Mario Goveia writes: > I'm pretty sure it was Santosh - Goanet's sage of peer-reviewed > scientific objectivity - who made the best case that there was no such > monolith as a "Goan identity". It is in the eye of each beholder, or, > more correctly, each group of like minded beholders.
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:08:21 +0530 From: Sandeep Heble <[email protected]> I recently came across an interesting thesis by Donna J Young on Goan Identity. Titled "Defining Goan Identity: A Literary Approach, the thesis is available at the link below. http://tinyurl.com/d56km8 Mario observes: This is a study by an American grad student who concludes, "The conclusion is that by making Konkani the official state language, Goans have developed a dual Goan/Indian identity. In addition, as the Goan Diaspora becomes more widespread, Goans continue to define themselves with the concept of building or returning to the ancestral home." Clearly this thesis needs to be peer-reviewed by Santosh and other members of Goanet who have Ph.D's Two Goanetters Fred Noronha and Victor Rangel Ribeiro are acknowledged by the author Donna Young. In scanning this thesis I found some hilarious excerpts which describe the peculiar Goan obsession with marrying the "right" spouse and other euphemisms which are used as code for caste. Excerpt 1: Dom agrees to return to Goa because he is a high school drop out and cannot obtain a good job in Africa. When he arrives in Anjuna in the late sixties or early seventies, he finds that his elderly aunt is not living in the house, but the caretaker Kunti is in charge. Dom is shocked when he goes inside of the house to discover the extent of its deterioration. “As he moved inside, the area of the corridors, and the rooms confirmed his first impression of that mansion’s size, but the extent of neglect and decay was equally vast.” Kunti convinces Dom that he belongs in the home and he should try to make himself worthy of his heritage. Dom’s aunt, a lady with very traditional ideas about marriage and family, believes that that living up to his heritage means not only looking after the ancestral home, but also marrying a woman from a background of which she approves. She tells Dom that the family disapproved of his father’s marriage; he married beneath his status because his mother was the daughter of a musician. The disapproval was so great that the couple were forced to leave Goa and live in Africa. The aunt is convinced that Dom’s father will suffer because of his marriage. She declares, “The souls of our ancestors will never forgive him for what he did. I’m sure he is trying to make up for it now; otherwise he would not have sent you home.” In traditional Goan society making a bad marriage is a person’s social undoing. Approval of the ancestors is important because it shows that the ties to the homeplace extend well beyond an individual’s choices; they extend into eternity. [end of Excerpt 1] Excerpt 2: An example of Goan literature that discusses the Goan diaspora and the advantages for Goans of keeping their heritage is Lino Leitao’s short story, “Thanks to the Goa Bus System.” It is interesting to note that Lino Leitao himself is part of the Goan diaspora; he resides in Canada presumably some time after the Liberation. “Thanks to the Goa Bus System” is a short story about Angelo Martins, a Goan who emigrates to Canada. Before he leaves, he promises his mother that he will marry a woman not only Goan, but also from the same caste. After arriving in Canada, he adapts very well to his new culture. He learns both English and French and becomes a Canadian citizen. He saves his money and becomes very wealthy, but does not marry because of his promise to his mother. Angelo feels uncomfortable asking Goan women in Canada about their backgrounds, so he decides that he should return to Goa to find a wife. At first it is difficult to find him a suitable wife because the Goan women he meets prefer men who are living in the Middle East and are, therefore, wealthier rather than those who have been living in Canada. Angelo hears about a girl in Margao, through a matchmaker, and decides to take the bus to see her. While he is on the bus, he discusses politics with other passengers and meets a woman named Vanda, the woman of his dreams. He has lunch with her and decides that she is the girl that he wants to marry. When he returns home, he discovers that his mother knows not only knows Vanda’s family, she also approves of the match. Angelo is happy that he is able to keep his promise to his mother. The message in this story is clear. Angelo could go to a foreign country and change his citizenship, but he could not change his cultural ties to his homeland. Although he declares he is keeping his promise to his mother by marrying someone of whom she approves, the story ends with him finding the perfect mate and living happily ever after. The clear implication is that sticking to your roots and your heritage will lead you to happiness. [end of Exceprt 2]
