DOCSLIB.ORG

Changing Macanese Identities in the Post-Handover

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Changing Macanese Identities in the Post-Handover UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES Sociology and Social Policy Changing Macanese Identities in the Post‐Handover Era by Margarida Cheung Vieira Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2016 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND HUMAN SCIENCES Sociology and Social Policy Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy CHANGING MACANESE IDENTITIES IN THE POST‐HANDOVER ERA Margarida Cheung Vieira On 20 December 1999, Macau closed the chapter of more than four centuries of Portuguese rule and officially became one of the Special Administrative Regions (S.A.R.) of China. During these centuries, a creole culture emerged along with a community of racially mixed individuals, commonly known as the Macanese (Pina Cabral, 2002). While many of them have opted to disaffiliate themselves from the ‘capital of Portugueseness’ (Pina Cabral, 2002:41), for the purpose of conglomerating with and adapting to the major Chinese population in Macau, others remain severely proud of their Macanese identity. By employing a theoretical framework in mixed race studies (Bhabha, 1994; Ali, 2003; Song, 2003), this thesis will explore the Macanese’s identity, language and culture as a consequence of the impact of post‐handover in Macau. The focus will be on how the Macanese, as a racially mixed community, have managed and negotiated their identity, language and culture in this context. The perspectives of positioning will be amplified, since there is an apparent lack of research in Macau. By utilising biographical research in qualitative methodology, this thesis examines the Macanese context due to sinicization from the interviews of three sample groups (Category A, Category B and the Category C). The disparities in ages and experiences are specifically arranged to allow their aspirations and perceptions to be explored and discussed as being mixed in the dominating Chinese society. i Despite the consequence of the handover, my results show that younger Macanese are keen to search for new ways to adapt and to preserve their community and cultures from dissipating. Many have acknowledged the significance to look beyond the traditional norms (as previously adopted by the older Macanese generation) and to acquire a receptive attitude with the major Chinese population in order to endure their sustainability in contemporary Macau. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ i List of figures ............................................................................................................ vii DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP ................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... xi Definitions and Abbreviations ................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 1.1 Formations of Macau .......................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 A concise historical review: trade and religion ............................................ 3 1.1.3 Food as an identity marker .......................................................................... 4 1.2 The Macanese ........................................................................................................ 5 1.2.1 Marriage and its consequences in the Macanese community .................... 7 1.3 Language changes .................................................................................................. 8 1.4 Intra and inter divisions .......................................................................................... 9 1.5 Identity choice ...................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Methodological design ......................................................................................... 11 1.7 Thesis outline ........................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 2: Social Changes that shape the Macanese in Macau ................................. 13 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 13 2.2 The colonial administration period ...................................................................... 15 2.3 The post‐colonial era: a Chinese territory under Portuguese administration ..... 17 2.4 The transition period ............................................................................................ 19 2.5 The advent of a new sovereignty ......................................................................... 21 2.6 A summary of the gambling city and its social problems..................................... 22 2.7 The pre 1999 and post‐handover ......................................................................... 23 2.8 The post 1999 period ........................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3: Literature review ..................................................................................... 29 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 29 3.2 The meaning of ‘mixed race’............................................................................. 30 3.2.1 Labelling mixedness ................................................................................... 32 3.2.2 The process of race shifting ....................................................................... 33 i 3.2.3 Mixed race development ........................................................................... 34 3.3 The structuring of class with race (non‐biological) .......................................... 35 3.4 A peculiar kind of colonial and post‐colonialism .............................................. 36 3.5 Formation of the Creole Community ................................................................ 37 3.6 Deconstructing the Macanese position ............................................................ 39 3.7 The post‐handover choice ................................................................................ 40 3.7.1 Localisation ................................................................................................. 40 3.7.2 Restructuring the civil service .................................................................... 41 3.7.3 Adaptation to a new government .............................................................. 42 3.8 A divided society ............................................................................................... 43 3.9 The structuring of the mixed‐race identity ....................................................... 44 3.10 Negotiating identities for adaptation ............................................................... 46 3.10.1 Acquisition of a new identity ................................................................... 49 3.11 The re‐appropriation of the Portuguese protagonist ....................................... 51 3.11.1 Language: a form of identity .................................................................... 54 3.11.2 On speaking Cantonese ............................................................................ 54 3.11.3 Language: an ethnic passing tool ............................................................. 56 3.11.4 The role of the colonial languages ........................................................... 57 3.11.5 The penchant for the national lingua ....................................................... 58 3.12 Religion as performance and cultural practice ................................................. 60 3.12.1 Employing cuisine to sustain the Macanese heritage .............................. 62 3.13 Enhancing a shared identity with food ............................................................. 63 3.14 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: Methodology .......................................................................................... 67 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 67 4.2 Methodologies .................................................................................................. 68 4.3 Researching mixedness ..................................................................................... 69 4.4 Research methods ............................................................................................ 70 4.5 Interview locations ........................................................................................... 73 4.6 Sampling frame ................................................................................................. 74 4.7 The researcher’s role and reflexivity ................................................................ 76 4.8 A reflection on my insider’s role ....................................................................... 78 4.9 Snowballing effect ............................................................................................ 79 4.10 Hindrance of an insider ....................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2020 Fall Lusitano Bulletin
    MACAU “20 Years of Progress and Development” An Online Photography Exhibition presented by Instituto Internacional Macau (IIM) President’s Message …………………………………...…….....2 2020 Calendar of Events……………….........……....…….…...3 Notice of Annual General Meeting & Elections………........4 The Portuguese Historical Museum……………….……........4 Books available from Lusitano Club…..…………………….5 Celebrating 20 Years of Macau SAR......................................11 Scholarship Recipient “Emma Casey”.....................................12 Macanese Families by Maria Roliz…………..............................14 Encontro “Macau 2019” Memories….....................................15 International Call for Macanese Cuisine Recipes …….....16 Recipes by Priscilla Canavarro…………..………………...........17 The “Gallo” by Ken Harper……...……..………………...........18 Seeking Junior Membership Help with Club Website….....20 45th Annual Luso-American Education Conference……..20 Macau Cultural Center / Word Scramble ………………...22 Portuguese Citizenship…………………..................................23 Contact for Lusitano Directors & Officers..………..........23 President’s Message Dear members and friends, We are now entering in the final stretch of this challenging year of turbulent times. We have missed seeing all of you this summer as we usually do at all our activities. We hope you all had a wonderful and decent summer with your families. We always have you as members on our minds and keeping you safe. We again have reached out to the membership to see how you and your families are doing. We hope as of this writing, all of you are still doing well. We are here to help, direct and or if you just need someone to talk to. Our children and grandchildren are now returning back to school even though most if not all will start virtually. We appreciate and thank all the teachers who are having to learn a new way to teach.
    [Show full text]
  • Choice of Foreign Names As a Strategy for Identity Management
    Intercultural Communication Studies XVII: 2 2008 Cheang Choice of Foreign Names as a Strategy for Identity Management Justina Cheang, University of Macau Regardless of the fact that Macau’s dominating population are Chinese, English names, or to be more exact, foreign names, are favored and widely used, be it in the businesses, the government, or education institutions. Though Chinese (Cantonese) is spoken by most in the city, local Chinese people’s favor in the use of English/foreign names, whether they are students, civil servants, or working in the business, does reflect their taste and their desired image to be displayed to others. Interviews are conducted showing that people’s choice of English/foreign names are somehow a strategy for identity management – certain names are chosen to show a pleasant personality, or other desirable qualities that they wanted to project to others. It is interesting to note that, other than English names, people would choose Portuguese names, Japanese names, names of things (non-proper names), or even people’s own creation for use. A Chinese saying: “One does not fear if he/she has a bad fate; what one fears most is to be given a bad name.” Rather than a Chinese saying, this should also be a universal consideration when most parents all over the world are finding names for their children. Most people get their names when they are born, and very often they themselves are not involved in the decision-making. What if we get a chance to decide on our own name? To get a name by oneself is probably a very unique trend in Asia, and especially, the Chinese communities.
    [Show full text]
  • The Globalization of Chinese Food ANTHROPOLOGY of ASIA SERIES Series Editor: Grant Evans, University Ofhong Kong
    The Globalization of Chinese Food ANTHROPOLOGY OF ASIA SERIES Series Editor: Grant Evans, University ofHong Kong Asia today is one ofthe most dynamic regions ofthe world. The previously predominant image of 'timeless peasants' has given way to the image of fast-paced business people, mass consumerism and high-rise urban conglomerations. Yet much discourse remains entrenched in the polarities of 'East vs. West', 'Tradition vs. Change'. This series hopes to provide a forum for anthropological studies which break with such polarities. It will publish titles dealing with cosmopolitanism, cultural identity, representa­ tions, arts and performance. The complexities of urban Asia, its elites, its political rituals, and its families will also be explored. Dangerous Blood, Refined Souls Death Rituals among the Chinese in Singapore Tong Chee Kiong Folk Art Potters ofJapan Beyond an Anthropology of Aesthetics Brian Moeran Hong Kong The Anthropology of a Chinese Metropolis Edited by Grant Evans and Maria Tam Anthropology and Colonialism in Asia and Oceania Jan van Bremen and Akitoshi Shimizu Japanese Bosses, Chinese Workers Power and Control in a Hong Kong Megastore WOng Heung wah The Legend ofthe Golden Boat Regulation, Trade and Traders in the Borderlands of Laos, Thailand, China and Burma Andrew walker Cultural Crisis and Social Memory Politics of the Past in the Thai World Edited by Shigeharu Tanabe and Charles R Keyes The Globalization of Chinese Food Edited by David Y. H. Wu and Sidney C. H. Cheung The Globalization of Chinese Food Edited by David Y. H. Wu and Sidney C. H. Cheung UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I PRESS HONOLULU Editorial Matter © 2002 David Y.
    [Show full text]
  • Casa De Macau No Canada (Toronto) Newsletter
    Casa de Macau no Canada (Toronto) Newsletter Vol. 4 June 2, 2005 4168 Finch Avenue East, P.H. # 39 Scarborough, Ont. CANADA M1S 5H6 Tel: 416-299-6947 www.casademac au.ca Board of Executives From the Executive President and Editor Monica Alves 905-887-9408 [email protected] In the last three half year mark and well past the months, we have witnessed such significant actual 5th anniversary 1st Vice-President and Editor high and low examples of the po- date of December 1999, that this Gloria Soares Anok 416-284-9095 tential of the human spirit from [email protected] proposed celebration will not occur both far away and close to home. this year. However, you will be 2nd Vice-President There was the passing of our be- kept posted if anything develops. Marie-Cecile Remedios 416-383-0327 loved Pope John Paul II, to the [email protected] scandalous revelations coming out 2nd Anniversary of the Amigu of the Gomery enquiry hearing. di Macau Club (Toronto) Treasurer The one has resulted in the election Barbara J. Baptista 416-283-7937 José Cordeiro, President of the of a new spiritual leader while the Amigu di Macau Club (Toronto) [email protected] other, the election of possibly a new extended an invitation for two of Secretary secular leader of our country. your Executives to attend a din- Helena Barradas 905-201-7155 ner on April 9, 2005. The occa- [email protected] Both these events have impacted us sion was to celebrate the 2nd Anni- in the microcosm that is our Casa.
    [Show full text]
  • “Don't Even Start With
    The EU and Macau. When History becomes a Motivation for Political Co-operation. Violet SOEN Research Assistant of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders (Belgium) (F.W.O.-Vlaanderen) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven “Don’t even start with it, you won’t find a thing”. The reaction stems from Malcolm Subhan, vice-chairman of the European Institute for Asian Studies and lecturer of the IXth Chair Glaverbel, as I reflected upon a paper about the reminiscence of the western colonial past in Asia in European Union policy documents. I honestly admit: after an inquiry into key words as “history”, “past” and “colonialism” in several policy documents concerning EU-Asia relationships, the catch was poor. This or that agreement or strategy might mark “a historical step” in regard to the future but accompanying considerations on the past are persistently lacking. The reason of the obvious absence is natural, even human: because past relationships between the European and Asian continent are considered as highly problematic, they do not provide a solid base for political co-operation. While most policy documents concerning EU-Asian issues thus cautiously avoid to mention historical relationships, I was surprised to find a case in which they are abundantly quoted: Macau, a small region of only 23 square kilometre situated in the southwest of the Pearl River Estuary. Formerly Macau was an overseas Portuguese territory but since its retrocession, 20th December 1999, it became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the “one country, two systems” formula. Macau was the first European settlement in China, officially going back to 1557.
    [Show full text]
  • A Chan, a Tancareira
    INDEX “A Chan, a Tancareira” (Senna Albuquerque, Pedro António de Fernandes), 250 Meneses Noronha de, 73 Abriz, José, 38 Ali, Ha¯jı¯ Muha¯mmad, 73 Abu’l Hasan (sultan), 71 Allen, Charles Herbert, 179 Aceh Almeida, António José de Miranda e, Portuguese conflicts with, 51, 53, 36 57 Almeida, Manuel de, 122 sultan and sultanate of, 50 Almeida, Miguel Vale de, 72–73, 242, adaptation, 4–5, 6, 10, 19, 240, 255 259 Afonso, Inácio Caetano, 35, 37 An Earth-Colored Sea, 259 Africa, 12, 26, 29, 140, 173 Almeida, Teresa da Piedade de Baptista Lusophone, 131, 143, 242, 271 See Devi, Vimala (pseud.) plants from, 33, 34, 39 aloe, 40 Africans, 11, 12, 133, 135, 138, 160, althea, 40 170, 245, 249 Álvares, Gaspar Afonso, 69 See also slaves Amaral, Miguel de, 90 Agualusa, José Eduardo, 261, 265, 270 American Institute of Indian Studies, Um Estranho em Goa, 261–63, 270 xi Fronteiras Perdidas, 265 Ames, Glenn Joseph, xi–xiii “A Nossa Pátria na Malásia”, 270 works by, xiii Aguiar, António de, 86, 89, 97 Amor e Dedinhos de Pé (Senna “Ah Chan, the Tanka Girl” (Senna Fernandes), 247, 250–54 Fernandes) Amorim, Francisco Gomes de, 183 See “A Chan, a Tancareira” An Earth-Colored Sea (Almeida), 259 air forces Anderson, Benedict, 236, 240–41, 255 Royal Air Force, 217 See also imagined communities United States Army Air Forces, Anglo-Asians, 132 Fourteenth Air Force, 215 See also Luso-Asians Ajuda Palace, 36 Anglo-Indians, 134, 139 Albuquerque, Afonso de, 48, 54 and White Australia policy, 143 299 14 Portuguese_1.indd 299 10/31/11 10:17:12 AM 300 Index Anglo-Portuguese
    [Show full text]
  • Experience, Memory and the Construction of the Past Remembering Macau 1941 - 1945
    EXPERIENCE, MEMORY AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PAST REMEMBERING MACAU 1941 - 1945 by MELANIA DAWN CANNON B.A., Mount Allison University, 1999 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Department of History) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA August 2001 © Melania Dawn Cannon, 2001 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Abstract During most of the Second World War, from the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Portuguese colony of Macau was the only neutral territory in the Pacific. During these years the colony served as a haven for hundreds of thousands who were fleeing Japanese expansion. A central aspect of Macau's war experience was the internal life of the colony. However, little or no published or archival material is available on this subject. Accordingly, the only feasible way to study this aspect of the territory's history is to draw on the testimony of those who in fact did experience wartime conditions in Macau.
    [Show full text]
  • Casino Capitalism in the Era of COVID-19: Examining Macau's
    Casino capitalism in the era of COVID-19: Examining Macau’s pandemic response Loretta Lou University of Macau [email protected] The published version of the paper can be found here. Citation: Lou, L. (2021), "Casino capitalism in the era of COVID-19: examining Macau’s pandemic response", Social Transformations in Chinese Societies, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of- print. Abstract Purpose This purpose of this paper is to explain Macau’s successful pandemic response through an analysis of its social, political, and economic landscapes. In particular, it focuses on the economic relief brought by casino capitalism in this era of COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach As mobility is highly restricted during the coronavirus pandemic, digital technologies have become central to ongoing social science research. Thanks to videoconferencing programmes such as Zoom, Facetime, and WhatsApp, I was able to carry out virtual interviews with thirteen local people from different sectors of Macau in July 2020. In addition to in-depth interviews, I also undertook an extensive review of the Macau government’s pandemic policies. Findings This paper argues that the Macau government’s swift and effective coronavirus policies are deeply intertwined with the urban fabric and political economy of the city’s casino capitalism, which endowed the government with surplus funds and an infrastructure that enabled the implementation of an array of strict measures that few other countries could afford to subsidize. Among the factors that have led to Macau’s extraordinarily low rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths are not only competent leadership but also the public’s high compliance with mandatory health measures, the generous benefits and financial support for citizens and businesses, and the compulsory quarantine required of all incoming travellers, who are lodged in hotel rooms left empty when casino tourists stopped coming.
    [Show full text]
  • CONNECTIONS (By Alberto M
    Vol. 35. No. 2 A Publication of UMA, Inc Apr-Jun 2012 Editor: Daniel Gomes, 4394 N. Sweetbriar Ct, Concord, Ca 94521 E-Mail: [email protected] CONNECTIONS (by Alberto M. Guterres of Sydney, Australia) The Diaspora of our ethnic group from the Far East including Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong have caused many family ties and friendship to go astray and contacts to be lost and some never to be regained again. I was always very interested in the Indochina branch of my family - “da Cruz”, since I was never given the opportunity to meet most of the members who resided in Saigon. My mother and her 2 children (Peter and self) left Macau in December 1946 for Brazil via Portugal. Brazil was never attained and so we made our home in Lisbon, Portugal without ever visiting Saigon. The French Indochina War began on December 9, 1946 (a day after we left Macau for Portugal) and terminated on August 1, 1954 with the defeat of the French Forces in Dien Bien Phu. My “da Cruz” branch of the family migrated to France in 1954, after sensing the country was lost and due to the death of the Patriarch Antonio Maria Augusto, who died that same year. He had learnt with horror that his country home in Dalat was destroyed and his home in Saigon had been taken over by the Communists. My mother used to write to her father until his death in 1954 but lost contact with the rest of the ‘da Cruz’ family who left for France.
    [Show full text]
  • Naming Practices Among the Eurasians of Macao‘
    JOAO DE PINA-CABRAL in collaboration with N E L S 0 N L 0 U R E N C 0 Personal identity and ethnic ambiguity: naming practices among the Eurasians of Macao‘: The embarrassment of limits is a general feature of social organisation Erving Goffman (1963: 148) This paper is an attempt to explore the relationship between personal identity and ethnic identity from a perspective that sees culture, to use Sangren’s words, ‘as a dialectically unified process of self and collective production’ (1991: 80). I will be focusing on naming practices in a multiethnic context in such a way as to show that the negotiation of name conferral and uses, functions not only as a means of situating the person and of achieving personal strategic aims but also of constantly defining the sociocultural system or systems involved (cf. Herzfeld 1982: 288). The Portuguese- speaking Eurasians of Macao are a particularly good test case for this study as they live in a marginal condition and thus provide us with a clearer perception of the practical limits of these sociocultural systems (cf. Terrades 1992). The background Macao is a place that defies simple description, and what is generally known about it is often misleading. It is usually assumed that it has the same status as its neighbour, the British colony of Hong Kong, but this is not the case. To understand the Macanese, the differences between Hong Kong and Macao are central to the discussion. When the Portuguese first began building houses in Macao around 1547, the status of the settlement was unclear.
    [Show full text]
  • The Lotus, the Orchid, and the Dragon: an Examination of One Country, Two Systems and Its Trajectory in Xi Jinping’S China
    University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses College of Arts & Sciences 5-2020 The lotus, the orchid, and the dragon: an examination of One Country, Two Systems and its trajectory in Xi Jinping’s China. Eric M. Bush University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/honors Part of the Comparative Politics Commons, and the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Bush, Eric M., "The lotus, the orchid, and the dragon: an examination of One Country, Two Systems and its trajectory in Xi Jinping’s China." (2020). College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses. Paper 213. Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/honors/213 This Senior Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Sciences at ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Lotus, the Orchid, and the Dragon: An Examination of One Country, Two Systems and its Trajectory in Xi Jinping’s China By Eric M. Bush A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Louisville in Partial Fulfillment of the
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Hong Kong and Macau in China's Relations with Europe
    The Role of Hong Kong and Macau in China’s Relations with Europe Brian Hook and Miguel Santos Neves The return of Hong Kong by Britain in 19971 and of Macau by Portugal in 19992 formally marked the end of one era of Sino-European relations and the beginning of another. Both events had been preceded by pro- tracted negotiations, detailed bilateral treaties and, in the history of imperial withdrawal, extended transition periods.3 Consequently, since the signing of the Joint Declarations (JD),4 the local, national and international implications of the two events have been the foci of historical assessment, strategic analysis, contingency planning and policy reformulation. As the concept of “one country-two systems” is put to the test, this predictable and, indeed, inevitable process continues. An important ques- tion emerging from the process is whether, in the rapidly changing conditions of the 21st century, the two territories, as treaty-based Special Administrative Regions (SAR), will be assets or liabilities in Sino- European relations. An alternative, perhaps more focused and, therefore satisfactory form of the question is under what circumstances would the territories be assets and under what other circumstances could they become liabilities in the relations between Europe and China? Historical Factors The historical events heralding the end of European extra-territoriality in China had occurred much earlier. The peaking of Chinese nationalism in the 1920s had exposed the vulnerability of the port of Hong Kong to strikes.5 Had that high-tide permanently extinguished the commercial life 1. According to the Sino-British Joint Declaration initialled 26 September 1984, signed 16 December 1984, ratified 27 May 1985, the PRC government declared it would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the PRC with effect from 1 July 1997, and the UK government declared it would restore Hong Kong to the PRC with effect from the same date.
    [Show full text]