MACANESE DIASPORA | Scholar calls for more collaboration between Macanese communities

Roy Xavier

Scholar Roy Xavier from the University of California, Berkeley, has advocated for more collaboration between Macanese communities and global organizations.
Speaking on the sidelines of a lecture held yesterday at the University of Saint Joseph, Roy Xavier reiterated his recent statements regarding the Council of the Macanese Communities (CCM), which he thinks sometimes might not be representative of the whole community.
Mr Xavier is due to be appointed president of the International Macanese Alliance (IMA), an organization recently established by Macanese associations in Canada, the United States, Macau and Portugal.
Recently, he told newspaper Tribuna de Macau, some of these associations are not accredited by CCM and therefore IMA would be looking to develop projects that have not garnered the support of CCM. He had stated also that the Council of the Macanese Communities was “virtually isolated” from the Macanese diaspora.
Yesterday, he said that they have discussed the matter further with CCM and expect to collaborate further in the future. He clarified that they are not “challenging” CCM; instead the International Macanese Alliance hopes to enhance CCM’s role.
“The perception is that they [CCM] have been separated, and not representative. I am not sure I can make that observation. I think there should be more collaboration, with the CCM and groups outside,” he said.
In a public lecture yesterday, Roy Xavier, currently serving as the director of the Portuguese and Macanese Studies Project at the University of California, Berkeley, spoke about the “Patterns of Macanese Migrations, Cultural Development, and Identity.”
He recalled that the history of Macau and its people has strong links with the history of the Macanese culture as “it developed during several periods of migration and resettlement across Asia” that date back to the 16th century.
The beginning of 1557 saw the emergence of Macau as an ideal region for Europeans and merchants from Asia to exchange goods. It also provided a “tolerant environment” where Portuguese Eurasians could settle “in relative peace.”
Macanese culture and identity first came to the forefront of the lore of Portuguese explorers, he said. As the Portuguese sought to incorporate rather than conquer, they were encouraged by Portuguese monarchy at the time to establish stable relations and links. They also encouraged marriage with locals.
As the Macanese community grew in Macau, many have also migrated to other cities, like Shanghai and Hong Kong, and eventually, other countries. Today, he estimates that there are 1.5 million people of Macanese extraction living in 35 countries, in five continents, the scholar said.
Mr Xavier said that some, even while living in Macau, feel that this is “a foreign place,” as the community itself is shrinking and local society incorporates other communities.
“Historically, migration has always replenished Macanese culture. So what I see is that the Macanese community is reinvigorating the culture in many respects. So I would encourage them to make more use of the content that is available especially over the web and social media,” he said, encouraging the Macanese community here to establish relations with the diaspora.