Project to celebrate Portuguese impact on Jersey

Jersey Community Relations Trust is leading the project

A research project to study, explore and celebrate Portuguese daily life and culture has been launched in Jersey as a way to better understand all migrant communities in the island.

The Jersey Community Relations Trust (JCRT) is behind Project Luso, which it said would celebrate the Portuguese community's "positive impact" on the island.

The 2021 Jersey census reported there were about 8,000 Jersey residents born in Portugal or Madiera, and 9,700 people identifying as ethnically Portuguese.

Meanwhile, informal estimates suggested there were about 16,000 Portuguese speakers on the island, which the JCRT said highlighted a "significant cultural presence".

Journey 'beginning'

It said project aims included:

• Researching daily life for islanders with a Portuguese background to document and raise awareness of the stories of the Portuguese community

• Understanding and addressing challenges for Portuguese members of the Jersey community

• Celebrating and promoting Portuguese culture in Jersey and its unique contribution to Jersey

Selina Zenonos, vice-chair of JCRT and leader of Project Luso, said the organisation was a "proud champion" of the community's "rich diversity".

She said: "As part of our commitment to fostering inclusion and equity in Jersey, we are launching an important research initiative to explore and uplift the experiences of migrants on our island.

"Through this research, we aim not only to honour the invaluable contributions these communities have made to Jersey, but also to enhance the quality of life and opportunities available to them."

The first initiative to this end would be Project Luso, she added, marking the "beginning of a journey" to deepen understanding and support for migrant communities.

The Project Luso research team will be based at the Jersey Youth Service Marquee on 24 August at the Portuguese Food Festival at People’s Park, St Helier.