Manuel Mira. The Forgotten Portuguese: The Melungeons and Other Groups: The Portuguese Making of America. Franklin, NC: The  Portuguese-American Historical Research Foundation, Inc. (P.A.H.R.F.) 1998.
There is a group of people in the high mountain hollers and rugged ridges of Appalachia and in small communities in the American South, whose existence calls into question common assumptions about race, ethnicity, and American history. The Melungeons, a group typically noted for a "Mediterranean" appearance and "mysterious origins," have been a topic of local lore (and a good bit of racism) for over a century. But in an age of widespread preoccupation with "Unsolved Mysteries," searches for family roots, and public desire for the quaint authenticity of rural lifestyles, the Melungeons have become a national topic of considerable conversation among genealogists, amateur historians, and a growing number of people now claiming (at least distant) Melungeon heritage. To a large extent, though, there has been very little careful research on this group, and much of the recent talk about the Melungeons has only recapitulated—even intensified—simplistic notions of human variation.

In an attempt to make sense of Melungeon history and to posit possible Portuguese connections, Manuel Mira has written The Forgotten Portuguese: The Melungeons and Other Groups: The Portuguese Making of America. This book brings together a great diversity of historical resources and oral accounts of Iberian exploration and settlement since the 1500’s of what would become the United States. It does this while trying to connect that history to speculations about the origins of the Melungeons, thus suggesting that the Melungeons are Portuguese descendants. The central premise—that Portuguese travelers settled, had children (with each other and Native Americans), and formed communities that would come to be known as the Melungeons—is a matter of speculation. However, the book assembles a useful set of resources for future study of the topic.

This book provides detailed timelines and numerous citations that will be helpful for future researchers and genealogists. There are abundant newspaper clippings, photographs, lists of common Melungeon names, maps, and historical accounts of Portuguese and other European travels in the Southeast over the past 400 years. Also, included in the book is detailed documentation of the numerous theories of Melungeon origins, which invite the reader to contemplate each for him or herself and follow up on the appropriate sources, which are either included or cited in the book. Mira’s historical work shows that there is evidence in the historical record for the many Melungeon theories that have been advanced. There is a theory of a prehistoric "white race" of people maintaining its "racial purity" amidst the darker Native Americans over the centuries. There is a story that suggests the Melungeons are descendants of the Welsh who traveled west with Madoc. And there are theories about other origins such as: the lost tribe of Israel, Phoenician merchants, and descendants of Muslim explorers from Africa or the Middle East. There is also speculation of a Melungeon connection to the ill fated (so we think) Roanoke settlement on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Then there are the numerous permutations of Iberian origination stories, which bring us out of the realm of science fiction and have some historical grounding.

While Mira intentionally leaves many unanswered questions, he attempts to show the plausibility of Iberian connections to the Melungeons. He reminds the reader that throughout the 1500’s Spanish explorers had a substantial fort in what is now Parris Island, South Carolina and lesser forts well into North Carolina and Tennessee, including a site near Morganton in the foothills of what is now North Carolina. Parties led by Hernando de Soto and Juan de Pardo were certainly in the vicinity of territory currently occupied by Melungeons. And we know that many of the people in Spanish led expeditions were Portuguese—especially the skilled navigators. And, that doesn’t acknowledge all of the fabled shipwrecks, pirates, undocumented settlement, and voyages whose records were lost or destroyed during Napoleonic occupation of Portugal and Spain. Indeed there are many unanswered questions relating to both Iberian occupation of the American South and Melungeon heritage, and Mr. Mira brings these questions into visibility.

The book also raises important questions about Melungeon ethnic identity. In a region where people are commonly divided into three groups—Black, White, and Native American—the Melungeons blur perceived racial boundaries and demonstrate the inadequacy of the popular categories of human variation. Mira shows that at different moments in history Melungeons were categorized as "free people of color" or "mulatto." During the Jim Crow era, Melungeons’ non-white status officially prohibited them from the privileges of those considered "white." Melungeons generally were not allowed to attend white schools and often chose not to attend the schools for African Americans. However, it seems that whenever Melungeons’ non-white status was challenged (to marry a person who was considered white, for example), Jim Crow courts granted the Melungeons at least a provisional white status. Even though Melungeon identity has changed over the past two centuries, Melungeons have been cruelly stereotyped, and generally mistreated. They have often been treated as an exotic group of dangerous "others" or the mythical bogeymen of local lore. The Forgotten Portuguese also illustrates that much of the contemporary interest in the Melungeons has an air of reverence. But there are still problematic aspects of exoticism, which call for more critical interrogation.

While Mira does well to present readers and future researchers with thoughtful questions and a great many resources with which to pursue those questions, there are four important flaws in the work that should be addressed in future works on the topic. First, the book is poorly edited. Useful citations and sparks of creative insight are interspersed with redundancies, contradictions, and ideas that need further reflection. This being the case, reading this book takes a bit of work, but a reader’s patience will be well rewarded with Mira’s provocation for future investigation and contemplation. Second, many of the sources cited and / or included in the text need more critical interrogation. (The journals and travel writings of the early Spanish expeditions, for example, are notoriously contradictory, unreliable, and, at times, false. Of course, the explorers wrote these documents to suit their own interests, not necessarily to advance our knowledge of the human experience.) The third important flaw is that Melungeon identity challenges common misconceptions about race and ethnicity, but the book relies on problematic racial categories that are so simplistic that they undermine everything else the book attempts to do. This brings us to the final major flaw of the book—its lack of grounding in contemporary scholarship. While this work certainly raises important questions that resonate with contemporary concerns in the fields of anthropology, history, and other social sciences (such as questions about race, ethnicity, group formation, imagined communities), it does not engage those literatures directly.

Future researchers will do well to refer to anthropologists and historians who have studied Appalachian identities (such as Patricia Beaver at Appalachian State University) or other groups, like the Lumbee, who defy typical racial classification (on which Karen Blu, at New York University, has done interesting work). Reference to the voluminous literature on contemporary race and ethnicity would also add to this research (see, for example, the American Anthropological Association "Position on Race," accessible at: www.ameranthassn.org).

As a member of the Portuguese American Historical Research Foundation and an amateur historian, Mr. Mira has devoted a substantial amount of his time and resources to producing The Forgotten Portuguese in the hopes of inspiring future study of the topics at hand. The author has illuminated some infinitely interesting questions that deserve more public attention as well as more scholarly investigation.

Thaddeus C. Guldbrandsen
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Portuguese Studies Review, Volume 8, Number 1, Fall-Winter, 1999-2000, pp. 166-168. Published by the International Conference Group on Portugal, University of New Hampshire, Department of History, HSSC 408, Durham, NH 03824 USA.

Portuguese-American Chronicle, Tracy - California. January 20, 1999 - Page 23 - Community Sunday Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA, November 1, 1998, page C3

Exhaustive book chronicles role of the Portuguese in America - Luso Life - by Pedro M. Amaral
We all know the Portuguese sailed the uncharted seas to discover more than two-thirds of the world. They made alliances with previously unknown peoples and civilizations to secure a sea route to spice-rich India. But what do we know about the Portuguese role in the birth of America? There’s an easy way to find out; just read a book titled "The Forgotten Portuguese."It was published this year by the Luso-American Foundation of Historic Investigation and authored by Manuel Mira of North Carolina. Throughout its 344 pages, the book sheds light on the often obscure beginnings of the young nation.

The luxury-bound volume has more than 100 illustrations, pictures and charts to guide the reader through very informative reading. The author’s narrative style makes the reader constantly want to turn the page to immerse himself in such rich history. Mr. Mira said the book is an investigation of the Portuguese presence in America since its beginning.

Many of us have heard about Peter Francisco, the Civil War hero, but what is Abraham Lincoln’s connection to the Portuguese people? Where did the Melungeons come from to settle in North and South Carolina, and 10 other southern states? Who built the Newport Tower with eight arches? Did others arrive here before Columbus (Colon)? Who were the white people discovered by the French Huguenots in North Carolina?

Lately, more and more books about Portugal and its people are being written in English. These books are not the tourism-pamphlet books with pretty pictures and predictable writing. They portray a believable picture of a country full of history and promising future, as well as its struggles to claim its place in the world’s history.

"The Forgotten Portuguese" is a book full of surprises, taking us through centuries of explorations, voyages and settlements. How many people know that the first letter carrier on record was named Pedro da Silva? He was paid 20 sols to carry a bundle of letters from Montreal and Quebec City.

The book is based on Portuguese people’s history with a focus on all that relates to North America since the 15^th century, especially all that was done by our people and its role in the birth of America, just like any other people, but with a difference," Mr. Mira said in an e-mail message to me. The book also has a summary of the history of Portugal, listing Portuguese discovery ships, captains and many other historic features.

Mr. Mira said the public has reacted very favorably toward the book, and both public and school libraries from more than 20 states have requested it. He also said the professors and scholars who have read it have shown interest in the book.

Locally, the book can be purchased at Pimentel’s Books on Acushnet Avenue for $29.95. All the proceeds are going to the foundation and its investigative program.

"The Forgotten Portuguese" is Mr. Mira’s first book, but the positive response generated by it should encourage the author to continue publishing his investigative research. This book is certainly a very good addition to any library, especially research and data-collecting organizations...

Portuguese National Library
The book "The Forgotten Portuguese" is now available at the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal.

Luso-Americano
This Portuguese language newspaper published in Newark, NJ has recently received a letter from one of its readers, John Crisostomo where it mentions the following: The reading of the book "The Forgotten Portuese" whose publication is welcomed thus strengthening the important participation  of the Portuguese in the American society.

Franklin, North Carolina, Franklin Press, December 5, 1997 How did Melungeons get here?  By Barbara McRae
I've always found a good mystery irresistible. Perhaps that is why I love history - is filled with complex, real-life mysteries. The Melungeons present one of the most fascinating of these. For many years a people known as the Melungeons have lived in parts of the Southeast including the Appalachians. They often found themselves in a difficult position because of their Mediterranean appearance. In the segregated South having darker skin than your neighbors was not a comfortable thing. These people thought of themselves as Portuguese – but, how did they get to the mountains? Articles and books about the Melungeons began appearing a century ago, but the authors lacked one important qualification. None were familiar with Portuguese culture or history. A few years ago I mentioned the Melungeons to Manuel Mira, who was look for material on our region for the Luso-Americano, a Portuguese-American newspaper. That brief comment was a spark that started an incredible explosion of investigative scholarship on Mira's part. The result is a 384-page, hard cover book, "The Forgotten Portuguese," which I have had the chance to study this week. The biggest mystery about the Melungeons is When did they get here, and how? Mira presents many possibilities. The Portuguese were frequent visitors to the New World. They early developed navigational skills that made them masters of the seas. Concerned with secrecy, they kept their discoveries to themselves. Other nationalities, including the English, often hired Portuguese navigators for their own expeditions. The Spaniards brought many Portuguese to the New World – they traveled with de Soto and may have been left to guard the forts. Pardo built in the interior (one of which may have been located near Morganton). In 1566, the Spanish began colonizing Parris Island, on the South Carolina coast. Within three years, 327 settlers – Spanish and Portuguese – lived at the site, which called Santa Elena. The settlement ended in 1587, but not all the settlers returned home.

What happened to the stragglers? Did they retreat to the interior, join soldiers from the abandoned Spanish forts, and become the nucleus of the people later known as Melungeons? Santa Elena may be the most intriguing possibility, but it is only part of the story. Many other expeditions and colonization attempts occurred during the 16th century and before. Reading Mira's accounts of these is an eye-opener. I conclude that we have never given sufficient credit to the skills, enterprise and world-knowledge that sea-going had acquired at that early date. In his introduction, Mira notes that he is uniquely positioned to research this subject, bringing a perspective "as a Portuguese and as an American, plus a good share of Appalachian Mountain feeling." Local people will be particularly interested in Mira's treatment of names and folkways. The unusual given name "Canara," for example, appears here in the 19th century e Mira points out that at least 20 Portuguese villages bear variations of this name. He also notes the similarity of some favorite Southeastern and Portuguese delicacies, including country ham, collards,turnip greens, black-eyed peas and sarsaparilla. And, our square dance, with instructions given by a caller, is similar to a folk dance found in the south of Portugal. Mira has produced a remarkable book. Besides the readable and interesting text, it includes many photographs and useful appendixes. It may not be the last work on the subject, but it provides many new avenues for exploration and will certainly stimulate new scholarship on one of our greatest mysteries. Whether you have Melungeon ancestry yourself, or are just intrigued by a good puzzle, you will find "The Forgotten Portuguese" fascinating. The book is available locally at Books Unlimited and the Macon County Historical Museum. It sells for $29.95, and all proceeds will go to the Portuguese-American Historical Research Foundation, a North Carolina nonprofit organization. Mira established the foundation to fund further research into America's early history and the role played by Portuguese people.

New Book "The Forgotten Portuguese" On the Melungeons and Other Groups in the Portuguese Making of America
The new book "The Forgotten Portuguese", written by Manuel Mira is an interesting book on the Melungeons and other Portuguese groups who settled in America as early as the 15^th and 16^th centuries. The most prominent of these groups are the Melungeons, a mysterious people who have claimed Portugues ancestry but who were discriminated against by the other white settlers. The author, Manuel Mira, himself a Portuguese-American, now resides in North Carolina, and became fascinated by these so-called "Melungeons" whom he discovered through several years of investigation and research. They were people, some dark-skinned, who lived in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The English colonists started calling them "Melungeons" which meant "melunge" or mixture of color and race. The author’s curiosity and fascination with these people led him to a continued research which took him to local Southern Libraries, the Library of Congress and then to national archives in Lisbon and Seville where he embarked on a journey to discover the influence of early Portuguese in the making of America. The Book has just been published by the Portuguese American Research Foundation headquartered in Franklin, North Carolina and is available for purchase at $29.95 through the Foundation or the Luso-Americano newspaper. This is an important book and a must for all Portuguese-American scholars, teachers, libraries and historians in general.

Luso-Americano, English Section Newark, NJ - December 5, 1997
New Historical Foundation Dedicated to the History of Early Portuguese Settlements in America. A number of interested, historians and researchers have recently formed an organization whose objective is to advance research in the history of early America . Accounts of early American history; before the 17^th century can be rather vague. The 15th and 16th centuries are often called the lost or forgotten centuries in American history. Many groups who settled here during that era have therefore been overlooked as contributors to the making of America. The new historical foundation organization founded on June 17,:1996, in Franklin, North Carolina in the midst of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The Foundation is specifically oriented to the history of early Portuguese settlements in America as well as other groups directly or indirectly connected with them. The most prominent of these groups are the Melungeons, who, according to generations of tradition, have claimed Portuguese ancestry. The immediate goal of the Foundation is to encourage the study of the presence of early settlers who came from Portugal or any of the lands discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries. Also planned in the context of the Portuguese connection is the funding of research initiatives leading to be publication of documents and books in the fields of archaeology, anthropology and linguistics. The Foundation's efforts will focus on the Southeastern United States, the area first explored by newcomers from Europe, Africa and Asia. This region is rich with history, tradition, and archaeology sites awaiting excavation and further research. Membership is composed of a limited number of Charter Members and an unlimited number of General Members willing to contribute to the success of the Foundation and its goals. Anyone interested may request an application by writing to: Portuguese-American Historical and Research Foundation (P.A.H.R.F.,Inc.); P.O. Box 437, Franklin, North Carolina, 28744-0437. Fax (828) 524-9968.