PALCUS Index National Survey Gives Insights into the Mindset of Portuguese Americans Nationwide

 

PALCUS is pleased to announce the results of the second edition of the PALCUS Index national survey. In addition to demographic and socioeconomic data, the PALCUS Index provides information about what matters most to the members of the community, where they prioritize their time, effort and money, and how connected/disconnected they are to their communities and Portugal.  The responses were primarily collected online, via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram, with both English and Portuguese versions of the survey available.  PALCUS provided printed versions of the survey to all Portuguese Consulates as well, and that effort was mildly successful in securing written answers from community members that are not on social media. More than 1,400 responses, slightly more than the previous survey, were collected between May 2019 – December 2020. 

The data was then analyzed by PALCUS Research Fellow, Dr. Dulce Maria Scott of Anderson University.

 

"Decisions about where to focus time, money and other resources in our community need to be based on data, not speculation,” said Angela Simoes, PALCUS Chairwoman. “A national survey of this nature is critical for us to understand what matters most to our Portuguese-American communities, and according to this year’s results we should be putting more effort in to Portuguese language education, making sure people know about study abroad programs in Portugal, increasing the number of Portuguese-Americans who hold office, as well as how we can maintain the organizations, celebrations and other important traditions in our community. PALCUS is actively implementing programs in these areas.”

 

The PALCUS Index collects data on a bi-annual basis measuring trends over time and thereby providing insights into how to maintain strong engagement with the Portuguese-American community. Data will be made available, upon formal request of PALCUS, to community organizations, academic researchers, as well as other relevant stakeholders and institutions in the United States, Portugal, and other countries.

 

A webinar reviewing the survey results can be viewed here

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Download the full report here

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Dr. Scott specializes in conducting survey-based research and has assisted us in the past with the national survey about how Portuguese should be classified for the US Census.

 

The PALCUS Index national survey was made possible in part through the financial support of Anderson University and the Regional Government of the Azores.  PALCUS thanks these entities for their collaboration and support.

 

As this is an ongoing, annual effort, we welcome the collaboration of other organizations and institutions at any time.  Please contact PALCUS at palcus@palcus.org for more information.

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To see results from the 2017 Index Survey, click here

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Methodology and Considerations

 

The survey data is based on a sample of convenience, collected through social media and PALCUS’s membership and online network. PALCUS is working on finding viable ways of attaining a more representative sample of the Portuguese American population.

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The data collected in the current survey was analyzed by Dr. Dulce Maria Scott, who then authored the survey report that we are making public today. The report was subsequently reviewed and accepted by the PALCUS survey committee, consisting of the following individuals:

 

• Angela Costa Simoes, PALCUS Chair

• Katherine Soares, PALCUS Vice Chair

• Marie Fraley, PALCUS Director and Managing Director

• Dulce Maria Scott, PhD, PALCUS research consultant, Anderson University

• Diniz Borges, PALCUS Director, Honorary Consul and Professor of Portuguese at Tulare Union High School

 

The PALCUS Index National Community Survey is conducted online using QuestionPro survey software.  

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