Fireworks in Hawaii. Lusodescendant dead, several missing and displaced

CConsidered the deadliest fires in more than a century in the United States, these fires caused at least 115 deaths, affecting mainly the island of Maui.

More than three hundred people are still missing due to the catastrophe that devastated this North American archipelago, including some Portuguese descendants.

Portuguese diplomacy continues to monitor the situation and is in “regular” contact with some of the affected families, but so far the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received any requests for help from Portuguese or Portuguese descendants.

“No Portuguese victim was identified, however, as there are no exact numbers regarding Portuguese descendants, there are victims and affected people, with at least one Portuguese descendant known to have died and several who are still among the missing”, says the Portuguese MNE , questioned by Lusa.

The same source reports on two Portuguese families who were left without a home and several families of Portuguese descent who also lost their homes.

According to the last United States census, more than 90 thousand Hawaiians identified themselves as “Portuguese”, which means that around 10% consider themselves to be of Portuguese descent, a number that is expected to be higher.

For this reason, continues the Portuguese MNE, “it is estimated that, among the victims and people who lost their homes, the percentage of Portuguese descendants is similar”, an accounting that is difficult to do, as several Portuguese descendants (through their mother’s side) no longer have a surname. Portuguese.

The epic Portuguese emigration to Hawaii began in 1878 and brought 27,000 Portuguese to the Pacific archipelago, who exchanged hunger and poverty for hard work in the sugar cane fields.

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