In Los Angeles, PAPS has already celebrated an early Christmas Eve with members, friends and relatives. A total of 20 people (14 portuguese) met for an italian dinner at Buca di Beppo in Santa Monica. With Christmas’ season coming up we couldn’t resist to host a white elephant gift exchange. Thanks everyone for your participation and creativity!

This event was a great opportunity to get to know new portuguese who recently arrived in LA and also to catch up with the other members and respective families and friends.  

PAPS-LA wishes you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From left to right:

1st top row - Giles Liu, Ricardo Moura, Antonio Ingargiola, Tony Lima, Raquel Abreu, Mário Oliveira, Sérgio Duarte, Hélder Guimarães, Filipe Tralhão; 2nd top row - Elda Judica, Nadia Sellami, Sandra Menino, Bea Mendonça, Célia Matos, Natasha Tavares, Filipe Camelo; Bottom row - Nuccio Patti, Mariana Fontes, Martina DeSalvo

We Run LA was inaugurated on September 19th by 3 PAPS members. The purpose of this initiative was to allow the members to explore new areas of the city as well as meet other Portuguese and non-Portuguese Los Angelinos, this way promoting their integration in the American culture and more specifically in the Los Angeles Community.  

For almost 3 months, 10 different routes throughout West LA were chosen to accomplish the 90 minutes goal stipulated for each run. A total of 228 miles were achieved by 7 runners, who participated at least in one of the events. The last event took place on November 27th for a deserved Christmas’ break. We will be back in January with a different activity. The purpose is the same, but this time we will “Roll the Wheels”. Stay tuned for the We Bike LA.

From left to right: Hélder Filipe, Raquel Abreu, Mariana Fontes and André Martins.

On October 23rd, PAPS-LA went for the first time this year to visit the Portuguese Community in Artesia.

The Artesia D.E.S. organized a reception to the Secretário de Estado das Comunidades Portuguesas José Cesário, during his tour throughout the USA to officially present a new consular technology. This novel device (consulado itinerante) enables every Portuguese living in California to get their passport and Portuguese ID in a much faster way and without having to go to the Portuguese Consulate in San Francisco. For more information about this service please go to http://www.noscafora.be/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=...

The visit to Artesia allowed PAPS-LA to discuss integration and recruitment strategies with the Portuguese honorary consul Edmundo de Macedo,  the Secretário de Estado das Comunidades Portuguesas José Cesário, the Portuguese consul-general in San Francisco Nuno Mathias, and several members of the Artesia D.E.S and Luso-American Organizations.

Most of all, this event promoted the divulgation of PAPS' mission and allowed a closer relationship between the Portuguese Communities in Los Angeles and Artesia. 

Get involved - read more about Portuguese Communities in Southern California:
http://www.luso-american.org/about/
http://www.artesiades.org/home/
http://www.radiotvartesia.com

From left to right: Portuguese consul-general in San Francisco Nuno Mathias, Raquel Abreu, Mariana Fontes, Secretário de Estado das Comunidades Portuguesas José Cesário, Portuguese honorary consul Edmundo de Macedo.