Elisabela Larrea is a young woman from Macao, the daughter of a Macao seventh-generation mother and a Basque father. The wanderings of her father,a Pelota Basca player, caused her to be born in Milan.
Elisabela writes and speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, English and Portuguese. She is part of the Au Kuan Cheong Chinese Opera Group, is interested in Naam Yam (southern sound), Chinese opera and Macau patois and venerates and respects her Chinese sifu. The Chinese dramatic group of which she is a member has plans to bring to the scene a piece adapted from a tale from the book Cheong Sam by Deolinda da Conceição.
Her maternal grandfather, Vicente Honório Gomes Eusébio, told her stories from ancient Macau. Her grandmother, Maria Eusébio, was an excellent cook, giving her a taste for local gastronomy.
The young Elisabela is currently preparing her doctorate in intercultural communication at the University of Macau, whose research theme is Macanese creole theater. However, there are already two important papers in her curriculum:
Macanese identity in the global network: performance of Macanese identity on the Internet. Conference document presented at the international symposium on national identity and future cross-strait relations in Macao, R.A.E.M., China, 2008, and
Macaense in the Global Network: a study of the performance of postcolonial Macanese cultural identity, a thesis presented to the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University of Macau, also in 2008.
Elisabela is discreet and to know her is to discover a treasure full of interests that deserve to be revealed.
In your own personal case, how would you define being a Macanese?
In my humble opinion, being a Macanese is to proudly identify oneself with the Macanese identity, culture and its way of living. There are many differed definitions of what a Macanese is, some through genealogical links, some through language use, however I believe that ultimately there is one consistent criteria among these arguments, which is the connection to Macau, i.e. identifying Macau as where their roots lie. We are filhos da terra, belonging to this soil of Macau. We are a mixture of different cultures and backgrounds, with a unique creole culture of our own. Macanese identity is a versatile identity which changes over time and social environment, however one thing remains the same, i.e. Macau is our home.
What made you choose studying Chinese and English instead of Portuguese?
This was a decision made by my mother when I was small. Her viewpoint was that I should learn languages I couldn’t learn at home. She spoke Cantonese but couldn’t read nor write Chinese, so she wanted me to learn Chinese and English in school, since I can learn Portuguese at home. She always made sure I would watch Portuguese news everyday, and encouraged me to finish my 10 levels of Portuguese language studies in IPOR. I believe it is essential for a Macanese to learn Portuguese to understand more about our culture and historical background, as we practice an Oriental Portuguese culture.
Elisabela and Grand father
How was your grandfather influence weighed in your choices?
My grandfather loved books. My images of him were mostly either of him reading a book or newspaper at the dining room or holding a National Geographic magazine in his bedroom. He liked to keep newspaper clippings and register random occurrences in his various notebooks. They are random in the sense it can be registration of daily weather, benefits of certain vitamins or quotes of political figures. I could only keep one or two of these notebooks but it offered me a glimpse of the past. He liked to wander around Macau streets with his little bag, carrying his glasses, a pencil, a newspaper and a blank paper in it. His love to his homeland and attitude towards knowledge, led to my decision of dedicating to the preservation and promotion of our culture.
How did Naam Yam came into your life? What did play an important role in your choice?
I believe it was fate that brought me to Naam Yam. My first encounter with Chinese Opera was at a young age when my grandmother brought me to performances presented at Cheok Chai Yuen. I met Ho Chi Fong, a devoted student of Naamyam inheritor Master Au Kuan Cheong a few years ago, and he told me last year that there was an introductory workshop for Naamyam. I thought to myself, as a local one should not forsake any opportunity to know more about our intangible heritages. Master Au Kuan Cheong’s performances and personality mesmerized me; his tranquility, humility and passionate character served as a role model. I was excited to be able to learn from him. Another personal reason for my learning Naamyam is the memory I had with my grandmother and the Macau antigo (old Macau), during the performance, it felt as if I walked through a time-door and was able to connect to the past.
Would you share with us your main conclusions on your study about the post handover Macanese cultural identity performance?
I do not have any conclusions, but an observation. My observation is that the Macanese identity is a versatile one depending on social and political environment. We are filhos da terra, belonging to this piece of small land in spite of sovereignty. Yet, we are being culturally diluted and swallowed due to factors such as globalization, emigration, changes in population structures, administrative measures, etc. The definition of Macanese in the pre-handover period might not be applicable now. For instance, conventional criteria determining the Macanese identity would be through language use with Portuguese as the primary one. There’s no doubt that younger Macanese do have a certain level of Portuguese proficiency, but is the language still their primary one? Another example would be the criteria of having Portuguese heredity. Second or third generations of Macanese from converts might not have any Portuguese heredity but they bear a Portuguese surname, identify themselves as Macanese and follow Macanese way of living, are they not Macanese? I believe that as long as we hold on to our Macanese identity, no one can take that away from us, unless we ourselves choose to let it go.
Do you see yourself under the definition that you stated?
I believe there is no one definition for Macanese identity. There were many discussions among the community, I just see myself as a simple Macanese in love with Macau.
Do you consider yourself a bridge between different communities?
Macau has always been a furnace for cultures, placing different cultures together and producing a unique one from it. I believe that each of us can be a bridge between different communities if we choose too, by devoting the time and effort to understand and respect one another. We can cross the boundaries if we are willing to exchange, i.e. not just by listening and learning, but also by telling and sharing. If we hope to let other communities know about the Macanese culture, we have to tell them about it. That is our responsibility.
Do you think Macau population is having a general identity crisis? If yes, why?
I would say that identity crisis is happening in every community, especially given the strong influences of technology and globalization. Take gastronomy for an example, it offers a chance of passing on traditional practices, values and culture, which has a significant influence on identity construction. However, younger generation from different countries opt for global brand fast food, thus reducing the opportunity for building one’s cultural identity. Many people nowadays opt for a more convenient and easy way of living, and traditional culture demands the opposite. It requires you to give time, patience, devotion and dedication. For comfort and convenience sake, people forget about the beauty of handcraft, the respect for traditional cultures, values and art. And these “easy choices” gradually leads to identity crisis, and we have to be the one taking initiative to fight against this. It gives immense consolation that many locals are striving to preserve the wisdom of their seniors, striving to retain traditional culture, thus giving continuity to their cultural identity.
Interview by António Conceição Júnior
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