When I ask my grandfather what nationality he identifies with, his response is always Kenyan-Goan, instead of Canadian. Yet, he chose Canada as the place to bring his family. Canada is still young compared to the rest of the world, and in this sense lacks cultural definition. Like people, places have their own distinct identities as well, and Canada’s identity is rooted in being a place for those who lack place. Which happens to be the case for my Goan ancestors, their identity is characterized by their history of placelessness. Through a framework of colonial conquests and the decolonizing movements that followed, the Goans have become a migratory peoples lacking a connection to a concrete geographical place, pulled through the colonies by
…show more content…
Life for a Goan in Kenya was not unlike life back in India for them, they kept up with traditions and did not stray far from the Goan community in Kenya. "For the first and second-generation immigrants in the beginning years of settlement, the need to keep ties with the 'home country ' was emotionally and psychologically important" (Shankardass, 2001; 17). Large areas of Nairobi became ‘little India’ with bazaars resembling Bombay and even featuring “their gilded temples and mosques, their own clubs, schools, and even roads named in their residential areas after freedom fighters in India” (Shankardass, 2001;16). In other words, the Goans forged place in Kenya, they not only inhabited the space but imbued it with meaning, which is how to create a sense of place (Sundberg, September 26, 2016; Introduction to placemaking). While some Goans took up Kenyan Citizenship, like my grandfather’s family, it was only for legal purposes, “in the cultural and social sense the Indian settler did not adopt the indigenous African culture and society” (Shankardass, 2001; 18). This did not help close the harsh gap between the middle-class Indian merchants and bankers, and the local Kenyans, who were primarily lower class and resented the wealthy Indians and British (Theroux, 1967; 60). Relations between the British and the Indians however, remained strong, at least from a business standpoint. Unfortunately, this relationship was …show more content…
Although the decolonial movement started in India, it jumped continents and spread through Africa, starting with the independence of Ghana in 1957, Uganda in 1962 and then Kenya the following year (Mehta, 2001; 26). The core of the movement was extreme nationalism, deemed “Africanisation” (Shankardass, 2001; 2). Due to the loosening grip of Imperialist powers, the Indians were met with forceful opposition as they held authority over most of the economy (Mehta, 2001; 3). Some of the forceful opposition came in the form of violence, lead by the unstable leader of Uganda at the time, Idi Amin (Mehta, 2001; 28). He believed it was his duty to liberate the economy for the Africans, and so the Indians had to flee. This was a setback for the Goans, as “Kenya, a land where they did not belong strangely, is identified as [their] 'home country’” (Shankardass, 2001; 23). Returning to India seemed to be the next logical choice, but around that time Indian nationalism was taking form. India was at the forefront of the decolonizing movements that were taking place in all the European colonies (Mehta, 2001; 26). Policies put in place to decolonize India created the dilemma of how to properly handle with their kinsfolk overseas (Mehta, 2001; 26). For, "under the Citizenship Act of 1955 anyone who had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another
Life for a Goan in Kenya was not unlike life back in India for them, they kept up with traditions and did not stray far from the Goan community in Kenya. "For the first and second-generation immigrants in the beginning years of settlement, the need to keep ties with the 'home country ' was emotionally and psychologically important" (Shankardass, 2001; 17). Large areas of Nairobi became ‘little India’ with bazaars resembling Bombay and even featuring “their gilded temples and mosques, their own clubs, schools, and even roads named in their residential areas after freedom fighters in India” (Shankardass, 2001;16). In other words, the Goans forged place in Kenya, they not only inhabited the space but imbued it with meaning, which is how to create a sense of place (Sundberg, September 26, 2016; Introduction to placemaking). While some Goans took up Kenyan Citizenship, like my grandfather’s family, it was only for legal purposes, “in the cultural and social sense the Indian settler did not adopt the indigenous African culture and society” (Shankardass, 2001; 18). This did not help close the harsh gap between the middle-class Indian merchants and bankers, and the local Kenyans, who were primarily lower class and resented the wealthy Indians and British (Theroux, 1967; 60). Relations between the British and the Indians however, remained strong, at least from a business standpoint. Unfortunately, this relationship was …show more content…
Although the decolonial movement started in India, it jumped continents and spread through Africa, starting with the independence of Ghana in 1957, Uganda in 1962 and then Kenya the following year (Mehta, 2001; 26). The core of the movement was extreme nationalism, deemed “Africanisation” (Shankardass, 2001; 2). Due to the loosening grip of Imperialist powers, the Indians were met with forceful opposition as they held authority over most of the economy (Mehta, 2001; 3). Some of the forceful opposition came in the form of violence, lead by the unstable leader of Uganda at the time, Idi Amin (Mehta, 2001; 28). He believed it was his duty to liberate the economy for the Africans, and so the Indians had to flee. This was a setback for the Goans, as “Kenya, a land where they did not belong strangely, is identified as [their] 'home country’” (Shankardass, 2001; 23). Returning to India seemed to be the next logical choice, but around that time Indian nationalism was taking form. India was at the forefront of the decolonizing movements that were taking place in all the European colonies (Mehta, 2001; 26). Policies put in place to decolonize India created the dilemma of how to properly handle with their kinsfolk overseas (Mehta, 2001; 26). For, "under the Citizenship Act of 1955 anyone who had voluntarily acquired the citizenship of another