Portuguese-American Fishermen in New Bedford

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Maria Gloria De Sa
  • Collection of fifteen oral histories with Portuguese immigrant fishermen who worked out of the port of New Bedford. The project was sponsored by a NOAA Preserve America grant.

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
João Ferreira Testa Portuguese-American Fishermen in New Bedford

This is one of a set of 15 oral histories with Portuguese immigrant fishermen who worked out of the port of New Bedford. The project was sponsored by a NOAA Preserve America grant. In this interview Mr. Testa talks about his life prior to coming to the U.S., including fishing, social and religious traditions. Part of that description, includes his tuna-fishing experience in North Africa, and cod-fishing in the Grand Banks during the World War II. He also describes what brought him to the U.S.

M. Gloria De Sa New Bedford, MA University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, NOAA, Preserve America
Manuel Silva Vinagre Portuguese-American Fishermen in New Bedford

This is one of a set of 15 oral histories with Portuguese immigrant fishermen who worked out of the port of New Bedford. The project was sponsored by a NOAA Preserve America grant. In this interview, Mr. Vinagre talks about his life in Portugal prior to coming to the U.S., including his experience aboard the Portuguese cod-fishing boats, coming to the U.S. and his father's death at sea.

M. Gloria De Sa New Bedford, MA University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, NOAA, Preserve America
Luis Fidalgo Bilhano Portuguese-American Fishermen in New Bedford

This is one of a set of 15 oral histories with Portuguese immigrant fishermen who worked out of the port of New Bedford. The project was sponsored by a NOAA Preserve America grant. In this interview Mr. Bilhano talks about his life prior to coming to the U.S., including fishing, social and religious traditions. He also relates what brought him to the U.S.

M. Gloria De Sa New Bedford, MA University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, NOAA, Preserve America
Antonio Borges Portuguese-American Fishermen in New Bedford

This is one of a set of 15 oral histories with Portuguese immigrant fishermen who worked out of the port of New Bedford. The project was sponsored by a NOAA Preserve America grant. In this interview Antonio Borges talks about his long experience as a fisherman in Portugal and the U.S., including fishing techniques used in cod fishing in the Grand Banks, where he had to help sew a shroud to "bury" a co-worker who died at sea. He also describes social and cultural traditions in his native village as well New Bedford, including extensive views on religion.

M. Gloria De Sa New Bedford, MA University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, NOAA, Preserve America