Luso-American Life

The Luso-American Life Insurance Society (LALIS) is the leading Portuguese fraternal benefit life insurance society in the United States and is the successor of the Benevolent Society of California which was founded in 1868 in San Francisco and of the Uniao Portuguesa Continental founded in 1917 in Oakland. In 1957, these two leading societies were consolidated under the name of the United National Life Insurance Society with its fraternal division formed under the name "Luso-American Fraternal Federation" (LUSO).

Nearly 35 years later in 1991, the companies name was changed to the Luso-American Life Insurance Society (LALIS) to match its fraternal identity which also pays tribute to those early immigrants to America who were known as "Luso-Americans" because they were nearly all from mainland Portugal, which in ancient times was referred to as "Lusitania".

In 2002, the Portuguese Continental Union of the USA (PCU) headquartered in Massachusetts, merged with and into LALIS. Nearly six years later in 2008, the Sociedade Portuguesa Rainha Santa Isabel (SPRSI) also joined the LALIS family, then forming the largest Portuguese fraternal benefit society in the world.

Another branch, the Luso-American Education Foundation (LAEF) was formed in 1963 to foster, sponsor and perpetuate the Portuguese language and culture in the United States in part by providing scholarships and educational grants to students. To date, over $ 1.7 million in scholarships and grants have been dispersed to the local community.

As a non-profit tax-exempt fraternal benefit society, our Branches, the Luso-American Fraternal Federation, PCU, SPRSI and LAEF are charged with the responsibility of promoting the civic, cultural, educational, social and fraternal activities of the Society.

All councils or lodges hold regular meetings and events to help preserve our Portuguese language, culture and heritage. Luso-American long ago recognized the importance of family and created a "20-30s Associates" department and a thriving "Youth" department to meet the needs of our children and young adults as future stewards of our Society.

We hope you enjoy our new app and we welcome you to join us!

Please visit http://www.luso-american.org for more information!