Yes, I have relatives with Portuguese last names Perreira, Martins, Camacho, Pestana, Nunes, Teixeira, Freitas, Cravalho, Fernandez, Vierra, and Moniz. But there are the Hawaiian last names Ka'anoi and Kaawa, the Japanese names Nishihara and Tendo, the Filipino names Enriques, Edralin, and Ribucan (my dad), the Chinese name Ah Heong, and the haole names Dodd, Black, Gilinger, McNaughton, and Vasper. And this is by no means a complete list, lest anyone call me out for missing a name. :)
We are all descendants of Emilia Perreira-Martins and Joao Nunes, both of whom came to Hawaii in the late 1800's (separately), from the Madeira Islands. We've been reuniting in a big way, every two years, since 2005.
This year's event was held on Maui, the weekend of the Maui Fair.
It was a 3-day weekend of fun! The main event was at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center on Saturday. This photo was taken after quite a few people had already left. What a large (and cooperative) group!
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| Many who attended are pictured here. |
Sunday's luncheon at the Hideaway was in a more intimate setting, where we could continue the reminiscing started the day before.
When emcee Patrick called up all the family members who were pure Portuguese, not too many went up. We marveled at the small number, but we weren't surprised. We took a lot of pictures to celebrate this select group.
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| Pure Portuguese members of my family |
The third day was a potluck picnic at Kamaole III -- so relaxing, and the weather was perfect. Cousin Patrick, who's an entertainer in Las Vegas, brought out his ukulele, and it was hula dancing/teaching/laughing time.
How important is it to take the time to celebrate family? Well in my family, both on the Portuguese and the Filipino side (that's material for another post), getting together is very, very important.
What do I love most about these gatherings? Every single time so far, I've met several new relatives. No, I'm not related to everyone on the island, but I am related to many! :)
I'm so fortunate...
Linda
(◕‿◕✿)
@Celebrate_Maui
No eye rolls ever with any of these beautiful posts. I love the stories you tell. It helps me to know you even better. Thank you Linda.
ReplyDeletems sally
Love reading your post... Seems so many of us Portuguese folks hailed from Madeira island. I spent some time tracing back our roots to the very boats they came to Hawaii on in the late 1800's. What an amazing feeling it is to know your history and be able to greet the future with your relatives.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your family. Our family has done a couple of big reunions too, it's always great fun.
ReplyDeleteEvery two years! That's awesome.