It is very true that Goans in East Africa did often emphasize their Portugal-ism or Portuguse-ness. I have known many that insisted they were Portuguese, including myself at the age of 11, when I returned from five years in Goa to St Joseph's in Dar es Salaam. Not even the lecture I received from Mrs de Souza, our Mangalorian class teacher, convinced me otherwise. Perhaps we confused Portuguese citizenship with Portuguese ethnicity. Much later I began to charecterise myself as Goan, with Portuguese citizenship. It took Makerere to bring me to acknowledge my essential Indian-ness.
Attached is a excerpt from a book I came across recently. It discusses the Portuguese-ness of Goans. See attachment. Click on the first line at top that says: Screen Readers etc..... Cheers Mel On Fri, Dec 20, 2019 at 12:03 AM Mervyn Lobo <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tuesday, December 17, 2019, 5:33 PM, Adolfo Mascarenhas < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Hi All > > President Benjamin Mkapa’s, who was the was hand picked by the Father of > the Nation, become President has just produced his autobiography which is > caused quite a rave , His the autobiography, My* Life My Purpose*/ > > What prompts me to write is that I came across the following statement on > page 21 and I have emphasizes the section on the Goans > > You sensed a certain class consciousness *especially Goans of the Indian > community,* who believed that they were of a higher class than and close > to the Europeans than the Indians other . The Indian society is very > structured, it also felt a cut above us the Africans, I must emphasise > that there was no real hostility though of course there was racial > discrimination in Dar es Salaam, with places where no Africans were allowed > such as a club or an hotel “ > > What is your reaction? A couple Goans in Dar have asked me if had read the > book. Yes I did. and I have attached a copious number of stick-ons > > > Adolfo Mascarenhas > > --------------------------------------------- > > Well Doc, > The Govt itself did not allow social clubs to be open to all. > > There was a time when The Goan Institute could not, by law, allow > non-Goans to join. This was especially problematic when the Institute > wanted to draft a non-Goan player for its hockey or any other sports team. > > Independence brought about changes in the laws inherited from the > colonialist. One side effect was that Goan tailors and cooks could then > join the Goan Institutes. > > I once served in a church fund raising committee with Mkapa. He was my > neighbour and Foreign Minister at the time. This is what he had to say > about Goans soon after becoming President. > > Dar Institute > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/45002663@N00/48458573331/in/album-72157710103194316/> > > Dar Institute > > Explore mervyn1650lobo's photos on Flickr. mervyn1650lobo has uploaded > 6560 photos to Flickr. > > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/45002663@N00/48458573331/in/album-72157710103194316/> > > > > Mervyn > >
