The Portuguese in California (San Diego, Oakland: crime, house, buy)

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

In what parts of California did Portuguese immigrants settle?

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Large very active communities around the SF Bay Area. A friend of mine grew up involved. Lots of fiestas, I think she pronounced it fesh-das. When I lived in Santa Clara, there was a Portuguese Community Hall just a couple blocks down the road, and they would have parades most weekends where they walk to the church with girls dressed up like princesses, carrying statues of saints, etc., and marching bands. Then, they parade back to the hall after church.

This is their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sessantaclara/

My dad used to go buy linguica sausage from a sausage factory around San Leandro, which is where I grew up.

I don't know the history, but I'm sure someone can steer you to that info.

[RosieSD]

Many Portuguese immigrants settled in San Diego, and worked in the SD tuna industry. A lot of the immigrants settled in the Point Loma area, which is west of downtown, and many cultural events are still held there for the community.

http://upses.com/

Portuguese Historical Center – Founded 1977

In fact, you can minor in Portuguese at San Diego State.

However, many Portuguese immigrants also settled in the Central Valley, especially around Bakerfield. You may find this article, fromt he Portuguest-American Journal of interest: http://portuguese-american-journal.c...ley-community/

As NoMoreSnow notes, there is also a Portuguese community in the Bay area.

In fact, there's a sizable enough Portuguese population in California, that this month (June 2017) was officially declared Portuguese Heritage Month by the California State Legislature.

https://a32.asmdc.org/press-release/...heritage-month

[2sleepy]

When I was a kid I lived in Contra Costa County and there were a lot of Portuguese. Martinez started as a Portuguese fishing village, my grandparents lived in San Pablo on a small farm and there were a number of Portuguese families living in the same area. My grandfather was French Basque but spoke perfect Portuguese so the house was usually full of French and Portuguese men drinking wine and sharing stories of the old country. Tom Hanks who is half Portuguese was born in Contra Costa County.

And in case you don't believe me, in the 1910 Census of Contra Costa County the largest immigrant group was Italian followed by Portuguese

[Hemlock140]

My grandparents on both sides came from Portugal. On my father's side they settled in Oakland, my Mother's in Contra Costa. As a small kid I remember walking from my grandparents on 88th Ave in Oakland to the Portuguese store and radio station on E14th. Eventually the crime got too bad there and they moved to San Leandro. The Contra Costa family were in Martinez, Concord, Danville, and Lafayette, where we moved in the 60s. My Grandfather used to get linguica deliveries at the house from Gomes, 20 lbs. at a time. The younger generations are still mostly in Contra Costa, but with several of us here in WA including my Parents.

[majoun]

Besides the Bay Area and San Diego, there were also Portuguese communities in San Pedro and Venice in L.A. County. And in Stockton

[semispherical]

Newcastle area (Placer County): Newcastle Portuguese Hall

[kttam186290]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

In what parts of California did Portuguese immigrants settle?

The Santa Maria/Pismo Beach/San Luis Obispo area has many Portuguese families. You still see the Portuguese flag in front of many homes and on many cars and trucks in this region.

Many settled in Arcadia in Southern California, and also in San Diego, the Central Valley and the Bay Area (mostly East Bay).

[kttam186290]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

In fact, you can minor in Portuguese at San Diego State.

University of New Mexico in Albuquerque offers it as a major, too.

[eureka1]

There's a large Portuguese contingent in Humboldt County too, especially in Ferndale.