'Empire' drifters : the Macanese in British Hong Kong, 1841-1941
This thesis adopts the approach of 'collective biography' and follows the journey of Luso-Asian migrants, also known as Macanese, from Portuguese Macau to British Hong Kong in exploring a century of Macanese activity in colonial Hong Kong. It focuses on the transformations of the Macanese community and the diverse and creative ways middle-class Macanese individuals strove to recreate their social positions by merging aspects of Macau, Hong Kong, as well as selective 'Portuguese' and 'British' cultural markers. Through a series of individual Macanese narratives, this thesis reveals colonial Hong Kong as a transnational world of possibilities, manipulations, decisions and freedoms. The three themes that thread through this thesis, migration from one 'empire' to another, 'race' as a contested narrative and the colony as a 'transnational' arena aim to reveal the normative realities of colonial life as an experience beyond colonialism and reconsiders the use and manipulations of 'race,' 'class' and 'identity' as individual and communal responses to life challenges. Chapter one examines connections between Macau and Hong Kong and considers the role of 'class' in establishing the social positions of the Macanese.
Chan, Catherine S.
'Empire' drifters : the Macanese in British Hong Kong, 1841-1941. This thesis adopts the approach of 'collective biography' and follows the journey of Luso-Asian migrants, also known as Macanese, from Portuguese Macau to British Hong Kong in exploring a century of Macanese activity in colonial Hong Kong. It focuses on the transformations of the Macanese community and the diverse and creative ways middle-class Macanese individuals strove to recreate their social positions by merging aspects of Macau, Hong Kong, as well as selective 'Portuguese' and 'British' cultural markers. Through a series of individual Macanese narratives, this thesis reveals colonial Hong Kong as a transnational world of possibilities, manipulations, decisions and freedoms. The three themes that thread through this thesis, migration from one 'empire' to another, 'race' as a contested narrative and the colony as a 'transnational' arena aim to reveal the normative realities of colonial life as an experience beyond colonialism and reconsiders the use and manipulations of 'race,' 'class' and 'identity' as individual and communal responses to life challenges. Chapter one examines connections between Macau and Hong Kong and considers the role of 'class' in establishing the social positions of the Macanese.
empire british hong_kong adopts collective biography follow journey asian migrant also_know portuguese british hong_kong explore century activity colonial hong_kong focus transformation community diverse creative way middle_class individual strive recreate social_position merge aspect hong_kong well selective portuguese british cultural_marker series individual narrative reveals colonial hong_kong transnational world possibility manipulation decision freedom theme thread migration empire another race contest narrative colony transnational arena aim reveal normative reality colonial life experience beyond colonialism reconsiders use manipulation race class_identity individual communal response life challenge examine_connection hong_kong considers_role class establish social_position