Duarte Papa-Vicente sits bundled up at the bus stop, J. Holiday playing quietly through his ear buds. When the bus finally pulls up around a. He spreads his basketball gear and school backpack across the adjacent seats and gets comfortable.
But the unreliable buses are the only transportation option he has. For Papa-Vicente, 17, struggle has become a companion. He moved to Portland as a youth from Angola , with the potential to play basketball at a high level. But a series of social obstacles have slowed Papa-Vicente and he has lost the stability he needs to be successful. Papa-Vicente was born in Lisbon, Portugal on Jan. Later, his younger twin brothers, Dario and Denio, were born.
The family wanted to move to Canada where a relative lived. They landed at their layover in Portland only to realize, after a miscommunication, that they would be staying there.
After half a dozen phone calls, they found the Capuias, a Portuguese-speaking family who had room in their home for the Papa-Vicentes to stay. Papa-Vicente remembers the extravagant parties they threw.
Angolan music played loudly throughout the home and people came from across the Portland area to celebrate togetherness. Papa-Vicente remembers the food especially.
