Capelinhos Description

CAPELINHOS: A VOLCANO OF SYNERGIES

Azorean Emigration to America



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In an effort to preserve the Azorean immigration history, Portuguese Heritage Publications-after publishing works about the role and importance of the Azorean immigrants in shore whaling, agriculture, and the Holy Ghost Festas-will record the impact of the last wave of immigration from the Azores, the “Capelinhos emigration.”

The history of the Azores has been tightly connected and affected by volcanoes, and emigration was often the solution for its socio-economic problems. The eruption of the Capelinhos volcano set in motion the largest and most recent wave of Portuguese emigration to the United States.

In a very short period of time-from the late '50s to the early '80s-not only Faial lost a large portion of its population, but the population of the Azores was reduced by more than 160,000 people. Approximately 90,000 immigrated to America. Little of what has been written about Capelinhos focuses on the human aspects of the phenomenon. What happened to those who stayed behind and the ones who left?

Portuguese Heritage Publication in cooperation with the Capelinhos 50/California Committee is preparing [has prepared] a book commemorating the 50th anniversary of Capelinhos as a special way to remember the events and the stories of those who suffered with and/or benefited from the opportunities generated by the tragic event.

What happened in the Azores in the last 50 years, since Capelinhos? How did the Azorean immigrants adjust to the New World? What impact did they have in the communities where they settled? What synergies emerged from such human drama? What is the future of our communities?

In addition to the contribution of approximately 50 renowned scholars and researchers from the Azores, East Coast and California, who will attempt to answer those questions, this over 400-page book will feature many family and personal stories. It is the first time this phenomenon will be looked at cooperatively from the perspective of these three Azorean communities, the residents of the Azores and the two largest concentrations of Azoreans in America, the East Coast and California.

This publication will be a hardcover, just like the previous ones, 9”x12” format, full color, luxury limited edition, including hundreds of photos, graphics, illustrations and tables. It will feature an unpublished collection of photos of Capelinhos by our community's well-known photographer Manuel Cristiano Silva. It will also include a DVD with the only existing color video of the Capelinhos eruptions, produced in 1957-58 by Mr. António da Rosa Furtado.

In order to carry out this major project, Portuguese Heritage Publications counts on your support to help us preserve a major slice of our community life and history. As a sponsor, you will be recognized in the book and in our web page: www.PortugueseBooks.Org, in addition to receiving half of your sponsorship amount in complimentary copies of the book. Sponsorships start at $250.00 and up.

We also encourage anyone who wants to submit personal or family stories and photos related to the Capelinhos events and to their arrival in the United States to contact Tony Goulart at (408) 272-1222.

All materials to be published have to be submitted before August 30, 2007, so that we can have the book available by mid Spring.