Luso-American

The presence of ethnic Portuguese in North America could be even pre-columbian, although there is lack of solid of historical evidence. Navigators like Corte-Real family have visited the North American shores. Also there is a monumental landmark, the Dighton Rock in Massachusetts that testifies their presence in the area.

In September 1654, shortly before the Jewish New Year, twenty-three Jews from Recife, Brazil, arrived in New York, which at the time was under Dutch rule and known as Niu Amsterdam. It was the begining of Jewish-American history. Sephardi Portuguese Jews were also the early settlers of Newport, RI, Charleston, NC, Phialdelphia, Baltimore. The oldest fuctioning synagogue in America is the Portuguese Touro Synagogue in Newport Rhode Island.

There are a mixed people in the South, the Melungeons, who claims to be "Portuguee" and their surnames and some DNA seem to confirm their Lusitan ancestry.

In the late XIX many Portuguese, mainly Azorean and Madeiran immigrated to US, establishing in cities like New Bedford, Fall River, Newark, Jacksonville, Illinois

Also many others of Portuguese culture came to the United States: Mainland Portugueses (monstly from Minho and Porto concentrated around the Tri-state area. Indian-Portugueses (from Goa), Brazilians, Cape Verdean, Galicians (concentrated in Puerto Rico, Florida and New Jersey), re-immigrants from South Africa, North Europe, Caribbean, Venezuela, and Creole-speaking from Senegal, Upper Guinea, Dutch Antilles, etc.

Although Luso-American can be found in all states, there are a sizeable Luso-American community in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Florida. At the total number this community may outnumber 3,5 millions Luso-Americans.

Through times, many Portuguese had their names changed, Luis to Lewis, Pavao to Peacock, Rodrigues to Rogers, Ferreira to Ferry, Pereira to Perry, Oliveira to Oliver.

Famous Luso-Americans
* John dos Passos, writer
* Benjamin Cardozo , Sephardi Supreme Court Justice.
* Sam Mendes , Movie director
* Frankie Muniz , teen actor
* John Philip Sousa - composer of many marching band songs.
* Dinesh D'Souza - Indian-Portuguese conservative author.
* Teresa Heinz Kerry - Philantropist,Industrial and wife of John Kerry.
* Emma Lazarus, a shepardi New Yorker poet
* Meredith Vieira - TV host
* Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo- first European to arrive in California.
* Tom Hanks - Actor/director/producer. (Grandparents on mother's side)
* Emeril Lagasse - chef and host of LIVE! Cooking with Emeril
* Vanessa Marcil - Actress,
* Danielle Steele - Writer (Mother)
* Brooke Burke - Model/TV Show host: "Wild On..." (Mother's side)
* Carmen Miranda, actress
* Peter Francisco, patriot
* Bishop Charles Daddy Grace, religous leader
* Neil Sedaka, Sephardi singer
* Judah P. Benjamin, politician and lawyer
* Mordecai Manuel Noah
* Tamara Mello actress
* Mary Astor actress
* Piper Perabo actress
* Adriana Lima - Brazilian-American Supermodel
* Gisele Bündchen - Brazilian-American Supermodel
* Bidu Sayão opera singer
* John Wilkes Booth, Actor and Abraham Lincoln's murder. Sephardi of Portuguese roots

See Also Portuguese in the United States