Source: Goan Voice Daily Newsletter 20 Oct. 2013 at www.goanvoice.org.uk A few years ago, when I had just taken over as the Country Director for Oxfam GB in Uganda, I had gone to pay a courtesy call to a Minister in the Ugandan government. On arrival, the ministers Personal Assistant (PA) asked me. "So, where is Mr Carvalho?" When I introduced myself as Savio Carvalho, (by which time we have walked to the Ministers chamber) the PA admitted that he was expecting a middle aged, white man, a bit stouter (I think he wanted to say pot-bellied) and in a three piece suit. This was the typical profile of Oxfam Country Directors in yesterdays, which is no longer true. He was intrigued to see a young man with Indian features and in semi-formal attire.
Sounds familiar? Such episodes are experienced some time or the other by most Catholic Goans. You are going to meet someone you have never met before. They are expecting to see the person (say Savio Carvalho) with a name that is anything but Indian and they have already had an image of you. You arrive, they see you, they look confused and on some occasions ignore your presence - as they are waiting for that person (Savio Carvalho) whose image they have created based on the name. And they are sure that Mr Carvalho could be an Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese and but surely not an Indian. And after you introduce yourself, they are intrigued, puzzled and wait anxiously to get to the bottom of the story. Sometimes you are asked immediately, or at times they wait sheepishly to ask, "So what's in your name? Where are you from? And you promptly reply "Goa" And they then smile, and their brain cells collide with each other trying to make sense of what seemed bizarre, incomprehensible and at times embarrassing. Over the years, crossing many immigrations points, working in 3 different continents and meeting a wide range of people, I can go on and on with anecdotes and stories on how my name and my features have led to intriguing situations. So what does it mean to have a name that does not tally with your features? It may at times cause some identify problems. It could also raise existential questions on who am I, what is my identity, where do I come from? You may recall the case of Berna Cruz (http://bit.ly/19V9S1i )who was detained at Chicago's O'Hare Airport as the officers accused her of using a fake Canadian passport and to make matters worse did not believe a person of Indian origin could have the surname "Cruz". Many a time I do take the trouble of explaining my origins - explaining how we were colonised by the Portuguese, converted to Catholicism and for centuries now, have an identity of ourselves as "Goans". I try and explain how our culture, cuisine, dress sense, music and way of life differ from the rest of India. I go on to explain that we are in some way "westernised" and have embraced bits and pieces from the Portuguese, whilst on the other hand, we have also retained parts of the Indianess like caste stratification. For centuries this practice has continued even in the shadow of the Catholic Church. The best part of my identity I like to explain and emphasise is our "susegad" nature. Whist other civilisations are struggling with a work-life balance, I strongly feel that Goans have a unique edge to start some programmes on "How to live a susegad life". I am sure they will do well in countries like Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. But to do this we have to work hard. Whilst many of these occasions are humorous, there is something to ponder from such experiences. Being profiled on the basis of something like a name or surname can be discriminatory. Many a times, in India, people face discrimination due to their caste, gender, and religion, sexual identity regions and even in based on physical appearance. Discrimination in any form is a human rights violation. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) in its first article says that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and right. However, many a time people are denied job interviews or a place to rent based on their surnames. There have been several cases where a person who applied for the same job with a different surname have been invited or refused an interview. So let's be conscious that profiling a person based on his / her name can be discriminatory. As Goans, we need to be appreciative of our names and surnames. Other than revealing the fact that we are from the west coast of India (Goa or Mangalore), most us belong to a certain religion and have a definite culture and it is difficult to get any other information from the surname. You can be a D'Souza, Fernandes or D'Costa, a Carvalho, Pinto or Vaz - It's all the same! You are Goan, and the most common discrimination you will face (specially in Mumbai) is being called a "Maka Pao". Savio Carvalho, Director of the Demand Dignity Programme, Amnesty International, International Secretariat is based in London. He was born in Goa and spent his early years in Mumbai. For a brief bio of Savio, go to http://bit.ly/19Z7xpT