BY ARMAND RODRIGUES
In the
assimilation process, most immigrants to Canada, from the Eastern hemisphere,
have had to adapt rapidly to societal norms within codes of conduct, language
nuances and social interaction, somewhat dissimilar from those they left
behind. Hardly so, for those from the
former Portuguese colony of GOA, in India –a mere dot on the map of the world.
At first
blush, Goans abroad have to be perceived as an enigma by an anthropologist or
by their neighbours and peers. They hail from the East, have the same
pigmentation and attributes as one from the East, yet are distinctly Western in
deportment. To understand this seeming
paradox, it is necessary to cast a backward glance in time at the evolutionary
process that brought about this unique condition.
The moulding
process commenced with the Portuguese gaining a foothold in Goa, in 1510 (they
held sway until 1961). They came with a
sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other.
Mass conversions to Catholicism followed. With conversion, came a sea-change in eating
habits. The cow may have been holy to the Hindu, and the pig unholy to the
Muslim, but to the omnivorous newly-minted Catholic, nothing was anathema. “Demon” alcohol came with the territory.
Other factors
were also conducive to the re-orientation phase. The first printing press in all of India,
came to Goa in 1556, and gave Goans an edge in Western education. The first Jesuit college was established in
1574, followed by a secular school in 1773.
English schools commenced in the 18th century. Steamships made their debut in 1870, and the
railroad in 1886, thus putting things on a faster track and opening up
opportunities farther afield.
Before long,
the Portuguese declared Goans – regardless of denomination – as legally equal
to themselves. The cross-fertilization
of cultures had long before that earned
Goans the sobriquet of “Romans of the East “. Catholics ate , drank, dressed, worshipped, engaged in
sports and behaved like their Western counterparts throughout. In this crucible, everything seemed to
coalesce for the Goan, making him/her the complete package. Women were being accorded parity with men.
With the
advantage of a Western background superimposed on their Eastern ethos, Goans
could readily make themselves at home in any new environment. The commonality was not lost on the British
and the Portuguese, who treated Goans as preferred recruits for their
colonies. Sporting and social
interaction with their recruiters helped polish any rough edges the Goans may
have had.
In the 60s,
political changes in emerging Third World countries certainly jolted the Goans
from their complacent stomping grounds.
They got propelled into repositories of Western culture, such as
England, America, Canada and Australia in the South. Hardly a ripple of cultural shock was
evidenced by them in their new environment.
The antecedent metamorphosis had groomed them for receptivity and a soft
landing. It was easier for them to burn
their boats behind them and come without any real cultural baggage to weigh
them down.
The majority
of Goan immigrants to Canada fell into the domain of the white-collar worker,
with no major disparity in education between men and women, or in
self-confidence. (Of course, like most
other immigrants, Goans had to endure the humiliating Canadian affront to their
education and work experience).
Noteworthy is the fact that Goan women were able to make a valuable
contribution to the family income and expedite home ownership.
Goans are not
found living in concentrations or enclaves in Canada. This diffusion has perhaps helped congruity
with their neighbours and made for better inter-personal chemistry, specially
when the Goans’ unmistakable occidental orientation becomes manifest. Integration and putting down roots came about
rapidly.
For Goans,the
umbilical cord has been severed and any
residual Eastern tug of the past no longer competes with the Western pull of
the present. They are here to stay and
to leave behind a favourable imprint on their adoptive country.
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