The Macanese Chronicles: A History of Luso-Asians in a Global Economy

by Roy Eric Xavier

This is a book for anyone interested in cultural renewal and ethnic diversity. It is a historical account of Luso (Portuguese) Asians and their role in establishing and maintaining the first global economy connecting Europe and Asia. Part 1 describes their early settlements across the Portuguese Overseas Empire, beginning with Goa in 1511, through migrations to Malacca, Indonesia, Siam, Macau, Hong Kong, and Shanghai up to the end of the Opium Wars in 1860. Part 2 focuses on the largest group of Luso-Asians from Macau, the "Macanese", who settled from 1842 in Hong Kong to work for the British colonial government, merchant houses, and international banks. Several stories of individuals, who were community activists, clerks, business owners, working class proprietors, and wartime refugees, are offered to illustrate the deterioration of relations with the government as World War II approached. Those who survived experienced a renewal of cultural identity and a legacy for future generations. The conclusion then highlights recent efforts of expatriates to use technology to develop cultural and commercial exchanges with modern China, an attempt to recapture the traditional role of the Macanese as intermediaries and ambassadors of change.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2020

Reviews

[Pau · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is unfortunate that there is a dearth of work covering the history and experiences of the Macanese. (And particularly difficult to find in English.) The book serves as a good introduction to the history of Luso-Asians starting with the Portuguese colonization of Goa and ending with contemporary efforts to connect Macanese people in a wide spread diaspora. Xavier also pulls from his own family history case studies of life for Macanese people under racialized colonial rule.