Journalist and historian Fernando dos Santos publishes new book

IRONBOUND NEWS

Portuguese journalist and historian Fernando dos Santos has just published a book in Portuguese about the trials and tribulations of establishing a June 10th Portugal Day throughout the Portuguese-American communities. Portugal Day, a national holiday in Portugal, celebrates Portuguese poet Luís de Camões and the Portuguese communities around the world.

The author’s edition, with around 400 pages, is an exhaustive incursion behind the scenes of the various movements that gave rise to the different commemorations of Portugal Day. Subdivided into 17 chapters and 2 appendices, the book begins by exploring the beginnings of the June 10 commemorations in Portugal, going back to 1880.

Fernando dos Santos, a New Jersey resident, considered the dean of Portuguese journalists in the USA, was editor-in-chief of the Luso-Americano newspaper for many years and also former editor of the Portuguese Post, he places the first celebration of national patriotism in Uncle Sam’s lands in 1952, going, page by page, in remarkable detail, touring the various communities until 2021. In the introduction to the work, the author writes: “June 10th…all because of a certain trip to India narrated by a certain poet named Luís Vaz de Camões who died on June 10, 1580.”