The Portuguese Heritage Society, also known as Lusitano, is a national not-for-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 based in Mineola, New York

Mineola, New York

Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 18,799 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place"....

, founded in 1995. Its members and volunteers support, spread, and enrich Portuguese culture

Culture of Portugal

The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations during the past Millennia. From prehistoric cultures, to its Pre-Roman civilizations , passing through its contacts with the Phoenician-Carthaginian world, the Roman period , the...

 for those living in the United States

Portuguese American

Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....

. P.H.S. Lusitano is primarily active in Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, Newark

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

, and other Portuguese-populated locales

Portuguese American neighborhoods

In the late 19th century, many Portuguese, mainly from the islands of Azores and Madeira, immigrated to the United States and established their own communities in cities such as Providence, Rhode Island, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and San Jose, California...

 in the Tri-State area.

Objectives

For centuries the Portuguese people

Portuguese people

The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....

 have been emigrating to various parts of the world, forming communities, and organizing social groups

Group (sociology)

In the social sciences a social group can be defined as two or more humans who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity...

. P.H.S. Lusitano has three primary objectives:

1. provide a place where any Portuguese or Portuguese-descendant can socialize and interact with each other to preserve and spread their culture
2. expand Portuguese culture within the membership ranks and the community by bringing comedians, singers, performers, and politicians from Portugal to perform or speak in the United States
3. support Portuguese communities, donating resources to local Portuguese charities as well as those serving Portuguese communities abroad

A recent trend is the growing number of Portuguese emigrants and their descendants uniting and collaborating via online social networking services.

Charitable work

The P.H.S. Lusitano organizes fundraisers to donate annually to the local police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 and fire department

Fire department

A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...

s, volunteer ambulance

Ambulance

An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...

 corps, and various other community programs. The group has also donated to causes in Barcelos

Barcelos, Portugal

Barcelos is a city in Barcelos Municipality in Braga District. The city has a population of 20,625.-History:Originally a Roman settlement, it expanded and became the seat of the First Duke of Bragança in the 15th century...

, Chaves, Paredes de Coura, Vila Verde, and Timor

Timor

Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...

. The P.H.S. Lusitano also raises funds for local Portuguese people with critical needs.

Sports honors

League	Year	Trophy
ENYSSA	2009	Manning Cup Runner's Up
LISFL	2009	Cangero Cup Finalists
LISFL	2008/2009	Long Island Division 1 Champions
LISFL	2008/2009	Long Island Eastern Division Champions
LISFL	1998/1999	Division 3 Edwards Cup Champions
LISFL	1984/1985	Division 2 Themann's Cup Champions
LISFL	1983/1984	Division 2 Themann's Cup Runner's-Up

Political speakers

Name	Office	Reason for Visit
Carolyn McCarthy	United States Congresswoman	Meeting with Members
Andrew Cuomo	New York State Attorney General	Press Conference
Craig Johnson	New York State Senator	Press Conference
Liz Kreuger	New York State Senator	Press Conference
Michelle Schimel	New York State Assemblywoman	Meeting with Members
Jack Martins	Village of Mineola Mayor	Meeting with Members
Fernando Ribeiro dos Reis	Vila de Barcelos (Portugal) Mayor	Fundraiser

Invited performers

Name	Profession
Jose Malhoa	Singer
Ana Malhoa	Singer
Ruth Marlene	Singer
Fernando Rocha	Comedian
Carmen Duval	Fadista
Monica Sintra	Singer

External links

• P.H.S. Lusitano, official site
• Portuguese Social, a.k.a. LusoSphere.com, social networking site