-----Original Message----- >From Adolfo Mascarenhas Responding to Message 11 Message-ID: <BANLkTi=ZFJkO1zuX7WC0n==2gifcovq...@mail.gmail.com>
Let me make a few observations about Antonio's perceptions. First, he states:" " For persons of Goan origin residing in countries like the UK, Canada, the US, Australia, etc, the question of who or what is a Goan would appear to have become an obsessive intellectual pursuit." That is your opinion. How many "intellectuals" and there and in UK, Canada, etc and how many actually write. You cannot judge the silent majority from the few who write!! Just like the majority of migrants they have tended to mingle or be "cliques" indeed not even Goan cliques etc. There are exceptions, for instance, when we were in Los Angeles I was struck by the fact that the Jews tended to congregate but there were huge differences between those who came from Poland or Iran or Egypt. For some strange reasons we made quite a few friends. Yet, I think there is considerable difference in outlook between Goans who migrated from India or East Africa or Kuwait but even among them there is a difference whether they are professionals etc. Secondly, Goans have an identity and this identity is not because they "love the colonizers" but because we have culturally adapted/adapted traits belonging to East West and North. Culturally we are as cosmopolitan as the Lebanese. Our "genes" are fairly mixed and we are versatile ...... I am not talking about being "pure or impure in a racial sense" I do not believe in that .. (There are more genes in common between a Kikuyu and a European than between a French and a Turk ....) It is the long exposure to different cultures and religions that make us adaptable and to fit in. Is this a sign of greatness ..... hardly. But a very valuable "trait" Thirdly, you go on .... to state " ..... is most probably a result of an identity crisis. No matter, what one's perception is about the greatness of Goa and its overseas people, the white people ....Goans for them are a coloured people" So is that a problem of the Goans or the "whites" Each of us know what we are really worth and so do other people who are thinking straight. In California I was once talking to a farmer from Norway .... he put two and two and realized I was not a Mexican, suddenly strolls Gary (southern white, newly rich, unpleasant) and tried to but in but gave up. My Californian farmer turns to me and says where does that Guy come from? There are many Goans, Indians, Africans who have self esteem and confidence and that is very good. It is not because they are "colonized great" or have an ego but have confidence, dignity etc. Of course there will be discrimination but we must not fall in the same trap of being discriminatory in turn. My own feeling are that the majority of Goans are normal human beings .... some feel great, others feel "Portuguese" still others feel persecuted. Goans having an identity crisis ? ..... the majority HARDLY! If you do not have an enlarged ego, that is great it is the first step of being a normal Goan, normal human being. If we shared a history of 450 years with the "Portuguese" then we would be strange to deny this ...... the Germans fought the British in two big wars ... they obviously share a bit history .... so do the Goans, we share our history with billions. And a few million Portuguese. Adolfo ------------------------------ End of Goanet Digest, Vol 6, Issue 558 ************************************** _________________ University Computing Centre - 'Professionalism, Customer Care and Technological foresight'