Portuguese Californians Presentation Tulare

You are cordially invited
to attend
the formal presentation and book signing of

The Portuguese Californians

Immigrants in Agriculture

on Friday, March 26, 2004
6:008:30 pm
at the Tulare Historical Museum Heritage Room
444 West Tulare Avenue, Tulare, CA

Honor Guests:

Dr. Alzira M. Silva, Director of Comunidades, Government of the Azores
Hon. Rep. Devin Nunes, U.S. Congressman
Hon. David Macedo, Mayor of Tulare
Hon. Jim Costa, Former California State Senator
Mr.& Mrs. Batista Vieira, Major Sponsors

Champagne Reception and “Porto de Honra” Free Admission

The Portuguese in California Agriculture

The Portuguese in California have distinguished themselves as farmers and farm laborers. They differ significantly from their counterparts elsewhere in the United States by choosing agriculture over any other occupation.Their economic and employment contribution to the prosperity of the dairy and farming industries is unquestionable.

The Portuguese own and operate almost 50% of all dairies in the State of CaliforniaÉ and more than 60% of all dairies in the San Joaquin Valley. Furthermore, just under 90% of all Portuguese-owned dairy farms in California are concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley. From the 980+ Portuguese-owned dairy farms comes about 1 out of every 11 glasses of milk produced in the United States annually. The dollar value of the proceeds accounted for by California’s Portuguese farmers and dairymen in all agricultural sectors throughout the State easily exceeds $10 billion. They helped make milk the #1 commodity in California agriculture.

The Portuguese Californians: Immigrants in Agriculture is the long overdue project that finally allows us to learn the extent, the evolution, and the significance of the involvement of the Portuguese in California agriculture over the past one hundred and fifty years. Agriculture has been the occupation of choice of most Portuguese Californians, who are nearly exclusively natives and the descendants of natives of the Azores Islands.

This book is a TRIBUTE to the Portuguese in agriculture and the result of eight years of scientific research work.