PALCUS congratulates Portuguese Americans elected to office in Rhode Island

Each year, the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States Inc. (PALCUS) congratulates the Portuguese Americans who were elected or re-elected to public office in the recent national elections. 

From California to Massachusetts to Florida, the Portuguese community gained more representation at all levels of government from U.S Congress to local seats. They also want to congratulate and encourage all those who put in the hard work and passion to run for office but were not elected this time around, saying, “It takes courage and commitment, and we applaud your efforts.”

NATIONAL DATABASE OF PORTUGUESE AMERICAN PUBLIC OFFICIALS

PALCUS maintains the most comprehensive database of Portuguese American elected and appointed officials in the United States.  We invite all Portuguese American public officials (elected and appointed) to add themselves to the National Database. This is a valuable resource for connecting with PALCUS and the Portuguese American community at large.

Please send an email to [email protected] add your profile to the Database.

In Rhode Island

Anna Sousa – East Providence City Council Ward 2

Anthony Ferreira – East Providence School Board

Antonio A. Teixeira – Bristol Town Council  

Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung – RI House District 15

Charlene Lima – RI House District 14

Deborah A. Fellela – RI House District 43

Gordon E. Rogers – RI Senate: District 21

Jessica de la Cruz – RI Senate: District 23

Joseph J. Solomon – RI House District 22

Peter F. Neronha – RI Attorney General 

Robert E. Craven – RI House District 32

Robert DaSilva – Mayor of East Providence

Raymond A. Hull – RI House: District 6

Susan R. Donovan – RI House District 69

Thomas E. Noret – RI House District 25

Role in Rhode Island issues

In addition to supporting and representing interests of Portuguese constituencies, PALCUS “Day of Portugal” in Rhode Island is a growing event recognizing the important role of the Portuguese in Rhode Island history.

Also, going back a few years, efforts started to remove “Portuguese” as a designated minority. In Rhode Island Minority Business Enterprises are defined to include Portuguese.

Minority Business Enterprise Program Mission Statement:

To support State of Rhode Island laws and policies that insure the fullest possible participation of Minority Business Enterprise in state funded and directed construction programs and projects, and in state purchases of goods and services.The MBE Program has a Mission to help your business.

The Minority Business Enterprise Program is a State of Rhode Island Program that promotes the State’s policy of supporting the fullest possible participation of firms owned and controlled by minorities and women in state funded and directed public construction programs and projects, and in State purchases of goods and services. MBE Program support includes providing assistance to MBEs throughout the life of contracts with the State of Rhode Island.

Minorities include Black, Hispanic, Portuguese, Asian American, American Indian, Native Alaskan, and other groups or individuals found to be economically and socially disadvantaged by the Small Business Administration.

Under Rhode Island General Law 37-14.1, Minority business enterprises are targeted for participation in all procurement and construction projects and shall be awarded a minimum of ten percent (10%) of all dollar value of the procurement or project.

It is a goal of the MBE Program to increase the number of MBE’s available for contract competition. If you want to start a business and offer goods or services to the State of Rhode Island, the MBE Program may be able to help. Our vision is straightforward and uncompromising – We will:
 

1. Maximize opportunity for business participation by MBEs
2. Stimulate MBE development and growth
3. Encourage that MBEs are awarded not less than 10% of the dollar value of state funded or directed procurement and projects
4. Establish a strong MBE support presence in minority communities and with MBE organizations

Efforts to delete Portuguese as an MBE category

For 2 or more years, a Providence representative submitted legislation that would draw a red line through the words “Portuguese” in any definition of MBE. The legislation did nothing but that. It was defeated, in strong part, by PALCUS national board and advocacy volunteers writing to Rhode Island legislators. The legislator submitting it, Rep. Anastasia Williams, has since left office.

See our stories, here:

Rep. Williams: Why the Portuguese should “step aside” as a Minority Business (MBE) category

Rep. Anastasia Williams tries again to remove Portuguese as minority owned business category

National Portuguese group speaks out on “discriminatory action against the Portuguese people of RI”

RI Bill to remove “Portuguese” as Minority Business category

PALCUS Mission

In order to create a singular voice to advocate for the Portuguese-American and Luso-American communities at large, the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States Inc. (PALCUS) was founded in 1991 as a non-partisan, non-profit, organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. 

The PALCUS mission is to address domestic and international concerns of the Portuguese-American Community.

The Council conducts an expanding program of educational and public affairs activities on issues of interest to the Portuguese-American community and of salience to the Luso-American Relationship.

PALCUS is committed to serving the community through increasingly active government relations efforts, the promotion of a greater awareness of ethnic accomplishments and encouraging stronger ties between Portugal and the United States. In this role PALCUS advances the community professionally, politically and culturally while working to ensure that issues directly affecting our community are addressed through our network of government and community leaders.

___

Other Portuguese elected in New England:

Massachusetts

Alan Silvia – MA House: Seventh Bristol District

Antonio F. D. Cabral – MA House: Thirteenth Bristol District

Carol Doherty – MA House: Third Bristol District 

Christopher Hendricks – MA House: Eleventh Bristol District

Danillo A. Sena – MA House: Thirty-seven Middlesex District

David T. Vieira – MA House: Third Barnstable District

Dylan Fernandes – MA House: Barnstable, Dukes & Nantucket District

Erika Uyterhoeven – MA House:  Twenty-seventh Middlesex District

Jake Oliveira – MA Senate: Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester District

Liz Miranda – MA Senate: Second Suffolk District

Lori Loureiro Trahan – U.S. Congress House District #3

Marc R. Pacheco – MA Senate: First Plymouth & Bristol District

Michael Rodrigues – MA Senate: First Bristol & Plymouth District

Tommy Vitolo – MA House: Fifteenth Norfolk District

Connecticut

Anne Dauphinais – CT House: District 44

Rick Lopes – CT Senate: District 6

Rosa Rebimbas – 21st District Judge of Probate