UK: Zoom Webinar Goans in Britain Part of South Asian Heritage Month 18 August 2020 – Observations by Rose Fernandes
In his opening address, Ravi Vaz (from minute 3.34) spoke of “food parcels to 600 families in the UK” and Suella Braverman (minute 7.13) thanked Ravi and his team for the “6,000 food parcels through volunteer’s effort”. These two unverified statements clearly indicate that with the current coronavirus pandemic, at least for some families that have come from Goa or other parts of the world and made UK their home, the dream is fast turning into the sad reality of “Breadline Britain”. Dr Stella Mascarenhas-Keyes outlined two reasons for the 21st century migration of Goans, through the Portuguese passport, to Britain. Firstly, the opening of the border between Goa and the rest of India resulting in free movement of labour causing a “competition for jobs” in Goa. Secondly, the local Goan observing the spending power by visitors coming from abroad, a visual sign that people who have ventured abroad had made and were making it “big”. However, I find this quite the reverse speaking to my circle of friends, the 21st century Goan migration also consists of Catholic Goans who have left well paid and secure jobs in Goa coupled with a wonderful lifestyle, and headed for the UK. In fact, just the other day, one of our friends announced that he was leaving his big “villa in the sun” in Goa and heading to the UK where, I assured him, there was no hope at all of him having an equivalent lifestyle here and definitely not the same sized property! At best, one room in a shared house. So are the real reasons for Goans coming to the UK more complex, are they multiple faceted, do we have to dig deeper for the truth and is there any hope of finding it? Turning to the “competition for jobs” did those who migrated to the UK really think there was no local competition in the UK for jobs? Or were they prepared to do jobs no one wanted to do in the UK? The coronavirus pandemic has certainly put things in perspective in UK and Goa. Fast forward to August 2020 in Goa Today for the life of cross border migrants captured in a short film “Trapped in Paradise” These people came to fill the void left by the 21st Century Catholic Goans, click link below: https://shorted.in/short-films/trapped-in-paradise-goa-coronavirus As a 20th Century Goan, when I first came into this country there was an advertisement “Happiness is a Cigar called Hamlet”. My observations of 21st Century Goans are that they are no longer content with their previous lifestyle of rice, curry and fish. Instead “Happiness is a watch called Rolex” or “Happiness is a car called Rolls Royce”, while some people are still dreaming of their first second hand Mercedes Benz parked outside. Status is more important in Goa than in the UK hence the need to acquire and “flash their cash” by any means possible. Rose Fernandes Thornton Heath Surrey 20 August 2020
