Re: [Goanet] Have We Lost It? - Stray Thoughts of a Toronto Goan
-- Forwarded message -- From: Roland Mascarenhas roland...@gmail.com Date: Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 11:20 AM Subject: Re: Have We Lost It? - Stray Thoughts of a Toronto Goan To: bo...@goanet.org Hi Bosco, Hope you're doing well. My comment below: - An interesting discussion sparked by a provocative, if not inflammatory column by Mr. Francis. Although my namesake is an eloquent writer, his claims (“What apologies can be made for very rich individual Goans who have winged their way into the economic stratosphere without a second glance to their hoi-polloi far behind?”; “Today's Goan corporate bigwigs have their noses so far up in the air they couldn't smell their own odors”) are questionable and lacking balance. It seems as if every few months a new comment has emerged focusing on the Goan identity crisis and its link to generational and cultural differences (East-West), and community organizations. But many of these auto-thoughts are superficial and polarizing in nature, lacking both social history and refusal to acknowledge the complexity of the modern day. As a 20-something cultural straddler born in the Greater Toronto Area, I have seen first-hand the harms of this ‘selective’ nostalgia for the past by my elders. Goa’s emigrant patterns in the first half of the past century are a product of economic circumstances, but have left our culture balkanized and fused with identity politics. The nation-state, be it Kenya, Uganda, Karachi or UAE, has replaced the village communal, but has splintered Goan diasporic communities into sub-cultural organizations. Correspondingly, nearly all of the organizations in Toronto - bar the 55+ associations – attempt to capture a niche market, leading to augmented attrition rates in membership, event and committee involvement, and dare I repeat Mr. Gabe Menezes’ comment, a higher proportion of interracial relationships. “Disco clubs” and “village feasts” are channels for young people to meet, but what constitutes a suitable number of participants is dubious: are 20 young adults enough? How about 60? The contemporary problem is not solely the deficit of avenues to meet, but also the perception we have of our community and the rampant self-loathing demarcated by the ethnic optioning (Goan young adults tell their friends they’re “Goan,” yet are oblivious to the history of the region and are fastidious in their selection of Goan traditions. When they leave the country on vacation they’re “Canadian”). As well as the common disassociation from our ‘homeland’ (“I’m African,” is the frequent mantra uttered by Goans. Tellingly, one Goan Soccer League team in Toronto, Margao Simba, maintains a strong bond with their African heritage, witnessed by the symbol of a lion, one player even getting an extensive back tattoo of a pride in a jungle. Read more here: http://alturl.com/gooqj). Post-2000 has been a time of technological advancement, but also cultural erosion. Years after its’ initial inception, the debate on what constitutes the current Goan Identity has yet to conclude. Instead, it continues to be ‘caught between two worlds,’ one of which is the nostalgia politics of the past (Mr. Francis’s comment), the other revealed in the subsequent responses about the Goan pioneering spirit. Goans continue to demonstrate this tension in the present: full-of-opinions yet unwilling to act on them. Have we ever truly broken the shackles of the colonial empire’s ‘Othering?’ Roland Mascarenhas Toronto, ON -- Thanks, Roland Mascarenhas Ed.M, Harvard University '12 B.Ed, University of Toronto B.A, York University -- Thanks, Roland Mascarenhas Ed.M, Harvard University '12 B.Ed, University of Toronto B.A, York University
Re: [Goanet] Ontario-Maharashtra-Goa Student Exchange Program
Hello Roland (great name!), This is an interesting post considering I was close to becoming part of the program in my final year of university as an undergraduate (logistic errors prevented me from doing so). For those that are unaware about the program, you can visit www.omgprogam.org. In your argument, you have stated several reasons why students in Goa should consider being part of the exchange to visit Ontario, but you have not provided compelling reasons why the opposite should occur - Canadians going on exchange to see Goa. You do mention, hoewever, that students opt instead for reciprocal programs with European and other better schools. I believe the primary reason why the OMG program has not taken off is because a lack of awareness and application to the appropriate demographic. The OMG program was marketed several years and and its promotion campaign needs a rejuvenation. Furthermore, in my personal opinion, an extremely small proportion of Goans in its Diasporas can strongly consider the program. Beyond the hefty tuition, flight, visa, and accomodation costs, a minority of Goans are looking at occupations that are focusing on the need for an exchange. International Relations, Public Policy, Business and Financial Management are the top occupations where an international exchange is strongly encouraged and in my personal experience, less then 1% of Goans are interested in these fields. If they do look at exchanges, they are looking at universities that tend to be English-speaking and are internationally accredited (i.e University College London, Trinity College, Bocconi University or if they're lucky Cambridge). Blame it on Western bias, but Indian' colleges and universities are frowned upon in the West, despite intense competition for spots and often an orthodox British structure. These educational institutes should not take heed, when is the last time you have heard a Westerner taking about world-class universities such as Tokyo University, Australian National University, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, University of Copenhagen, Karolinska Institute, or Utrecht University? Thanks, Roland -- Message: 4 Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2010 18:35:54 -0400 From: Roland Francis roland.fran...@gmail.com To: goanet@lists.goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] Ontario-Maharashtra-Goa Student Exchange Program Message-ID: 4caa56cc.0f79e50a.5b0e.e...@mx.google.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii This University-level student exchange program has been in operation for a while. Few Ontario students make use of this program with Maharashtra and Goa, for obvious reasons. They opt instead for reciprocal programs with European and other better schools. However, this program would immensely benefit students from Goa for the following reasons: 1. All participating Ontario Universities are of a high standard, although some better than others. 2. Goa students would pay Goa fees and get to study at a Canadian University. 3. If a certain grade level is maintained at the Ontario University (easily achievable with a little effort), permanent immigration is offered after graduation. More information is obtainable on the program either from websites or from the Universities concerned. My son completed such a program with a Swedish University and he was extremely pleased with it. He made many Swedish and other nationality friends who keep in touch with him. Also he now has the benefit of a year of international study experience on his resume which will no doubt give him an edge with his future. http://www.omgprogram.org/AboutON.html Roland Francis Toronto 416-453-3371 Thanks, Roland Mascarenhas roland...@gmail.com
[Goanet] India Special in Toronto Star (front page)
Hello Goanetters, Today on the front page of *Toronto Star*, there are several stories devoted to covering India - whether it political, economic, sporting or social terms (as witnessed by covering Bollywood). The online edition can be found here: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/indiaspecial Thanks, Roland
Re: [Goanet] From dreams to nightmares
Before posting my comment, I would like to take this time to introduce myself to the Goanet readers. My name is Roland Mascarenhas and I am a Goan-Canadian involved within the Educational realm in Toronto. While I can certainly understand the sensationalized if not inflammatory comments by Priyak Mitra, rather than just discarding it I think we should take a closer look. The author awkwardly forces the line “most Goans are not well-educated and lack conversation skills” which is contrary to what statistics reveal – that Goa has one of the highest literacy rates at above 80% in India, (although the credibility can be taken into account as Goa is the 25th largest state in population). Needless to say, Goa has undoubtedly thrived on fisheries, tourism and hospitality dollars – an industry which requires little need for ‘higher’ education. Surely, we cannot put Goa in the same bracket as the Mumbaites who mimic Western capitalistic behavior in which the gap between the rich and the poor is only widening. Thus, what is so wrong about stating that Goans are ‘not’ well-educated? Is it merely that we are hyper-sensitive? Furthermore, as someone who is heavily involved with a Goan youth in a North American Diaspora, it is challenging to define what is considered “well-educated.” The standards exist based on family history and the obsessive need for upward mobility – seen both in income and in social status. Where as one adult from a highly-educated background would consider the pursuit of graduate or professional studies acceptable, others would consider a ‘college’ education suffice. (In Canada, the educational system is often two-tiered with colleges often admitting students in the 60% mark range in schools – something famous American political scientist Charles Murray greatly frowns upon as superfluous). Could it be that the degree is used as a tool to demonstrate an artificial social status to fuel this obsessive need for economic advancement and wealth? Ms. Vivan D’Souza seems to think so when she states “seeing people returning to Goa from abroad, flaunting their wealth, it is no wonder that every Goan youth dreams about going abroad.” In regards to the piece about “lacking conversation skills,” I have had hands-on experience with hundreds of Goan youth in Toronto and it befuddles me the lack of “professional abilities” that youth demonstrate when in unfamiliar terrain. I believe the root of this is a lack of confidence, but it is only amplified with the ongoing tension between Goan (parents) about socioeconomic status, class and family background. Needless to say, this topic needs to be covered entirely in a different piece. There are a plethora of ‘highly-educated’ individuals (M.D, Ph.D and so forth) on the Goanet mailing list, but do you need a “degree” from to justify that you are “well-educated?” As a young adult who reads Goanet everyday, I am amazed at the verbal dexterity displayed by the many writers – regardless of whether they attended a college or university. Take it from one of the famous North American writers of our time who did not attend school past eleven years old, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” -- Thanks, Roland Mascarenhas roland...@gmail.com
Re: [Goanet] Book on Goan diaspora readies for British launch (Eddie Fernandes)
After reading the post about the book on the Goan Diaspora, I am interested in speaking with the author for a few interview questions and potentially purchasing the book. Though the book is focused on a British Goan diaspora, the book would be well publicized in Toronto as it has the 2nd largest diaspora outside of London it seems. If you have the contact info or know where I can purchase the book, please email me at roland...@gmail.com. It is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Roland * * * IS YOURS one of the stories of Goans on board the S.S. Dwarka, or at the Strait of Hormuz, Basra or Bahrain, Dubai, Swindon, Mombasa, Poona or Rangoon? Selma Carvalho's new book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness* docks at many other ports. Get your copy from Broadways, Panjim [9822488564] Rs 295. Pp extra. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
