Every June, California pauses, if only briefly, to recognize a story that is older than the state itself.
It is the story of fishermen and whalers who crossed oceans before California joined the Union. It is the story of Azorean and Madeiran immigrants who arrived with little more than determination, faith, and a belief that hard work could create a future where none previously existed. It is the story of dairy farmers, laborers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, soldiers, civic leaders, and families who helped build California while quietly preserving a culture rooted in islands thousands of miles away.
This year, that story received renewed recognition through the adoption of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 185, which officially designates June 2026 as Portuguese Heritage Month in California while recognizing June 10 as the Day of Portugal and May 25 as the Day of the Azores. The resolution, introduced by Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo and co-authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, stands as one of the most comprehensive acknowledgements ever made by the California Legislature of the Portuguese-American contribution to the Golden State.
The resolution reminds Californians that Portuguese presence predates California statehood itself. It acknowledges the waves of immigrants from the Azores who arrived throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and who helped establish agricultural enterprises, dairy operations, fishing industries, businesses, cultural organizations, schools, and institutions that continue to shape the state today.
Most importantly, however, the resolution does something that communities often struggle to do for themselves: it tells their story publicly.
That matters. Communities survive not only through memory but through recognition. They survive when their histories become part of the larger public narrative. They survive when children see their families reflected in the institutions around them. They survive when legislators, educators, and civic leaders acknowledge that a state’s prosperity was built by many hands and many cultures.
Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo brought that reality to life in her remarks before the Assembly. Speaking as a fourth-generation Portuguese American and granddaughter of immigrants from Terceira, she reminded her colleagues that California is home to the largest Portuguese-American population in the United States. She traced the journey of Portuguese immigrants who arrived seeking opportunity during and after the Gold Rush, many of whom eventually settled in the Central Valley, where they helped build the dairy industry that became one of California’s agricultural pillars.
Her remarks carried both historical and personal meaning. When she spoke about the Holy Ghost Festas, she was not speaking as an observer. She was speaking from memory. She recalled childhood experiences of preparing for the festas, receiving new clothes or cowboy boots for the celebrations, and participating in traditions that connected generations. In doing so, she captured something larger than statistics or economic contributions. She reminded the Assembly that culture survives through lived experience.
The Holy Ghost celebrations remain among the most visible expressions of Portuguese heritage in California. For well over a century they have brought together faith, charity, family, and community service. In an era when many ethnic traditions struggle to survive, the festas continue to gather thousands of participants across the state.
Assemblymember Macedo also highlighted a reality that deserves greater recognition. Portuguese-American dairy families helped transform California agriculture. By 1960, Portuguese-American farmers were responsible for an estimated ninety percent of California’s milk production. Even today, Portuguese-Americans continue to represent a significant proportion of dairy producers in counties such as Tulare, Kings, and Merced.
Those achievements did not occur by accident. They were built through sacrifice, family labor, reinvestment, and an unwavering belief in the future.
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry added another essential dimension to the conversation. As the daughter of a Portuguese-American family and one of the most prominent Portuguese-American elected officials in California, she described the Portuguese experience as a story of hard work, faith, family, and community. Her remarks expanded the narrative beyond agriculture.
She reminded legislators that Portuguese contributions stretch from the whaling boats of Monterey to the tuna canneries of San Diego, from education to public service, from military service to business leadership. She emphasized that the Portuguese story is not confined to a single industry or region but is woven throughout the fabric of California itself. Particularly significant was her recognition of the partnerships that help preserve language and culture for future generations. She specifically acknowledged the work of the California Portuguese-American Coalition (CPAC) and the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute at California State University, Fresno, for their efforts to strengthen cultural connections and educational opportunities.
Those acknowledgments matter because preservation does not happen automatically. Language survives because teachers teach it. History survives because institutions document it. Culture survives because organizations create opportunities for participation. Identity survives because communities choose to invest in it.
The support for ACR 185 extended beyond the Portuguese-American community itself.
In a meaningful gesture of solidarity, Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez rose on behalf of the California Legislative Hispanic Caucus—the largest caucus in the Assembly—to offer support for the resolution. That endorsement reflected something important about California’s multicultural reality. The Portuguese-American story is not separate from the broader immigrant story of California. It is one chapter in a larger narrative of communities who arrived seeking opportunity and helped build the state.
Meanwhile, in the California Senate, Senator Henry Stern once again demonstrated why he has become one of the community’s strongest allies.
Drawing upon his own Portuguese heritage through his mother’s family and his great-grandfather’s immigration from the Azores to Hayward during the nineteenth century, Stern has consistently championed Portuguese Heritage Month and the recognition of Portuguese contributions to California.
Yet Stern’s message often goes beyond celebration. He frequently reminds the community that heritage alone is not enough. History alone is not enough. Pride alone is not enough. Political representation must be cultivated. Leadership must be developed. New generations must be encouraged to participate in public service.
His message is both encouraging and challenging. The Portuguese community has a proud past, but it must also have a visible future. That future depends on ensuring that Portuguese-American voices continue to participate in decision-making processes at local, state, and national levels.
Unfortunately, State Senator Steve Padilla, another respected voice of Portuguese-American heritage in the Legislature, was unable to participate in this year’s celebration due to health concerns. Nevertheless, he conveyed his gratitude and appreciation for the countless contributions Portuguese-Americans have made to California’s development and cultural life. His message served as another reminder that Portuguese heritage remains represented and respected within California’s public institutions.
Yet perhaps the most important question arising from this year’s celebration is not what has been accomplished. It is what comes next. Recognition is important. Resolutions are important. Celebrations are important. But none of them guarantees the future. The future will depend upon whether today’s generation is willing to build upon the foundations laid by those who came before.
The statistics tell part of the story. California is home to more than 350,000 people of Portuguese ancestry. Approximately ninety percent trace their roots to the Azores. The state maintains a sister-state relationship with the Autonomous Region of the Azores. Some Portuguese organizations continue to thrive. Holy Ghost celebrations continue across California. Educational institutions continue to teach the Portuguese language and culture. Yet demographic realities are changing. Assimilation continues. Language use declines across generations. Community organizations face aging memberships. Many younger Portuguese-Americans feel culturally connected but institutionally disconnected. These challenges are not unique to Portuguese-Americans. They affect ethnic communities across the United States. But acknowledging the challenge is the first step toward addressing it.
The next chapter of the Portuguese-American experience must include renewed investments in leadership development, civic engagement, language education, cultural programming, historical preservation, and public representation. The work cannot be left to a handful of volunteers. It cannot be left to a few institutions. It cannot be left to nostalgia.
Nostalgia is powerful, but it does not build the future.
The generation that built dairies, fishing fleets, businesses, and community halls understood this truth. They did not inherit institutions; they created them. The challenge before us is no less demanding. We must create the institutions, opportunities, and pathways that will allow future generations to remain connected to their heritage while fully participating in contemporary California.
That is why the work of organizations such as CPAC, educational institutions, cultural organizations, media platforms, and community associations remains so important. The Portuguese-American story in California is one of extraordinary achievement. But it remains unfinished.
Every Holy Ghost Festa, every Portuguese-language class, every scholarship, every cultural event, every oral history project, every civic leadership initiative, and every effort to preserve memory represents another page in a story still being written.
The Legislature has done its part by recognizing the significance of that story. The responsibility now belongs to us. The generations that crossed oceans gave us a remarkable inheritance. The question before us is whether we will prove equally worthy of passing it forward.