Our mission is to improve the lives of Portuguese speakers in Massachusetts and help them become contributing, active participants in American society while maintaining a strong ethnic identity and a sense of community.

We work with and for the Brazilian, Cabo Verdean, Portuguese and other Portuguese-speaking communities to increase access and remove barriers to health, education and social services through direct services, advocacy, leadership, and community development.

MAPS in its present form was created in 1993 by the merger of two agencies: the former Somerville Portuguese American League (SPAL) and the Cambridge Organization of Portuguese Americans (COPA), which had served area Portuguese speakers separately since 1970.

They merged to improve service provision and further unify the Portuguese-speaking community, including immigrants from eight countries around the world.

In addition to serving Portuguese-speaking immigrants and their families, MAPS assists all who need our services.

Click here for a detailed MAPS Historical Background

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Our Core Values

Respect

We value respect as a principal core value. We respect the identity, experiences, and wisdom of our community, clients, staff, volunteers, and partners. We practice respect through our words and actions.

Knowledge

We value and continuously seek knowledge through research, civic engagement, and listening to our community to improve its well-being and representation.

Dependability

We value dependability to one another and our community. Our dependability is rooted in transparency, integrity, and trust.

Human Rights

We value the rights of all individuals. We promote and protect the human rights of our community through advocacy and engagement.