As she grew up in Turlock, recent criminology master’s degree graduate Jacqueline Machado frequently heard about her Portuguese family heritage since both sets of grandparents hailed from the Azores Islands.
Her mother, Charlotte Machado, and other family members also encouraged the family to attend Portuguese cultural festivals called festas hosted by Portuguese organizations throughout California. These annual events showcased traditional dancing, music, cuisine and folklore, and often included parades and even bullfights.
As a youth, she and her sister, Elena Machado, were elected queens for the Our Lady of Fatima Festa, which is held every October in the town of Thornton. That same year, they were invited to attend other similar Portuguese-themed events and parades throughout California.
This past July, Jacqueline Machado had her first chance to visit Portugal when she spent four weeks interning in the mayor’s office in the city of Angra do Heroísmo on the Azorean island of Terceria. The trip was part of a study-abroad exchange program partnership with the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute at Fresno State that started in 2016 and has now included its first College of Social Sciences student.
While she worked with city of Angra do Heroísmo government staff, she took part in various community service activities. Besides connecting with kids in a cultural and sports camp, Machado interacted with individuals living in low-income housing or who were unhoused, and helped staff compile information and photos for a Portuguese cookbook.
She also saw how emergency service teams monitored police and fire department activities around the island, and how they prepared response plans for natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes.
“There were many community outreach programs that were interesting to work with,” Machado said, “so I saw up close how its government serves the communities. Being able to understand and learn how other countries handle and resolve issues can give insight into how we can implement similar policies here.”
Other Fresno State students who made the trip this year included agricultural business student David Cobarrubia, agricultural education students Amanda Avila and Gabriella Lucas, and animal science student Ethan Christopher Sousa.
Machado had the chance to join her fellow Bulldogs and new friends on visits to dairies and agricultural manufacturing businesses, and to learn about planting crops and gardening.
Besides interning with local organizations and professionals, the Fresno State group enjoyed a wide range of cultural activities that included attending street bullfights, festas and sightseeing. Machado said she equally enjoyed meeting local citizens; visiting cafes, museums and historic places; spending time in the city square; and swimming in the ocean.
A group of four pre-veterinary students from the University of Azores also traveled to Fresno State in July. They worked with staff on the campus farm and the Azores Veterinary Practice in Turlock, visited agricultural industry locations, and enjoyed Central Valley sightseeing that included Portuguese American cultural events.
The exchange program, led by Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute coordinator Diniz Borges, also receives support from Central Valley residents who have Portuguese or Azorean ties, supporters who live in the Azores and the LUSO Foundation/FLAD.
“This program has been a great way for our campus and the Central Valley’s large Portuguese American population to reconnect with their history,” Borges said. “The mayor’s office in Angra has been very supportive in hosting and helping tailor meaningful experiences there for our students, both professionally and culturally. We’re also thankful that their mayor, university faculty and other officials have visited our campus to meet with our campus president and give presentations to students in our on-campus lecture series.”
Since Machado returned to the Central Valley at the end of July, she has focused on a post-graduate master’s degree in defense and strategic studies at Missouri State University, and plans to transfer into Missouri State’s doctoral program. She hopes the next degree will lead to a career as an intelligence analyst for a state or federal agency, and knows that this experience is useful in better understanding international relations and how foreign governments operate.
She hopes she will have one more chance to reconnect this fall when the Terceira community cookbook is completed and arrives in her mailbox. Besides giving her a chance to see some of the people who shared information and dishes that she photographed, it will also give insight into recreating some of her favorite Portuguese cuisine.
“Food is a big part of any culture,” Machado said, “and the Azoreans take pride in sharing their traditions through their meals. I’m always willing to try new things, and many of the local pastries and cheese were amazing, and part of an experience that I’ll never forget.”
