Jewish people had been among the first Azoreans. In Terceira, one of the first bays claimed by Portugal is called Porto Judeu. The story goes that the Jewish crew member who first swam to shore was given naming privileges. The Azores were again a place of escape for Jewish families during World War II. Research around the Y chromosome of Azoreans showed 13.4 percent of the population have DNA markers common to Jewish origin.
