Portuguese Diaspora Narratives

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the consequences of this phenomenon (Diaspora) in the relocation of human
resources from other countries to Portugal and to evaluate this impact. With decolonization and later integration into the
European Union, some changes occurred in social and cultural identity. Portugal has become a host country. This study
examines the narratives of the portuguese settlers of Angola and the fiction narratives about this subject. We created a database
with information about individual characteristics of the portuguese settlers of Angola (gender, age, education level, qualification
level, occupation, and emotions). We opted for the use of qualitative method for agreeing Stiles (1993, in Gill, 2000), who argues
that the purpose of qualitative methods for the condensation of human experience into words isn’t the reduction in its symbolic
numbers. In analyzing the content of these interviews we opted for the analysis of narrative research method that has been
increasingly used, namely to study specific periods (Farrell, Rosenberg & Rosenberg, 1993, in Zilber et al, 1998), such as
migrations. This project aims to re-interpret and re-think the effects of portuguese diaspora, during and after colonialism period
by giving voice to those who were categorized as returned people. Moreover, this study also aims to take into account the
visions of portuguese writers, in order to consider their perceptions