Group strategizes on ways to get out Portuguese vote

By Joao Ferreira, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- Portuguese Americans are trying to figure out how they can maximize their civic and political impact in American life.

With that in mind, a group known as the Portuguese American Citizenship Project has been spreading its vision nationwide since February 1999.

Working informally, they've been compiling data, promoting citizenship and calling for people to vote.

Saturday, group members met in New Bedford to discuss their progress and future strategy. About 50 community members attended the meeting.

"What we're trying to do is to put together a strategic planning kind of thing," said James McGlinchey, an organizer of the project. "If people don't participate in politics, in the civic life of the community, they will always be left behind."

A few years ago, Mr. McGlinchey, a half-Portuguese Fall River native, approached the Luso American Development Foundation of Lisbon to sponsor a civil rights campaign in the community. The Foundation agreed.

In February 1999, Mr. McGlinchey started meeting with representatives in several Massachusetts communities, including New Bedford and Fall River, to develop strategies for participation.

Now the project has extended nationally and includes participants from California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

"We're just trying to think through strategically how we are organized," said Mr. McGlinchey, a retired diplomat. "We're trying to keep this as simple as possible."

He said the group is not trying to replace other organizations or push a political agenda.

"All we are doing is getting people to vote. How they vote is up them," he said. "We're not promoting Portuguese American politicians, we're promoting Portuguese American voting, period."

Mr. McGlinchey said each community works individually, by organizing citizenship drives or voter registration campaigns.

The group also is trying to promote knowledge.

For example, Mr. McGlinchey has worked with churches in Fall River, Elizabeth, N.J., and Turlock, Calif., to compile voting data about Portuguese Americans.

Some of the findings are quite interesting, he said.

"Portuguese Americans in general tend to be under-registered," he said. While 60 percent of the community at large registers, only 40 percent of the Portuguese do, he said. "The good news is that once Portuguese Americans register to vote, they tend to vote more frequently and they tend to vote more than the American population."

During a luncheon meeting Saturday at Cafe Europa in New Bedford, more than 50 people discussed efforts in their communities.

About 10 communities were represented.

"It was very beneficial," said Helena S. Marques, executive director of the Immigrants' Assistance Center, which organized the lunch. "We have to keep working very hard to get our community involved in the system."

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