Home is the Journey: Tales from Portugal's Diasporas

HITJ's conversation with celebrated authors Katherine Vaz and Pedro Almeida Maia offers insight into the characters, stories, motivations, and narrative themes of these two prize winning writers of diaspora communities. Katherine Vaz has been the preeminent English language novelist about Portuguese and Azorean communities in the US since her first novel Saudade was published in 1994. Her subsequent writing, including the novels Mariana (selected by the Library of Congress as one of the 30 best books of 1998) and Above the Salt (a People Magazine book of the week) and short story collections Fado and other Stories (Drue Heinz Literary prize) and Our Lady of the Artichokes (Prairie Schooner Award) have cemented her place in the pantheon of American novelists exploring the depths of the immigrant communities in the US. Prolific author Pedro Almeida Maia, from São Miguel, Açores, has long has been celebrated as an original and vibrant voice in the islands, however, has recently earned national acclaim as the writer of prize winning works including Escrava Açoreana (2022), Ilha-America (2020), and his recently published Condenação (2025). In the episode, Vaz and Almeida Maia talk about the motivations and desires of their characters, interrogate the meaning of family in their fiction, and discuss the meaning of diasporic writing. They tell some behind the scenes stories about their writing, including the real life figures that serve as inspiration for some of their narratives. In a revelatory segment, Vaz also talks about her children's book writing, something she rarely speaks about.In their opening segment, Gil and Miguel talk about a recent health fad that has made the humble sardine, once a cheap staple of the Portuguese diet, into a global luxury item, thinking about the commoditization of Portuguese culture for touristic consumption has damaged local communities.

Dennis Redmont, the head of the Associated Press Lisbon news operation in the 1960s, and Vasco Abecassis, co-founder with his then wife Snu Abecassis of Publicações Dom Quixote, share their stories about the foreign press' coverage of the Colonial Wars / Wars of Independence in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique (including Vasco's stint as Guinea-Bissau Governor General Arnaldo Schulz' foreign press liaison), and the political realities in Portugal (including Dennis' visiting with lawyer Mário Soares the site where Gen. Humberto Delgado was murdered); the Estado Novo's use of New York-based public relations firms to push extensive propaganda in the American press during President John F. Kennedy's administration; how their publications challenged the Salazar regime's domestic and international narrative, reporting repressed information despite the dictatorship's extensive censorship; PIDE's (secret political police) harassment of Dennis (declared persona non grata by the Ministry of Defense) and Snu; lively parties with Amalia Rodrigues and Natália Correia, and the politically eclectic patrons of the Botequim; Vasco's memories and speculations about the tragic death of his ex-wife Snu, her then partner the Portuguese Prime Minister Francisco Sá Carneiro, and the Minister of National Defense Adelino Amaro da Costa on a plane crash in Camarate on December 4, 1980. Dennis and Vasco also reflect critically on the current crisis of legacy media in the age of algorithm-driven social media, "tech bros," and the loss of press freedom.In their opening segment Miguel and Gil talk about Irish bar culture in Portugal, immigrant associations, and the 30th anniversary of the great Lisbon institution O'Gilins Pub in Cais do Sodré.The episode was made with the support of  the “Export Portugal. Cultural Diplomacy and the Rebranding Strategies of the Estado Novo in the United States (1933-1974)” a National Science Foundation of Portugal project (FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia-2022.08653.PTDC, PI Annarita Gori)

HITJ highlights the extraordinary Portuguese international study program the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) powered by the Luso-American Foundation (FLAD), with Executive Board Member Michael Baum and Education Director Ricardo Pereira. SiPN's founders talk about the many study opportunities in Portugal through this unparalleled study abroad program, the growth of international studies in Portugal; and FLAD's bi-national, cultural, educational, scientific, and diplomatic mission.In their opening segment, Miguel and Gil talk about the SCU Toreense's recent unprecedented victory in the Taça de Portugal national soccer competition – the first time in the tournament's 100+ year history that a club outside of the First Division won the commpetition. They discuss the financial challenges facing lower division clubs in Portugal, and Gil's "glory days" as a young soccer player with C.F. Santa Iria de Azoia.Recorded at FLAD in Lapa, Lisbon.

HITJ has an in depth conversation with accomplished social justice and labor organizers, activists, communicators, and educators Camilo Viveiros Jr. , from the University of Massachusetts Labor Education Center, and Humberto Da Silva, a union organizer, civilian journalist, commentator and author based in Toronto. We speak about the difference between labor organization theory and practice, their experiences organizing immigrant workers, and how their upbringing in working class Portuguese immigrant communities shaped their outlook and approach.In their opening segment, Miguel and Gil talk about their own first protests; protest culture in Portugal vs North America; the importance of joy and festa in Portuguese social activism.Miguel and Camilo recorded at the WJFD Radio station, the oldest Portuguese radio station in New England and an important community institution. Gil and Humberto recorded from Toronto.

HITJ talks about ICE raids, kidnappings, detentions, and deportations in Portuguese immigrant communities in New Bedford and other parts of Massachusetts with Immigrants' Assistance Center President Helena daSilva Hughes and Immigration lawyer Jennifer Velarde. Helena and Jennifer update us on what is happening to Portuguese and other immigrants at the hands of ICE; how green card holders are being arrested and deported; attitudes in the Portuguese immigrant communities about what is happening; and give practical advice on immigrants' legal and civic rights and how to protect themselves, their families, and loved ones if ICE tries to arrest them. They also provide a brief history about the importance of the Immigrants' Assistance Center in New Bedford and what the organization is doing to protect immigrants today.Helena daSilva Hughes has been a key immigrants' advocate helping Portuguese and other immigrant communities for 40 years. She is also the host of a weekly talk show on the Portuguese Channel "Vida Luso Americana". Jennifer Velarde immigrants law practice is in New Bedford.In their opening segment Miguel and Gil chat about Portugal's American football league, soccer in immigrant communities, and how bad skating rink ice is in Portugal.

HITJ journeys to Portugal's Carnation Revolution of April 25th, 1974, in conversation with the "Captain of April" Col. José Fernando Santos Coelho. One of the leaders of the revolution, Col. Coelho played a major role in planning and executing the occupation and command of the radio stations from which the revolutionaries communicated the operationalization of the military coup to overthrow the Estado Novo fascist dictatorship. Historian Annarita Gori joins Gilberto and Miguel for the opening segment.Col. Santos Coelho developed the plan to broadcast songs whose verses were choreographed to signal troop operations across the country and initiate the revolution. The Colonel talks about how he became politically radicalized, the early stages of planning for the revolution, and his role taking over the radio stations. He also reveals that José "Zeca " Afonso's "Grândola Vila Morena," the song that became synonymous with the Carnation Revolution and remains the central protest song in Portugal, was not the initial choice but rather another Afonso song that had to be changed at the last minute for reasons explained in the interview. The conversations ends with the April Captain's reflection on the meaning of liberty and his continued vigilance against current-day illiberal regimes and political leaders.In their opening segment Miguel and Gil invite historian Annarita Gori, to talk about their recent participation in the Association of Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies in Toronto and about the research project that Gori leads on which both Miguel and Gil participate. This episode was supported by her project, the Portuguese National Science Foundation funded ExPORT “Export Portugal. Cultural Diplomacy and the Rebranding Strategies of the Estado Novo in the United States (1933-1974)” (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia-2022.08653.PTDC, Annarita Gori, PI), ICS, Universidade de Lisboa. https://export.ics.ulisboa.pt/index.php/en/home-en/The English dub of Colonel Santos Coelho's interview was done by Jorge Anacleto. As mentioned in the episode, Anacleto recorded an album of original songs inspired by Fausto Bordalo Dias with the band Boemia (Géneses, 2023) and recorded in studio arrangements with the great singer songwriter José Mario Branco, one of the leaders of the Portuguese protest music movement (Musica de Intervenção) that challenged the dictatorship in the 1960s and 1970s. See Anacleto's recording with José Mario Branco at: https://youtu.be/VYiz2x79UQ4