The Regional Director for Communities, Paulo Teves, defended in California that the promotion and dissemination of Portuguese Language in the United States of America should be "a joint action between interested parties."

"Policy makers, associations and their leaders, academic and school communities and parents should play a decision-making role in the creation of attractive and appealing mechanisms to ensure the learning of Portuguese Language today and in the future," stated Paulo Teves. The government official spoke at the 37th Annual Conference of the Luso-American Education Foundation that was took place at the California State University in the city of Turlock.

In the context of this meeting, which was held under the theme "Connecting the World through Languages and Cultures," the Regional Director for Communities met with 150 young students from various schools in the area of San Joaquin Valley and urged them to "increase their participation in associations to preserve the Azorean cultural identity and become the 'ambassadors' of the Azores in their communities."

"Youngsters of Azorean descent, who live far from the archipelago, are called upon to contribute to the enrichment of the Azorean presence in the world through the dissemination of the Azores of today as a place of opportunities and modernity, which is a source of pride for all Azoreans regardless of where they are," stressed Paulo Teves at the meeting with youngsters.