Miguel de Senna Fernandes | Multiculturalism not enough, Macau needs to go further

Simon Lam and Miguel de Senna Fernandes (right)

Miguel de Senna Fernandes, a lawyer and leader of the Macanese community, argued during a talk yesterday that beyond multiculturalism, Macau needs to promote cross-cultural dialogue and challenge cultural self-segregation in order to be truly unique.

Senna Fernandes, president of the board of the Macanese Association, made the argument during his presentation, titled “Bridging cultural differences.”

It was held at the historic mansion located in Lilau Square – which Senna Fernandes remarked was a fitting place for a discussion on multiculturalism – as part of a series of publicity events ahead of the potential HKD250 million sale of No.37 and 49 Largo do Lilau.

“What is so special about Lilau?” he asked during the talk.

“Maybe it is a symbol of history and romance that holds meaning for the Portuguese and Chinese [communities]. [The place] has been the inspiration for many literature works and songs. It is a place where mostly the Portuguese would live in high concentration. […] Many famous Portuguese and Macanese families used to live here, or very nearby. The Chinese would come here to collect water from the well, particularly the old ladies, which is why it is sometimes known as ‘The Old Ladies’ Well’.”

“Lilau therefore has a history of cultural confluence between the two communities,” he concluded.

For the most part, the Portuguese and Chinese lived together peacefully for centuries, undisturbed by each others’ presence, according to Senna Fernandes. This unwritten agreement was founded on principles such as friendship and mutual respect.

However, there were several episodes in Macau’s history when the cross-culture relationship was less harmonious. Examples include the Chinese armed insurrection and subsequent killing of Portuguese governor João Maria Ferreira do Amaral in the mid-19th century, as well as the more recent 1-2-3 Incident in 1966 when months-long tensions ignited riots and police repression.

Senna Fernandes yesterday warned against retaining the “prejudice of the past” and cited episodes of Macau’s history that “we still don’t want to discuss.”

“Ninety-four percent of the population is Chinese. So what makes Macau different [from other places]? It’s the remaining six percent. This six percent means something for Macau, and the Central Government knows this.”

Senna Fernandes’ solution is to accept and embrace these uncomfortable parts of Macau’s history, no matter what transpired. He said that greater cultural intermixing is required to help bridge the cultural differences between the MSAR’s two most influential communities.

“For centuries in Macau, the Portuguese would live side by side with the Chinese, yet they would rarely mix. You have the Macanese, but they are the exception to this ‘multiculturalism with walls’,” he explained.

“What we need is ‘interculturalism’ because this would make Macau truly different. […] If the Portuguese want to live here, they need to mingle and integrate.”

Senna Fernandes called for Macau residents to open their minds to other people, cultures and languages.

Patuá revival unlikely

Miguel de Senna Fernandes, president of the board of the Macanese Association and a member of Macau’s Patuá theater group “Dóci Papiaçám di Macau” (“Sweet Language of Macau”), also stressed yesterday the importance of preserving the dialect as a link to Macau’s past. However, despite the group’s efforts to revive the rarely-spoken dialect, Senna Fernandes admitted yesterday that he doubts that Patuá can survive without a critical mass of speakers. “Its purpose for me [then] is to make people laugh and bring them joy,” he said. “The expressions are humorous, so even the young people can enjoy learning and speaking the language […] the youngest member of [the theater group] is only 12 years old.”