Customer Reviews

The Forgotten Portuguese (Portuguese making of America : early North-American history)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Until I discovered Mr. Mira's book I had little knowledge of Portuguese influence in North America. I found the piece quite informative, and I would rank it as a valuable reference point for students of American social history, sociology and anthropology. I did find, however, that Mira presented too much lightly investigated material as "fact." There has been, unfortunately, little scholarly work done on the Melungeons, and Mira assumes more than he should from both his primary and secondary references. Nevertheless, a worthwhile study in general terms.

Additionally, I found the issues addressed in the two reviews currently on file rather interesting. I am not of Portuguese descent genetically. I consider myself Chinese but have had a scholarly interest in Iberian history and sociology (particularly Portuguese) for many years, in part because my maternal grandparents were from Macau (a former Portuguese colony). At first glance I was a bit puzzled by the New York writer's discussion of black slaves in Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. If one has a reasonable knowledge of Portuguese history it is clear that this was a rather minimal event and, as the writer points out correctly, of litle significance racially. Without doubt, there have been gross exagerations with respect to the amount of race mixing during this period in Portugal, but a number of excellent scholars such as Russell-Woods of Johns Hopkins have profferd a very clear perspective on this issue in recent years. The academic consensus is that black slaves were a very small "fixed" portion of Portugal's population (probably 1% at the most) and there is substantial evidence that miscegenation, in percentage terms, was actually much less than what occurred in the whole of colonial Black Africa. i.e, French, English and Portuguese.

I read the review and then basically said, ok, you are well informed on the subject, but what does it have to do with the Portuguese in North America or the Melungeons? Then I read Mr. Rodrigues review and I found my answer. Mr. New York was attempting, I believe, to deal with racial/ethnic misconception. In fact, to a certain extent, Mr. Mira does try to address such misconception in his book. Mr. Rodrigues, given his name, is probably of Portuguese background in some form. However, his comments show that he is, poorly informed about the Portuguese (and Iberians as a whole). When he uses the term "black moors" he is terribly incorrect. The term "moor",at least from the time of the muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711, was used to refer to ALL people of dark complexion, mainly Arab. Black Africans, the Negroes, were seen in a different category altogether. The Black Africans that formed part of the Muslim tide were mainly slaves or servants and small in number. A good discussion of this can be found in one of Kenneth Baxter Wolf's articles in The Journal Of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Vol. 24 #1, 1994. Mr. Rodrigues should also read Hugh Kennedy's book titled: "Muslim Spain and Portugal." Most of the "moors" as he points out, and with much primary source support, actually came from Syria and parts of what is today Iraq. Along the way the Arabs incorporated the Berbers of North Africa ( who were already present in Iberia to a certain extent) into their ranks.

I do not know if Mr. New York has any Portuguese background, but it seems that what concerns him is improper racial and/or ethnic labeling. I suspect what he may be trying saying is that, if you are wrong about the Portuguese you are somewhat wrong about the Melungeons as well, since they are part Portuguese. We have too much improper categorization of people worldwide, and the most misinformation and ignorance seems to come from the United States. I myself have had many experiences with people in the U.S. who held rediculous racial and ethnic notions about Orientals and other races and social groups. Heavens, I ran into a farmer in the Midwest once who thought Jews had horns!

In fairness, if our writer from New York is suggesting that ALL people of Portuguese CITIZENRY are white, that is clearly untrue. In small percentages, the Portuguese nation has black, mullato, various asian peoples and others. That is essentially no different than what is found in any other European country with a colonial past. On the other hand, if what he is trying to communicate is that FUNDAMENTALLY the GENETICS of the Portuguese (and, of course, Iberia as a whole) are white or Caucasian he is absolutely correct. The genetic pool was clearly formed many centuries before any REAL non-white group contact took place. One can safely argue that this pool was made up of SETTLERS such as the original Iberians (most likely a mix of Mediterranean and central to northern European groups), Celts and Romans. The Celts were in Iberia for 1200 years and the Romans nearly as long. The Germanic tribes and Arabs certainly made a contribution, but temporaly, and in raw numbers, much less than the original Iberians, Celts and Romans. The bottom line is that genetically the "PREPONDERANCE" in the Portuguese is overwhelmingly Caucasian (European and Arab). All other racial influences are statistically of no significance. To suggest otherwise makes no sense.

To conclude, as we can see from Mira's book and our two reviewers, racism in Western society is engendered more by distorted information (and ignorance) than anything else. It is quite important to be sensitive to misinformation and exageration about any race or social group; White, Black, Oriental, Mixed-Race, Portuguese, French, English, Chinese, etc. The first step in erradicating racism is through sociocultural and historical education. The type of education that deals with the REAL facts about a given people or race.

This was a complex history of Portuguese sailors, navigators, historians and the ethnic diversity of the Portuguese people. I purchased the book hoping for help in understanding my complex family tree and found a whole different slant on American History. This was a difficult read. Have a handful of bookmarks handy. The author is Portuguese and there were some snags in my comprehension of his interpretation of facts from Portuguese history to English language. I got the sense that the materials should have been organized in a more linear fashion, but that's an opinion that might not be valid due to the enormity and complexity of the material. I found the comparative name lists most interesting and valuable. If you really want an alternative point of view to the traditional Christopher Columbus in 1492, this is the book for you as well as our educational system in the US. It was well worth the money.

This is one of the most poorly edited books I have ever read. The writing is disjointed; the author jumps from subject to subject within paragraphs and fails to fully address subjects that he has introduced. The book is filled with incorrect grammar, misspellings and sentence fragments. There are many typographical errors. All of the above leads to an uncomfortable reading experience, which sometimes had me frowning and shaking my head as I attempted to get at the author's meaning.
That being said, I found many of the ideas that the author suggested fascinating. He focused on several historical anomalies and mysteries that I found interesting. He raised some valid questions; unfortunately, that's all they can be, since there seems to be little concrete fact to support his claims. The book may have served its purpose, however, in making more people aware that the Melungeons even exist. I have no doubt that they experienced injustice, and if they claim to be Portuguese, it is more than likely true in part, as such a claim would not have exempted them from prejudice. Therefore, there would be little advantage in such a claim if it were not true. The later, fully documented Portuguese immigrants underwent many hardships themselves based on ethnic intolerance.
The author frequently digressed to shed light on some detail that he seemed to feel needed to be pointed out in order to give the Portuguese credit for historical accomplishments which other historians may have slighted. I'm certain that such slights have occurred. As the saying goes, "The winners write the history," and even though Portugal was once a major world power, that dominance yielded to that of other nations whose version of history is what we have been taught. However, the author's frequent digressions distracted from his main point (or maybe this WAS his main point, and his other thesis intruded?). The result was distracting and made for slow going. It's a shame that his work was not more carefully edited to achieve clarity. I believe the amount of research done by the author and the subject matter itself deserved better treatment.

Melungeons, a very interesting ethnic group I had never heard of prior to picking up Mira's book. No question, the Melungeons, their history and culture, make fascinating material for social anthropological study. However, Mira does a poor job with the information he presents and, consequently, the final product is a patchwork quilt of disparate and sketchy material that flows poorly. Unfortunately, this does not come off as a serious book.

My suspicion is that the Melungeons have only a minor ethnic connection to the Portuguese. Clearly they are a mix of European (Spaniard, Portuguese, British, Dutch), Turkish/Arab and, to a much lesser extent, Native American and Black African.

What is quite surprising is that Mira is lacking considerably in his knowledge of the Arabic influence in Portugal itself or, for the sake of being more accurate, Iberia as a whole. Mira's use of the term "Moor" is flawed, to say the least. Originally, Moor was used to describe people of Northwest African descent. Prior to the Arab advance in the early 700s, most Moors were Berbers. This Caucasoid group is very close genetically to many of the original Southern European peoples. After the Arabs conquered North Africa, the Berbers were essentially assimilated and are, of course, today are a minority in that part of the world. Moors, therefore, were a mix of Caucasian peoples: Arab and Berber. The term "Black Moor" is a false racial category which was used by Europeans to describe negro slaves of the Arabs and Berbers first seen, on occasion, throughout the Mediterranean world in the early Middle Ages. Eventually, in the later Middle Ages and Renaissance, "Moor" came to describe all people of swarthy complexion with Arabic features.

In Iberia, the Arabic and North African influences are clearest in the southern provinces of Alentejo and Algarve. This is also true for the island groups: the Azores and Madeira. Historically, the great majority of immigrants to these two areas came from southern Portugal. However, it must be said that at least one island in the Azores, Terceira, was originally populated by the Flemish almost entirely.

The misuse of ethnic terms is only one of the many faults with Mira's book. A great deal of the information in the book is, at least, partially incorrect or based on dubious sources. The work is basically a poor treatment of a complicated subject.

Mr. Mira has produced an interesting and authoritative work on Portuguese ethnic influences (mainly the Melungeons) in North America. However, a very important fact that Mira neglects, and so do most writers of Melungeon history and culture, is that the majority of the Portuguese that contributed genetically to this intriguing social group were shipwrecked sailors that initially settled along the coasts of the Carolinas, and later penetrated inland. These people were quite small in number. Included with the shipwrecked Portuguese were Turkish and Arab slaves or prisoners. Yes, the Melungeon people have some Portuguese blood, but it is a very minor amount. The Melungeons also have Arab, Turkish, American Indian, English, Dutch, and possibly German strains, as well as a small amount of Black African or Negroid.

The "TRUE" Portuguese are a blend of many peoples (not races). They are European and, of course, members of the white race. They are Celtic, Germanic, Roman, Greek, Phonecian and Arab in genetic make-up. There are considerable numbers of fair, light haired, blue and green eyed Portuguese. It is only in the south of the country that you see a clearer propensity for pale olive to swarthy skin tones, brown eyes and black and dark brown hair, mainly because of the co-mingling of Romans, Arabs and Greeks. Also, one of the greatest socio-historical exagerations, which Mira fails to clarify, has to do with the actual number of black slaves in Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries, and the degree of their absorption into the population. If one does serious research on the subject, the facts are clear, the level of race mixing in Portugal was, and has always been, negligible. In fact, many of the black slaves that were brought in to Portugal during that period were re-exported to Spain, Holland, England and parts of Africa. The largest black populations were found in Lisbon and the Alentejo region. They were mainly used as servants and agricultural laborers. The blacks did not comprise more than 1 or 2 percent of the population at any time. Racial mixing in Portugal has never been any greater than, say, what occurred between the English and black slave/servant groups of Liverpool and Manchester in the 17th and 18th centuries. Essentially insignificant.

The Portuguese have CONTRIBUTED genetically to many races-so have the English, the Dutch, the Spaniards, the French, etc.- but "TRUE" Portuguese are those who can DIRECTLY trace their roots to Portugal, particularly the mainland. Portuguese people are essentially no different than many other Southern European people: Italians, Spaniards, French and Greeks, for certain. It is time, and good time, to clear the air on the ludicrous racial and ethnic falsities that have for so many years been perpetuated by incompetent (in some cases dim-witted) historians regarding the Portuguese. Mira could have used his book to address this, but did not.

I can't help but think that a great deal of what Mr. Mira writes is not well-founded. Rather, the impression one forms is that his information on the Portuguese (among others) origins of the Melungeons is compiled from poor primary source material and less than accurate local-level history (a fair part of it oral in nature).

The author should, in the first place, have been much more clear and accurate about the Portuguese people themselves. A great mistake is to stereotype the Portuguese as some sort of "Moorish" derivation. Such notions are so incredibly ludricrous it is hardly worth serious discussion. The Portuguese (mainland and islands alike) are quite diverse ethnically. The genetic pool derives almost totally from a mix of southern and northern European groups. In the southernmost areas of Portugal (particularly the Algarve) you do see a propensity toward Berber and western Arabic Mediterranean phenotypes. This is found in other Mediterranean European countries as well. The rest of the nation is very different ethnically and culturally from the south. The basic facts concerning Portuguese ethnicity are most clear, but not at all in this particular book. Back to the proverbial drawing board, please. Innacurate information can be dangerous to everyone.

This is a poorly organized book with much debatable information. "Forgotten Portuguese" is probably only marginally useful for research work.

It also seems that some reviewers are more than misinformed about their own Portuguese heritage as well as Iberian history. Let's get the facts straight here! A substantial portion of Iberia (Spain and Portugal) was controlled first by the Celts (over 1,000 years). After the Celts, the Romans occupied and governed the entire peninsula for roughly 800 years. Visigoths and Swabians ruled about three quarters of the area for 400 years and Arabs, on average, held power over half of Iberia for 600 years. These are the ONLY people that have had any significant historical and ethnic impact on the Portuguese (and Iberians).

Black slaves were transhipped from mainland Portugal to the Azores and Madeira in the late 1400s to the early 1500s to work on plantations. Blacks were not "assimilated" into the island populations and, in reality, there is little black blood that can be traced. It is a fallacy to believe that if a white person happens to be dark that there is Negroid blood in the family tree. Olive skin tones in the Portuguese are no different than what is found in the rest of Europe (more Southern Europe).

I can't help but think that a great deal of what Mr. Mira writes is not well-founded. Rather, the impression one forms is that his information on the Portuguese (among others) origins of the Melungeons is compiled from poor primary source material and less than accurate local-level history (a fair part of it oral in nature).

The author should, in the first place, have been much more clear and accurate about the Portuguese people themselves. A great mistake is to stereotype the Portuguese as some sort of "Moorish" derivation. Such notions are so incredibly ludricrous it is hardly worth serious discussion. The Portuguese (mainland and islands alike) are quite diverse ethnically. The genetic pool derives almost totally from a mix of southern and northern European groups. In the southernmost areas of Portugal (particularly the Algarve) you do see a propensity toward Berber and western Arabic Mediterranean phenotypes. This is found in other Mediterranean European countries as well. The rest of the nation is very different ethnically and culturally from the south. The basic facts concerning Portuguese ethnicity are most clear, but not at all in this particular book. Back to the proverbial drawing board, please. Innacurate information can be dangerous to everyone.

OK audience, pay attention please! The Portuguese are European and obviously Caucasian. They are LUSITANIAN and from IBERIA. FINITO! I was born in Northern Portugal of Portuguese parents. I have red hair and blue eyes and a rather pale skin tone. In the village of my birth, at least half the people are light haired and /or light eyed. Although a good number of Portuguese look Mediterranean or Southern European (e.g., Italian, Spanish, Southern French...), many also have appearances that are clearly Northern European. FINITO AGAIN!

As one of the previous reviewers pointed out, the Portuguese as a people are essentially: CELTIC, ROMAN, GERMANIC (SWABIAN AND VISIGOTH mainly), GREEK, ARAB/CARTHAGINIAN. The Azores also have a substantial Flemish strain and some Irish (Celtic). Portugal was a great maritime power once and, as a result, there are Portuguese influences found in many parts of the world, genetic and otherwise. The same as the FRENCH, BRITISH, DUTCH, SPANISH (SPANIARDS)...bla, bla, bla.

The Portuguese are NOT Hispanic, they are LUSITANIAN. In fact, no SPANIARD (from Spain) would consider himself Hispanic in the sense that the term is used (more misused) in the U.S. today. Spaniards, after all, ARE European; not Latin American, Cuban...blah, blah.

It is unfortunate that there is so much ethnic (and racial) ignorance in America. In Europe everyone knows who the Portuguese are: Of course, they are EUROPEAN. What a brilliant deduction! Not Brazilian, or anything else. WOW, AMAZING! In the U.S., a good many people can't even spell the word Portuguese, so how can they understand the gentic origins of the Portuguese, along with other Iberians ( the Spaniards)? The Iberians have only been shown, scientifically, to be among the oldest EUROPEAN peoples. AMAZING AGAIN!

We love to lable ethnic and racial groups in this country, and many times we lable incorrectly. Americans have so many twisted views of races and ethnicities that it is laughable. Sorry, it is not laughable, it is quite sad.

I agree with Paul e Vasconcelas that it is unfortunate I have to comment on what was said here and not on the book...

On the other hand - I TOTALLY disagree with almost all of his statements. The Continental Portuguese, in no way, are constantly trying to grasp onto any "Anglo" identity (USA is not the only country containing people of Portuguese descent!). It might be possible that he has met Continental-Portuguese-Americans who appear to do this; unfortunately many people have been misguided about their heritage in order to fit into their new adoptive country. To make an example, there are many Americans who claim an Irish heritage, and can pin point a vast amount of detail, when infact they descend from Italy - it is hard to accept something new when you have been taught the opposite from birth.

Instead of explaining my views on this subject, I will rather say that Camoes and Edward Van Dun (two other reviewers on this page) express a very accurate point on this subject.