Many groups of immigrants from cultures around the globe have come to America at different times and in different numbers over the past two hundred years. From the Italians, Jews, Germans, and Irish to the Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese and Hispanics America has assimilated many cultures into its melting pot mixture of peoples. Despite their differences in language, customs, values, manner and dress, these immigrants have had on things in common. Most or all of them had sought refuge on America’s shores because of deteriorating social, economic, or political conditions in their native lands. Massive poverty, lack of employment, natural disasters, disease, corrupt governments, deposed governments, and, relatives who had immigrated before them and became successful in America represented push and pull factors for their immigration. Most of them also experienced similar conditions upon arrival in America: racism and hostility; lack of jobs with decent wages; language barriers; corrupt landlords, employers and politicians. This analysis will explore the Portuguese immigration to America during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Portuguese have a historical tradition of exploration and colonization, so it comes as little surprise that they also have a historical tradition of emigration. Yet, the Portuguese would not migrate in waves until the late 1800s and 1900s. For nearly half of the enormous numbers of Portuguese who emigrated from between 1860 and 1970, America would become their new home, “With the exception of Ireland, Portugal has registered the highest net population loss, more than 2 million people from 1864 to 1973…From the time of the first census to until the early 1970s, emigration to the Americas accounted for 46 percent of total emigration from Portugal…The figure was even higher before the 1960s” (Portugal: Chapter 4B 1).
Portuguese people who immigrated to America have origins that include mainland ...