XLIX Conference on Education and Culture of the Luso-American Education Foundation (LAEF)
Organized by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI), California State University, Fresno
October 2–4, 2025 | Online via Zoom & Facebook Live

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84041620446

Facebook Pages: Luso-American Education Foundation, Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute, and on 35 different Facebook Groups. The conference will be archived online at the Fresno State YouTube Channel.

Title: Global Village: Portugal’s Diaspora as a Fountain of Culture, Memory, Connectivity, and Innovation
Título: Aldeia Global: A Diáspora Portuguesa como Fonte de Cultura, Memória, Conectividade e Inovação

A Global Gathering of Memory and Innovation

The Luso-American Education Foundation (LAEF), in collaboration with the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) at California State University, Fresno, announces its 49th Conference on Education and Culture, to be held on October 2–4, 2025, in a fully online format via Zoom and Facebook Live.

Under the theme Global Village: Portugal’s Diaspora as a Fountain of Culture, Memory, Connectivity, and Innovation, the conference will unite scholars, writers, cultural leaders, and community voices to reflect on how the Portuguese diaspora continues to be both a guardian of tradition and a catalyst for innovation.

Over three days of panels, conversations, and cultural segments, participants will explore the enduring ties between Portugal and its diaspora communities worldwide, highlighting cultural preservation, artistic expression, generational connections, and the promise of a shared future.

Conference Program

Thursday, October 2, 2025

  • 10 AM – Opening Ceremonies (bilingual)
  • Message from the Consul-General of Portugal in San Francisco, Filipe Ramalheira; Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities from California State University, Fresno, Honora Chapman, and the President of LAEF, Maria Roliz. Moment Dedicated to FLAD’s 40th Anniversary and Deceased poet Álamo Oliveira.
    Conferência Inaugural: Ecos através dos Oceanos: Memória Cultural na Diáspora
    • José Andrade-Director Regional das Comunidades, Açores
  • Noon – Do século XVI ao XXI: Luís de Camões vivo e popular
    • Maria do Céu Fraga Amaral-Universidade dos Açores
  • 2 PM – Poetry, Stories, Saudade: Artistic Expressions of Diasporic Identity
    • Carlo Matos, Illinois; Lara Gularte, California; Sam Pereira, California; Amy Sayre Baptista, Illinois; RoseAngelina Baptista, Florida; Brad Angeja, California; Irene Marques, Ontario, Canada; and José Luis da Silva, California.
  • 4 PM – Entre Fusos Horários e Tradições: Memória e Horizonte da Diáspora Portuguesa na América do Norte
    • Paulina Arruda, Massachusetts; Ilidia Pereira, Florida; Ricky Durães, New Jersey; Manuela Marujo, Ontario, Canadá; e Zeto Carvalho, California.
  • 6 PM – Sacred Flames, Shared Tables: Portuguese Festas as Bridges of Belonging
    • Tisha Cardoza, Selma, CA; Manuel Silva, Tipton, CA; Elaine Almeida, San Pablo, CA; Melissa Meneses, Turlock; Taylor Amarnte, Santa Clara, Gerard Batista, Chino.
  • 8 PM–Homengem a Álamo Oliveira (Gravação dos 75 anos pela Junta de Freguesia do Raminho)

Friday, October 3, 2025

  • 10 AM – Ogygia: Equinoxes of the Written Word
    (From the mid-Atlantic to North America — a literary bridge built by women)
    • Avelina da Silveira, poet/fiction writer, and co-coordinator of this project
  • Noon – Da Preservação à Inovação: A Cultura Açoriana como Ponte entre Comunidades nas Américas
    • Sérgio Luíz Ferreira, Paulo Ricardo Caminha e Ricardo Caminha, Santa Catarina, Brasil (Sessão Moderada por José Luís da Silva).
  • 2 PM – Bridges Across the Atlantic: Transnational Ties and Cross-Generational Dialogues
    (With the Conselheiros das Comunidades Portuguesas – USA/Canada)
    • Paulo A. Pereira from Toronto; Paulo A. Pereira, Mayor from Mineola, New York.Daniel Loureiro, Leslie Ribeiro Vicente, from Boston/Providence/New Bedford, and Manuel Bettencourt, from California.
  • 4 PM – Portuguese Women in the Diaspora Writing between the lines of saudade and identity
    • Deolinda Adão, El Cerrita, CA.
  • 6 PM – Digital Saudade: Technology and the Preservation of Identity and Cultures
    • Inês Eiras, Hayward; Michel Pereira, Tulare; Marissa Silva-Rocha, Hilmar.
  • 8 PM -Homengem a Álamo Oliveira-De mãos dadas com a escrita-VITEC-Azores TV

Saturday, October 4, 2025

  • 8 AM – Bridges of Belonging: How Dual Citizenship Strengthens Diaspora Influence Across the Atlantic
    • Jennifer Toy,  PortugalStyle.com
  • 10 AM – Women of the Portuguese Diaspora: Voices of Change and Continuity
    • Angela Costa Simões, Livermore, CA; Linette Darosa, San Diego, CA; Monique Kelley-Valance, Modesto, CA; Nadine Barroca, San Francisco, CA.
  • Noon – Language, Legacy, and the Next Generation
    • Renato Alvin, CSU, Stanislaus; Clemente Fagundes, Mission Oak High School, Tulare; Sandra Lee Carapinha, Learn European Portuguese Online.
  • 2 PM – A Caminho dos 50: On the Road to 50 (memories and perspectives)
    Celebrating the past and present of LAEF as it approaches its golden milestone.
    • Eduardo Eusébio, Manuel Bettencourt, Deolinda Adão, José Luís da Silva, Isabel Cabral.
  • 4 PM – Closing Ceremonies (bilingual)
    • Diniz Borges, Deolinda Adão, José Luís da Silva.
    • Homenagem a Álamo Oliveira – Arquipélago de Escritores.

Special Segments

  • Forty Years, Endless Horizons: FLAD Across the Atlantic
    This year’s conference will feature special sessions honoring the 40th anniversary of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), celebrating its indispensable role in fostering transatlantic education, culture, and community partnerships.
  • From the Island to the World: The Living Word of Álamo Oliveira (Da Ilha ao Mundo: A Palavra Viva de Álamo Oliveira)
    A celebration of the life and work of Azorean writer Álamo Oliveira, woven throughout the conference. Through readings this segment will honor his contributions to literature and cultural identity, keeping alive his legacy of reflection, saudade, and literary freedom.

Mission and Vision

Mission:
The conference celebrates and explores the rich cultural, historical, and social contributions of the Portuguese diaspora, fostering meaningful dialogue, research, and collaboration, and illuminating the enduring threads of connection within a global tapestry. It aims to honor shared heritage through interdisciplinary engagement, amplify diverse voices, and inspire a deeper understanding of the Portuguese diaspora’s role in shaping the world.

Vision:
The conference aspires to create a vibrant, inclusive platform that bridges communities, academics, and cultural practitioners, advancing a global appreciation of the Portuguese diaspora. By fostering unity and collaboration, it will strengthen connections across borders and generations, ensuring that the legacy of the diaspora is preserved, celebrated, and integrated into a shared vision for a multicultural and interconnected future.

Statement from LAEF President Maria Roliz:

The Luso-American Education Foundation was established in 1963 to advance the Portuguese language, culture, and heritage in the United States. It provides scholarships and educational grants in various categories and sponsors an annual cultural youth summer camp, amongst other activities, including our annual conference, which is of utmost importance.

The conference provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among educators, community leaders, and scholars interested in the Portuguese diaspora. This year, at our 49th Annual Conference, we aim to continue reaching out to the public worldwide, promoting our Portuguese culture and language, and strengthening connections within the Portuguese diaspora globally.

With over a dozen panels and roundtables with our key focus this year: “A Global Village: Portugal’s Diaspora as a Fountain of Culture, Memory, Connectivity, and Innovation”, it will definitely be a very interesting conference not to be missed.