Friday, October 18, 2013

Meredith Vieira: Second Generation Immigrant

Meredith Vieira is the MOST famous (in America) person of Azorean descent.

To quote her Wikipedia article (is anyone out there related to anyone here?):

"Vieira was born in East Providence, Rhode Island, to Mary Louisa Elsie Rosa Silveira Vieira (née Costa) (October 28, 1904 – November 5, 2004) and Dr. Edwin Vieira (May 15, 1904 – February 1987), both first-generation Portuguese Americans. "

And 3 of 4 grandparents came from Faial.  The other one was from the Azores as well, but whoever knows hasn't updated Wikipedia. (First generation is defined as the first to be "citizens")

She admits that she "doesn't know how to say" her own last name. She had gone a few decades ago, and grew up in a Portuguese-speaking region; one of her early broadcasting gigs hired her because they thought she'd be able to speak Portuguese.  In her words, "I don't"

Everyone should do research on their own family.  She has a clip from an interview she did with her grandfather a year before he died.  Not enough questions about his life on the islands.

(Also, her father's father had been a priest.  And left to start a family.  I wonder how common a practice that was . . . it happened in my family too!)

http://shenews.projo.com/2008/08/meredith-vieira.html

No comments:

Post a Comment