Digging deeper into Portuguese past

PORT OF SPAIN

■ Cherisse Moe

ON A quest to feel a deeper sense of connection to his Portuguese heritage last year, 29-year-old Johnathan Martin signed up to learn the Portuguese language at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St Augustine.

'All I know about my ancestors is what I've been told, that they came from Madeira (in Portugal), but I wanted to dig deeper. My grandmother Cecilia Agnes Velloza lived with two families when she arrived in Trinidad, but besides her family recipes which have been passed down, I don't know anything else. Nobody talks about it. I can only imagine the kinds of stories she had to tell. Learning to speak Portuguese was a start to discovering more about myself,' Martin said.

He was speaking during an interview at Cazabon, One Woodbrook Place, on December 7, where a small group of Portuguese descendants gathered to celebrate the 185th anniversary of the Portuguese presence in Trinidad and Tobago.

The first group of Portuguese arrived in Trinidad in 1834, just before the abolition of slavery, to work on the country's sugar and cocoa estates as contract labourers.

Most were looking for better economic prospects, and from 1846, hundreds came fleeing religious persecution.

They came mainly from Madeira, a small archipelago situated just north of the Canary Islands-and these new settlers formed the core of what would become Trinidad's Portuguese community.

'Proud of who I am'

Martin, the youngest person to attend the event, said he was excited to mingle with others from the community and learn everything he could about the land of his forefathers.

'If you don't know where you are from, you don't know where you are going. I want to have that connection and pass the language on to my children because the language has been lost. I want to be proud to say, 'This is who I am'.'

Randolph De Silva, the oldest attendee at age 88, shared similar sentiments, calling for a 'renewed interest' in the observance and celebration of Portuguese traditions.

De Silva, a father of four, recalls using the Portuguese names for aunt (tia), uncle (tio), grandfather (avô) and grandmother (avó) while growing up, but laments that much of the language of his Madeiran ancestors has been forgotten.

'We don't have a sense of self. The language has not been passed down to generations as it should because they didn't speak to their descendants in their native language. The only thing that has remained is garlic pork, which is still a popular dish at Christmas time.'

President of the Portuguese Association, Trinidad and Tobago, Roger Camacho, says while it is not widely known, the Portuguese community contributed significantly to the development of T&T in the spheres of business and culture.

'Back in the early days, the Portuguese were very important. In fact, they were the first DOMA (Downtown Owners and Merchants Asso ciation). They had some of the biggest businesses in Port of Spain. It's important that we recognise their contributions to our national development over the last 100 years. They were even involved in the steelpan movement and the recording of calypso.'

Joseph Fernandes, owner of Cazabon, added, 'The Portguese however were very good at assimilating and so many of them intermarried. Traditions are to be respected, but I encourage integration. We have a few hundred families of Portuguese descent in Trinidad and Tobago, although the language is no longer spoken.'

Contributions to art, culture, carnival

According to Jo-Anne Ferreira, senior lecturer in linguistics at The UWI, the Portuguese community has a lot to be proud of.

'In terms of culture, they have contributed in the Carnival arts, musical arts, theatre arts and visual arts. In the culinary arts, only garlic pork (carne vinha d'alhos) has survived. There were a couple Portuguese restaurants, one in Tobago, Gomes Sunrise Portuguese Restaurant; one here, Little Lisbon; and Queen's Park Hotel; and now Cazabon serves some Portuguese food.' In her book, The Portuguese of Trinidad and Tobago, Portrait of an Ethnic Minority, Ferreira writes, 'The Portuguese came neither to explore nor to conquer, had no history of land or slave ownership, yet within a few generations, struggles were overcome to push the community to the forefront of national life in the areas of business, politics, religion and culture.

'They were able to work together for their common good, the result of which was a proliferation of Portuguese businesses all over the country. Though few in number, the Portuguese contribution to their adopted homeland is of a significance beyond the small size of the community.'

MEETING UP: Ronald Boyack, Jo-Anne Ferreira, Gillian de Silva Boyack and Randolph de Silva.

SHARING TRADITIONS: Roger Camacho, president of the Associação Portuguesa Primeiro de Dezembro.