1954, THE MICAELENSE YEAR
José-Louis Jacome, July 13, 2020
Dreams and Tears
Before the 1950s, all attempts to allow the Portuguese to immigrate to Canada had failed. The oldest and documented, a Fabre Line initiative, dates from 1923. (1) In the 1950s, when Canada opened its doors to Portuguese immigration, the latter jumped at the chance. The economic situation was difficult on the continent but even more precarious in the Azores. Life in the archipelago was basically a daily battle for survival. The situation was not new. For decades, Azoreans have fled their islands for a better life. Among other places, they went to Brazil, to Bermuda and to the United States including Hawaii, another group of islands 11,700 km away, wherever they could go. Many families had seen some of their loved ones go and, in many cases, lost contact with their loved ones. Communications were difficult in those days, very far from what they are today. A letter sent from Canada could take a month before being delivered to mainland Portugal or to the Azorean archipelago.
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In our family, Manuel and Maria dos Anjos, a brother and a sister of my grandfather José Jacome, went to the United States in 1911 and 1912 respectively. They settled in the Middletown area, Rhode Island. Another brother, Hermano, left for the island of Faial and then went to Brazil. Nobody heard from him afterwards. In 1917, on my mother’s side, Belmira and Marianna, two of her aunts, also immigrated to the United States. The two courageous teenagers left to work in the New Bedford cotton mills, very far away from their little house in Matriz. They wanted to help their father feed the family of 9 children. Around the table, he often said: «I don’t know how we will feed the family in some of you are not going to work abroad.»
At the Ponta Delgada pier, families and friends gathered to say goodbye for the last time to their loved ones leaving for Canada on March 22, 1954.
Photo: Muséu da Émigração Açoriana
In 1952, when the news came out that Canada was opening its doors to Portuguese immigration, my father told his father he wanted to leave. His father was very sad and upset. He did not want to lose one of his two youngsters. From a family of 9 children, he was the only one living in São Miguel. All his brothers and sisters had gone abroad or had died. My father still registered to emigrate and left in April 1954. His sister Deodata followed several years later!
The following article published in the daily Diário dos Açores, March 22 1954, expresses very well all the emotions and mixed feelings the people of São Miguel experienced at the eve of a new big wave of immigration starting on that day. Between March 22 and April 27, 1954, some 950 young and courageous men would leave their island for an unknown country, Canada. The majority of them are Micaelenses or natives of São Miguel. Hundreds of other Azoreans will emigrate in the following years.
- Free translation by author -
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Emigrants
Hundreds of good workers from São Miguel will leave their land today for promising Canada. They will join many others that far from their land and their Country will write exciting pages about the life of Portuguese immigrants.
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In all corners of the island, starting today, saudade mixed with hope will be part of our lives. We will be sorrow for those who leave hoping for a better life. We will also hope that a bright star shines on the lives of those who stay.
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The Micaelense has always been recognized as a hard worker and a responsive and abiding citizen. And, without a doubt, our emigrants will confirm this reputation this time again. Their future will depend a lot on what they will do. They will build it by winning the esteem and appreciation of the Country welcoming them.
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São Miguel is with you on this moment of emotion and high expectancies. As you leave us, we wish you the best of luck, knowing that, the thousands of families that filled the city this morning and moved to the Molhe Salazar pier after to say goodbye, will ultimately benefit from it.
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Today, around noon, the Ponta Delgada District Governor welcomed the Azorean emigrants and saluted them: «May the best of luck accompany you, humble workers, torn apart by this departure but filled with hope for a better life.»
Reference
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With Hardened Hands: A Pictorial History of Portuguese Immigration to Canada in the 1950s, Domingos Marques, Manuela Marujo, 1993.
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About the author
Born in São Miguel and living in Montreal since 1958, I published a book in 2018 about Azorean immigration to Canada in the 1950s. “De uma ilha para outra” was published in Portuguese and French. The book and an exhibition that accompanies it were presented in Montreal, São Miguel, Toronto and Boston. The book is sold in Montreal, Toronto and São Miguel, and through my Website. I continue to publish information and stories relating to the first big wave of Azorean and Portuguese immigration to Canada in the 1950s through my Website jljacome.com and my Facebook page D’une île à l’autre.
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