The Portuguese Heritage Subcommittee was founded by Dr. Patrick T. Conley, chairman of the Rhode Island Bicentennial Commission in 1975. It was incorporated in 1977, by the Rhode Island Heritage Commission, successor to the state Bicentennial Commission. Governor J. Joseph Garrahy established the Heritage Commission “to cultivate and preserve the pride of ethnic heritage of citizens of the state.” Clara Azza served as the first chairperson before taking a leave of absence in 1979. In 1980, Mariana Pierannunzi was appointed as chairperson and resigned in 1983. She was also the first woman elected president of the Portuguese Cultural Association of Rhode Island. Events organized by the Subcommittee include meetings at the State House, Heritage Day festivals, a slide presentation of São Miguel, Peter Francisco Day, arts and crafts exhibit, and Dia de Portugal, de Camões. The Portuguese Heritage Subcommittee disbanded circa 1983.
The collection contains correspondence and documents of the Portuguese Heritage Subcommittee, collected by Mariana Pierannunzi. Correspondence includes the Rhode Island Heritage Commission, Portuguese American Federation, Rhode Island Department of Education, and Consulate of Portugal. Documents pertain to events held by the subcommittee, including Heritage Day festivals, a slide presentation of São Miguel, Peter Francisco Day, arts and crafts exhibit, and Dia de Portugal, de Camões. Some photographs and postcards are included.
Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
The collection is open for research.
Portuguese Heritage Subcommittee records, MSS-0043, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.
The collection is arranged in the order in which it arrived in the Rhode Island College Special Collections.
The collection was a donated by Mariana Pierannunzi in 1983. Pierannunzi signed a deed of gift in 1984. Additions to the collection have been made.
An inventory of the collection was created likely prior to 1992. In 2023, Special Collections intern, Melissa Moniz, re-boxed and described the collection using current archival standards under the supervision of Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Veronica Denison.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
Providence Journal, CITY ed., 29 Sept. 1977, p. 41. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.
Providence Journal, CITY ed., 14 Nov. 1977, p. 39. NewsBank: America's News – Historical and Current. Accessed 2 Mar. 2023.
Rhode Island Collection Special Collections also holds the