of the War of 1812, there were
Portuguese with Andrew Jackson. Also Portuguese sailors were with
Oliver Hazard Perry on Lake Erie and the sea battles which were
fought there.22
Much later in United States history, John Phillips, born on the
Azorean island of Pico, became an American hero in 1866 by riding
236 miles in a blizzard through Indian country to save army troops.
Fort Kearney, Wyoming had been besieged by Indians, and Phillips
rode to Fort Laramie for help. He received a U.S. Congressional award
with this accolade: "In all the annals of heroism in the face of unusual
dangers and difficulties on the American frontier, or in the world,
there are few that can excell in gallantry, in heroism, in devotion, in
self-sacrifice and patriotism, the ride of John Phillips."23
Mass Immigration
Whaling ships brought the first Azoreans to the United States. They
first settled in the New Bedford area of Massachusetts and then in
the surrounding areas. These were young males who eventually
would send for their loved ones. When whaling was on the decline,
the Azoreans gravitated towards to textile mills found in and near
New Bedford and to the fishing banks nearby. Some went to
California on whaling ships and soon were in the gold fields there.
Table 4 below shows the cycles of Portuguese immigration to the
United States. There were essentially three waves: 1820 to 1870;
1870 to 1930; and 1960 to the present. These statistics give
"Portuguese" immigration with no distinction for Azoreans,
Madeirans, Cape Verdeans, and mainlanders who are all Portuguese.
Census data can be a troubling mire at times with little consistency.
Researchers glean out what they can and present it as well as they
can. In the case of the Azoreans, if an Azorean distinction was being
made at the time of census collection, many immigrants just
considered themselves "Portuguese" when the question was asked
about their country of origin. It is safe to assume, however, that at
least 80%, if not higher, were from the Azores which is confirmed by
county, state, and regional historical accounts.24
Table 4
Portuguese Immigration to the U.S.
1820 to 1977
Decade Number of Decade Number of
Immigrants Immigrants
_____________________________________________________________
1820-1830 35 1901-1910 69,149
1831-1840 829 1911-1920 89,732
1841-1850 550 1921-1930 29,994
1851-1860 1,055 1931-1940 3,329
1861-1870 2,658 1941-1950 7,423
1871-1880 14,082 1951-1960 19,588
1881-1890 16,978 1961-1970 76,065
1891-1900 27,508 1971-1977 75,717
Total 436,837
_____________________________________________________________
Source: Francis M. Rogers, "Portuguese" & Lionel Holmes and Joseph
D'Alessandro, Portuguese in the Sacramento Area.25
Reasons to Become an American Immigrant
In the 1870's, direct shipping began between Boston and Horta, Faial
which was an impetus for increased immigration to the United States.
In 1890's, the U.S. Consul moved from Horta to Ponta Delgada which
is on the most populated island in the archipelago, Sao Miguel. This
brought direct shipping to Sao Miguel and further increased
immigration to the United States. In 1910, the Portuguese monarchy
fell, and an anticlerical government was instituted which caused
conservative Catholics to leave Portuguese possessions and relocate.
Many came to the Azores and to United States. More Azorean
immigration came from young men fleeing mandatory military
service during World War I.26 Jobs were available in New England
because of massive industrialization. This attracted Azoreans because
of their lack of employment.27
Cape Verdeans, Madeirans, Azoreans, and mainland Portuguese were
all considered Portuguese, and they all immigated to New England.
The Cape Verdeans were primarily African Negroes and worked in
the cranberry bogs and on whaling ships. Madeirans were from the
mainland, and the Azoreans were a mixture of people of primary
Portuguese and Flemish heritage. Thus, there was a wide variation in
physiology and skin coloring. Obviously problems occurred because
of racial prejudice, black stigma, and misidentity.28
Heavy immigration of southern Europeans to the United States in the
latter part of the 19th century and first part of the 20th century was
of great concern to Americans of northern European heritage who
made up the bulk of the United States population. The culture and
religion of these new immigrants were different, and they appeared
to be a blight on the eastern cities. World War I was just as
disturbing to most Americans. It was seen as a "foreign war" which
needed very little American involvement. As a result of this
xenophobia, restrictive immigration laws were passed to reduce the
"foreign element" in American society.29
Literacy was a requirement in a 1917 law which severely hampered
Portuguese immigration because Portuguese illiteracy was at 80%.
Next came the the quota law of 1921 which fixed the number of
immigrants from any given country at 3% of the 1910 U.S. census.
This meant if a country had 1,000 emigrants in the U.S. in 1910, only
30 (or 3%) could immigrate per year under this new law. In 1924,
another quota law was passed, allowing 2% of the 1890 U.S. census
which was purposely written to allow more northern Europeans to
immigrate.30 The 1924 law was revised in 1929.31
Under the quota law of 1921, only 2,520 Portuguese were allowed to
immigrate to the United States; in 1924, this was revised to 503; and
revised again in 1929 to 440.32 Statistics in Table 4 reflect these
changes. It should be noted that in 1921, 19,195 Portuguese
immigrated to the U.S., then each year after that, immigration
dropped off dramatically as the new laws took affect.33
During the Great Depression and World War II, Portuguese
immigration to the U.S. was static because of worldwide economic
difficulties and wartime dangers. Some Portuguese were able to
escape hostile regimes and were allowed immigration to the United
States.34
Then in 1957, disaster struck the Azores, when a volcano erupted
offshore near the island of Faial. Two Azorean Refugee Acts were
passed in 1958 and 1960 to admit Azoreans needing refuge.35
Disaster struck again in 1960 and 1964, when an earthquakes shook
Sao Jorge. More legislation was passed to admit further Azorean
refugees. From 1961 to 1977, about 150,000 Azoreans immigrated to
the United States.36 In 1965, immigration quotas were
dropped, and a new law instituted allowing 20,000 immigrants for
each country.37
Table 5 shows the location of Portuguese in the United States from
1870 to 1978. These statistics represent Portuguese of first and
second generation only. And again, Azoreans are generally 80% of the
figures. California and Massachusetts have always had the largest
concentration of Portuguese. Migration to other eastern states has
taken place in recent years which the figures bear out.
Table 5
Portuguese Population in the United States
1870 to 1978
State 1870 1900 1930 1960 1978
_____________________________________________________________
California 3,435 15,583 99,194 97,489 21,261
Connecticut 221 655 4,701 9,930 8,737
Hawaii - 7,668 19,121 9,325 117
Massachusetts 2,555 17,885 105,076 95,328 46,792
New Jersey - 62 5,099 8,933 16,487
New York 334 823 7,758 11,497 7,455
Rhode Island 189 2,865 29,097 29,155 16,351
All Others 1,015 2,558 8,680 15,745 5,247
Total 7,649 48,099 278,726 277,402 122,330
_____________________________________________________________
Source: Jerry R. Williams, And Yet They Come.38
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