Mineola Welcomes Portuguese Ambassador for National Day

“When was the last time we had the Portuguese ambassador to the United States in Mineola?” New York Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola, asked Monday night at the Nassau Legislative building in front of a standing-room only crowd in the legislative chambers. “I can’t remember that; and it’s a testament to (Brito) that he’s here with us today, a person who remembers the Portuguese community and comes to us.”

Martins was referring to Portuguese Ambassador Dr. Nuno Brito, who had been invited by the Portuguese community in Mineola to speak at the second annual Portugal Day celebration, which commemorates the death of literary icon Luís de Camões, whose poem “The Lusiads” celebrated Portugal’s history and achievements.

Brito, who is serving as Portuguese ambassador to the United States for the third time, having spent 13 years in the position, said that he feels “a lot of respect for the Portuguese and the Portuguese Americans living in the country. The way they treat the Portuguese Ambassador shows me the respect that they have for my country, Portugal, and for you who represent our country on a daily basis in the United States.”

Brito had spent the entire day visiting various areas around the village, including a plaque unveiling at the Mineola Portuguese Center, receiving the key to the village and meeting with various officials.

“We are thousands of miles away from Portugal yet today we are celebrating that which brings us all together and that which is special in our own community,” Martins continued. “Portugal created through its effort, the first world village. Think about this - before the internet, before TV, before radio, before airplanes, each part of the world was limited to what was immediately around it and the first country in the world to bring everybody together was Portugal and we brought cultures from South America to Africa, from Africa to Asia, from Asia to the Americas and back again... and the world as a result of that effort became smaller.”

The Portuguese community in Nassau started grew several hundred in 1970’s to 7,500 large, 55 percent of which were born in the United States.

“Mineola is not what it is if it wasn’t for the Portuguese community,” Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss told the crowd, “so I want to thank each and every one of you. Keep your traditions strong, love your country, love this country as you have and continue all the great things you do to make Mineola and Nassau County the best it can be.”

Musical presentations and several rounds of dancing were also performed by the Mineola Flolclorico Dancers. Rebecca Bastos, a student at Mineola High School, also performed the Star Spangled Banner.

“Nassau County as we all know is the heart of the Portuguese community in New York, so I’m sure you’re made to feel very much at home here,” Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos said to Brito. “We also anchor the two sides of the Atlantic, Portugal and the United States, but aside from the opposites we have a lot of things in common; we share many common values that we all hold very dear. Portuguese-Americans have proven that they are family-oriented, ambitious and dedicated to improving Nassau County for all its residents.”

The ceremony’s honorees included Mineola Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira who was selected as Portuguese Man of the Year. Gabriel Marques was selected as Young Man of the Year. Rose Leal was named as Women of the Year and Jaime Silva and Stefanie Riberio shared honors as Young Women of the Year. The lifetime achievement award winners were Joao & Maria Caetano, Rev. Tomaz Gomide of Corpus Christi Church in Mineola, Jack Maia, Antonio Martins and Oracio Vaz.

“As a Portuguese we are never alone, we are used to being together,” Brito said to those in attendance. “If you don’t know where you came from, you will not know where you are going in the future or the real you. You’d be surprised by the number of Portuguese Americans that I have been meeting and who were not connected one way or another with their traditions. The difference is that we Portuguese have learned all along our history that there are no small or big countries, what we have is small and big ambitions and we Portuguese and I believe that the Portuguese Americans by definition, we have big ambitions, always and we should because I believe that we have the ability to do more, to go the extra mile.”

Get Mineola news on Facebook