My
goodbye to the “Portuguese Page”
By
Manuel Luciano da Silva, Medical Doctor
Everything that has a beginning has an ending. This is an unshaken law of Nature!
I
was present, thirty-one years ago, when the Portuguese Page or “Comunidade Lusíada”
was born. I was even the one who suggested its name!
I am very sad to see it dying!
But I feel also an enormous satisfaction to know that it accomplished its
mission. It is a landmarker that will continue in the History of American
Journalism and also a lasting monument
in the Portuguese American History.
My first laudation goes to Mr. Roswell Bosworth Jr., Publisher and owner of the four newspapers “Bristol Phoenix”, “Barrington Times”, “Sakonnet Times” and “Warren Gazette”, who had the courage and the vision to realize this unique experiment of publishing in America, free of charge, weekly, one page totally in Portuguese! I want to include in this praise also the present Publisher, Mr. Matthew Hayes.
My second praise goes, from the bottom of my heart, to Mr. Louis Dias Martins, who was the Editor of the “Comunidade Lusíada” for 31 years. He did it with unequal dedication and enthusiasm. He gave also free of charge his time and his talent, be it in prose or verse. He never allowed polemics or controversies among his readers. “The Portuguese Page”, as it was usually called, only served to inform and clarify matters concerning the Portuguese immigrants. But it was many times the leader to call the attention of the Portuguese people to organize and protest legally when its ethnic group was offended or exploited.
It
served as a stimulus for our Editor Martins to write many poems, romantic,
historical and humoristic, and also many articles in prose, which afterwards
were compiled in two books which obtained excellent reviews.
My third praise goes to Mr. Henrique Medeiros who during many years, secretively, was the one who composed, free of charge, with his computer all the material given to him by Mr. Martins which was then transferred to the “Bristol Phoenix” headquarters.
“The Comunidade Lusíada” is going to be missed by many people and institutions like the Portuguese-Americans clubs and the churches. I myself going to miss it too! It was on the pages of the “Portuguese Page” many of my original historical and medical articles saw, for the first time, the light of the day!
“The Comunidade Lusíada” is already history. But it is a positive and enthusiastic history. It had a happy life, because it was born and fed with much love and a strong willingness to serve the general public of the Portuguese language. “The Portuguese Page” was during 31 years the strong heart beat of the “Portuguese Renascence”, during a generation and one half for those that have lived in the East Bay of Rhode Island.
For me the value of the “Comunidade Lusíada” cannot be translated only in words. Fortunately I have already on the shelves of my Library-Museum in the village where I was born, in Cavião, Vale de Cambra, Portugal, a collection of all the pages of the “Portuguese Page” bonded in five large volumes. Many of the future generations will learn how the Portuguese immigrants lived and worked in this region during our time!
Mr. Louis Dias Martins, who is going to be 87 years old on February 7, 2003, should feel very proud and satisfied because he completed his mission with distinction as an exemplary immigrant, as a newspaper man, a poet, and a writer in this United States of America that he so many times glorified with so much love on the pages of “Comunidade Lusíada”. He deserves a big hug with my sincere wishes for him to continue in his retirement with much health and happiness. My gratitude and admiration goes to him! God bless him for a job well done!