The Regional Director for the Communities stated in Angra do Heroísmo that it is essential for the Azorean diaspora "to integrate and actively participate in the societies where it is established," thus contributing to a "greater defence of its interests."

“After decades of Azorean presence, of hundreds of organisations from the most varied areas of intervention and of permanent connection to our islands, various generations are constituting to a dynamic diaspora, which is a source of pride for each one of us,” stressed Paulo Teves. In this regard, he added that "this is a moment of affirmation" of the Azorean communities spread throughout the world at a time when they must "draw on the experiences of younger generations and on more comprehensive perspectives of intervention."

“Our community in the western USA has, over the years, has managed to stand out in several areas of society, namely in the business and political world, without neglecting our cultural traditions, which persist from north to south of the State of California,” said the Regional Director. He spoke Sunday at the launch of the book titled "À Sombra da Saudade - Vivências e Reflexões Portuguesas na Califórnia."

For Paulo Teves, this work by Diniz Borges “presents a set of ideas, matured over more than five decades, not only in terms of community experiences, but also in terms of active participation in several areas, namely the teaching of Portuguese language, the recognition of the relevant role of younger generations, and the maintenance of our identity heritage, both in acknowledging the dignity of our writers and of our literature. Furthermore, it is also a representation of our country, always in a mission of rapprochement between California and the Autonomous Region of the Azores."

The book will also be presented today at Letras Lavadas Bookshop in Ponta Delgada at 6 pm.
Diniz Borges, a native of Praia da Vitória, emigrated to the USA with his parents in 1968. He graduated in Ethnic Literature.

For 22 years, he has taught at Tulare Union High School, where he has headed the Department of Languages. Currently, he teaches at the California State University in Fresno and at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

He is also the Honorary Consul of Portugal in Tulare and the Director of the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) at the California State University, which was opened in 2019 by the President of the Regional Government, Vasco Cordeiro.

Diniz Borges was awarded the Autonomic Commendation of Recognition in the Azores in 20417. Throughout his life, he has been distinguished by several institutions, namely with the Medal of Merit of the Portuguese Government for services rendered in favour of the Portuguese Language in California, the Portuguese Citizen of the Year award by the Portuguese-American Heritage Association and with the LAEF Language and Culture award.

Moreover, he was nominated as Best Foreign Language Teacher in California in 2017, a recognition that distinguished for the first time a secondary school teacher of Portuguese language and culture.