Indo-Mozambicans in Maputo, 1947-1992: Oral Narratives on Identity and Migration (Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies)

This book explores the experiences of ‘Indo-Mozambicans,’ citizens and residents of Mozambique who can trace their origins to the Indian subcontinent, a region affected by competing colonialisms during the twentieth century. Drawing from ethnographic interviews, the author illustrates why migration developed as both an identity marker and a survival tool for Indo-Mozambicans living in Maputo, in response to the series of independence movements and prolonged period of geo-political uncertainty that extended from 1947 to 1992. A unique examination of post-colonialism, the book argues that four pivotal moments in history forced migratory patterns and ethnic identity formations to emerge among Indo-Mozambicans, namely, the end of the British empire in India and the subsequent partition of India and Pakistan in 1947; the end of the Portuguese empire in India, with the annexation of Goa, Daman and Diu in 1961; the independence of Mozambique from Portugal in 1975; and the civil war of Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. Framing these historical markers as trigger points for shifts in migration and identity formation, this book demonstrates the layered experiences of people subject to Portuguese colonialism and highlights the important perspective of those ‘left behind’ in migration studies. Acknowledgments Contents List of Tables Part I: Before the Beginning Chapter 1: Introduction and Methodology Introduction Why this Question? Chapters as a Patchwork Quilt Research Methods Archives Interviews Interviews with Target Group#1: Mozambicans of Indian Subcontinent Origin Resident in Maputo at Some Point Between 1947 and 1992 Interviews with Target Group #2: Non-Indo-Mozambican Researchers/Intellectuals/Sociopolitical Actors Interviews with Target Group #3: Indo-Mozambican Affinity Groups and Civic Institutions Literature Review Conclusion Chapter 2: Who are Indo-Mozambicans? A Chronology of Shifting Geography and Terminology Where Are We? Historical Data on Indo-Mozambican Populations over Time Group and family names as markers of trans-national identity and survival among Indo-Mozambicans in Maputo (1947–1992) Naming Nationality Subgroup Names in Academic Literature Case Study: The Meaning, Uses, and Implications of “Monhé” Chapter 3: Conflating Space and Time in the Process of National Myth-Making Chronology ≠ Linearity: Citizenship over Time Anchoring the Chronology of Oral History and Memory Part II: Religion, Race, and Migration: 1947–1992 Chapter 4: A Brief Oral History of Indo-Mozambican Life from 1947 to 1992 Before the Beginning: Indo-Mozambicans in the Capital Before the Twentieth Century 1947: Coping with the End of the British Empire in India: New Landscapes for Migration and Citizenship 1961: Surviving the End of the Portuguese Empire in India: Migratory Agency, Forced Identity, and Coping with Colonialism Becoming Mozambican: Nation-building as a Matter of Citizenship, Loyalty, and Principle Conclusion Chapter 5: Indo-Mozambican Institutions: Hindu Interactions with the State Institutions as Battlegrounds for Transnational Identity Affirmation Indo-Mozambican Religious Organizations and Their Members Case Study—The Evolution of the Comunidade Hindu in LM/Maputo Conclusions in Context Chapter 6: Muslims: The Making of the Self and Others among Transnational Merchants (1961–1992) The Merchant Middlemen: A Look Back through Time 1992: Transnational Marriages and the Role of Indian Women 1975: New Socialism for Old Capitalists 1961: The Hindu Other 1947: Refuge Against Forced Migration The Merchant Middleman in the Politics of Location: National, Municipal, Individual The Nation The Urban Center: LM/Maputo LM/Maputo’s Internal Segregations Chapter 7: Mixed Race Belonging in Black Majority Spaces: Mulatto, Mestiço, or Misto Labeling Mozambican Mixes Politics of Identity: Mulatto politics versus Indo-Mozambican invisibility Mestiço Families—in Lived Experience Conclusion Part III: Concluding Thoughts on Post-Coloniality Chapter 8: Conclusion: Malleable Identities and Imagined Communities in Contemporary Africa Annex 1: Glossary Annex 2: Timeline Annex 3: Demographics and Statistics Annex 4: Contemporary and Historical Maps Annex 5: Questionnaires (Portuguese and English) Bibliography Index