Intercultural Dynamics and Strategies: The Macanese Example

Abstract

Scientifically proven, interculturality is a dated concept; the beginnings of it being scientifically proven. There is, however, evidence that coexistence between different peoples has not always been peaceful. For interculturality to materialise, it is not enough for two peoples of different ethnicities to share territory, it is necessary to verify the existence of multiple historical and cultural factors. An example of these intercultural exchanges is the presence of the Portuguese in the former colonies in Africa - once they return to their country of origin, the culture that arrives is no longer the one that left, having originated a "new culture". The Macanese ethnicity is an example of the interculturality experienced, arising from families that resulted from the marriage between Portuguese men and Asian women settled in Macau in the sixteenth century. The coexistence of servants and slaves of diverse origins and the Chinese population made Macao a multicultural space with daily interculturalism. The Macanese population developed its own culture based on ethnic and cultural diversity. This article focuses on two research projects developed in Macau, first: one demonstrating the cultural plasticity developed by the Macanese; and second: one analysing the oriental customs that the Macanese living in Portugal maintain and intend to pass on to future generations.