And yet they come: Portuguese immigration from the Azores to the United States

This book is about the Portuguese who immigrated from the Azores Islands to the United States during the years 1800-1870, 1870-1920, and 1957-1982. The earliest Portuguese immigrants were employed in the whaling industry, and settled in New England and California. Another major concentration can be found in the Hawaiian Islands, where they were originally employed as contract agricultural workers. The first chapter of the book describes how whaling helped the Portuguese to reach America. Chapters 2 and 3 compare and contrast the immigrants' occupational experiences in the face of discrimination. Chapter 4 analyzes economic conditions that prompted the Portuguese to leave the Azores and come to America. The fifth chapter examines how these immigrants tried to become assimilated into American culture while retaining their own cultural values. Finally, the last three chapters of the book discuss contemporary economic and political life in the Azores Islands, and explain why Azorean Portuguese continue to immigrate to the United States in search of better economic opportunities.