The Survival of an endangered species : the Macanese in contemporary Macau

The decolonisation of Macau on 20 December 1999 marked a powerful transition for the small Macanese community. Prior to transfer of sovereignty, there have been grave concerns for the survival of these miscegenic descendants of the Portuguese settlers who came to China some five hundred years ago. Many feared that there would be a mass exodus similar to that which overtook the former Portuguese colonies in Africa and East Timor, and that the Macanese future would be threatened by the process of Sinicisation – in short, that they are a dying race. This thesis examines such fears using a combination of newspaper survey, extensive fieldwork and repeat interviews. The outcome of the research shows that despite the dire prognostication, the community has survived the first five years of Chinese rule in robust form; the feared exodus did not eventuate and there has been no death to speak of. In the post-colonial environment, the Constitutions (Macau Basic Law) obliges the government to respect Macanese customs and cultural traditions and to protect their rights – at least for fifty years. The Macanese community in Macau is likely to continue to transform itself and adapt to a changing environment. It is likely that the transformation will occur over a long period of time, representing generations, perhaps centuries not decades. It is then more appropriate to view the Macanese community in Macau as an endangered – not dying – specie