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The Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States
Serving our Community for 26 Years!
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LUSUS Newsletter
The Online Newsletter of PALCUS
Special Edition - April 19, 2017
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PALCUS is excited to welcome two new Board Members to our team: Diniz Borges (CA) and Anabela da Cruz-Melo (NJ).
Anabela da Cruz-Melo has been serving the Portuguese-American Community through her
work as an attorney since 1992, specializing in a wide variety of fields including family law, real estate, immigration and criminal cases.
Born in Mealhada, Portugal, Da Cruz-Melo moved to Mozambique with her family at the age of 3. Moving back to Portugal when Da Cruz-Melo was 10 years old, her family settled in Leiria, before eventually moving to the United States in the late 1970's, to live in Newark, NJ.
While in Newark and attending East Side High School she served as both President of the school's Portuguese Club, "Os Académicos," while also taking on the role of Editor of the club's Portuguese language magazine.
A graduate of Boston College and Western New England University School of Law, Ms. da Cruz-Melo's extensive resume includes being a part-time Municipal Prosecutor for the City of Elizabeth, NJ as well as being an attorney member of the District XII Attorney Ethics Committee in Union County. Her law practice in Elizabeth, NJ, the Law Office of Anabela da Cruz-Melo, was founded in 1997. Da Cruz-Melo attends to the legal needs of the local Portuguese and Spanish-speaking community, with her fluency in both languages serving her well.
Da Cruz-Melo enjoys regularly traveling to Portugal and has been an active member of PALCUS since early 2017 and will represent New Jersey in her new role as Board Member.
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Diniz Borges has been a proud purveyor of the Portuguese language and culture over the course of his life.
Borges received his Bachelor's from Chapman University and a Master of Humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills. In addition, he has continued his language education studies with various courses from the California Foreign Language Project and other organizations.
Diniz Borges is an active member of the local Portuguese-American community in Tulare, CA, where he resides. Borges is a published author and regular contributor to The Portuguese Tribune of San Jose, California and Azorean newspapers, such as Açoriano Oriental. He serves as Moderator of the television program, "Os Portugueses no Vale" ("The Portuguese of the Valley") on KNXT (Channel 49) in Fresno, California. Borges plays an active role in Portuguese-American relations, serving as the Honorary Consul of Tulare since 2014 and Vice-President of the Tulare-Angra do Heroísmo Sister City Foundation. Lastly, he is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Azorean-American Studies in Tulare, CA. He also served as Counselor to the Government of Portugal on Issues of Emigration and Portuguese Communities of the United States (2003 - 2008). Diniz Borges was the Recipient of the 2016 Leadership in Education Award at our 25th Anniversary Gala.
Professionally, Borges is a member of many teachers associations and organizations. He is a current member of the California Teachers Association (CTA) as well as the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA). In 2017, Mr. Borges was selected as the recipient of the California Outstanding Teacher Award by the CLTA. This is the first time a Portuguese language teacher has received this recognition. He also served as President of the North American Portuguese Teachers Association (APPEUC - NAPTA), being elected for 3 consecutive terms, ending in April 2014.
Borges has been an active member of PALCUS since 2016 and will represent the state of California in his role as Board Member.
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About PALCUS
PALCUS is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. It was founded in 1991 by a group of successful, forward-thinking Portuguese-Americans with the purpose of providing a singular national voice that would advocate for the interests of Portuguese-Americans in the United States. At the center of their vision was to establish and maintain channels of communication between the government of the Republic of Portugal, via the Embassy of Portugal to Washington, D.C., and the U.S. congressional delegation representing Portuguese-American communities.
Now in its 26th year, PALCUS has been true to its founding principles and much more. Throughout its history, the organization has evolved and matured, guided by a dedicated all-volunteer board of directors representing Portuguese-American communities throughout the United States. PALCUS has worked consistently and tirelessly, weathering changes in political and economic climates, to create and expand its programs. Its activities and events are mission-driven to address the community's needs in the strategic areas of government affairs, international affairs, educational opportunities, Portuguese language and culture, community outreach and recognition of our community's success.
PALCUS is a member-supported organization that depends on membership dues for operational and program support. Nevertheless, membership is not required in order to benefit from our programs and advocacy initiatives. We are committed to serving all Portuguese-Americans in the United States who would benefit from our help.
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Help strengthen PALCUS as we continue working for the community!
Please consider including PALCUS in your giving plans in 2017. Also consider using your United Way donation to benefit your favorite national organization. Each tax- deductible donation will be much appreciated and will be acknowledged.
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Paid advertisement. Does not imply an endorsement or recommendation by PALCUS.
Getting Your Portuguese Citizenship Service with 25% Discount
Portugal ReConnect is offering PALCUS members* a 25% discount on their service to obtain your Portuguese citizenship. If you didn't have a chance to watch PALCUS' webinar, "Getting Your Portuguese Citizenship: Benefits and Advantages" live, you can still watch it by following
this link. In the webinar, Portugal ReConnect's attorneys guide you through the criteria to help you find out whether you're eligible for the citizenship program.
*PALCUS Member in good standing, who has paid his/her 2016 or 2017 dues
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Did you enjoy this newsletter? Do you know about all the programs PALCUS offers our community? Please visit our website and become a member today!
We can't do what we do without your support!
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Jobs for Portuguese Speakers
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