Being Macanese is something I take much pride in. To be a part of such a unique and exclusive heritage makes me feel proud and lucky to have the chance that very few have. Being a member of the Lusitano Club enhanced my cultural values and allowed me to connect with people that share my heritage as well. As I go off to college, I will always remember the picnics, Halloween, and Christmas parties we shared together, and look forward to many more in the future.
My family has always been an active and valued part of the Macanese community, especially the Lusitano Club. My great-grandparents, Thalia and Felisberto da Cruz were a part of the founding members of the Lusitano Club. During the early days of the club, they hosted meetings and events on their property in Jack London Square in Oakland. They were so proud of spreading the Macanese culture to their family, especially the younger generations, and they always took every opportunity to bring people together. I was able to see pictures of them eating, singing, talking, and sharing good times with family and friends at parties, events, and at several “Encontros” in Macau.
Today, my family continues to be an essential part of the Lusitano Club. My parents, my Avo, and my Tias and Tios are all contributing members. My great uncle, Tio Nuno, spearheaded this effort with his wife and my godmother, Maria Joao. They were a part of the Board of Directors and made significant contributions to the club, ranging from planning, volunteering, and being ambassadors. Like his parents, Thalia and Felisberto, Tio Nuno remained one of the core directors of the club, even having the honor of meeting the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. He dedicated years to the club and became a well-respected member among his peers until he passed away in 2021 from cancer. Maria Joao still contributes to the club and remains an active member, providing her services for every event and continuing the legacy of her late husband.
Outside of the Lusitano Club, my Macanese family are very passionate about connecting with family around the world. They took it upon themselves to organize reunions and keep everyone in contact with each other by creating a giant group chat on WhatsApp with all the cousins that remains active today. If not for their efforts, we could not have known our scattered family from England, Guatemala, Macau, and many more countries. They also wanted to pass on the Macanese culture down to the next generations of their families. They always talked about their experiences in Macau and how our Macanese culture intertwined with me, my sister, and our cousins. Listening to our family’s stories painted a beautiful mixture of different colors, shades, and perspectives of a picture we call Macanese.
I am the person I am today due to my strong family ties to the Macanese culture that has always been a positive influence in my life. We have generations in our family that have been involved with Lusitano and other Portuguese Clubs which I have personally attended events and parties that I have enjoyed and learned so much by talking to people, hearing the unique dialect, and am even able to understand some of the words. I also know how to make “Minchi” with my mom which I love to eat! Our Macanese culture is alive through us since Macau is no longer a part of Portugal. Our traditions, language, culture, and family stories need to be passed from one generation to the next so that we never lose the sacrifices that our family made for us and who we are today. Most of our families left Macau and Hong Kong for a new life in the U.S., Canada, Portugal, Australia, Brazil, and other countries around the world, but we all carry a commonality which is where we came from. What other culture in the world can speak Macanese, Portuguese, and Cantonese all at once! What other culture can assimilate so quickly to a new country so seamlessly and be successful through hard work and perseverance and yet keep our Macanese culture intact?
My future is to attend UCLA in the Fall of 2023 and major in a degree that is based on Science and Research to try to make the world a better place for generations to come. I am also considering graduate school as well. Once I graduate, I also want to help with my family’s business that began with my great grandparents, Thalia and Felisberto da Cruz since their dream was to pass it to future generations. I also had the opportunity to travel to Portugal a couple of times, recently this Summer, to learn about the “Portuguese side” of my heritage. We still have family in Portugal and I so much enjoyed seeing them, eating all the great food, traveling through the countryside, and watching my mom drive with the crazy drivers there! My hope is also to visit Macau in the future to see where my family came from. After I graduate, I would like to attend an “Encontro” in Macau with my family to share the events and celebrations with other Macanese. Although much as cha nged there, I want to set foot in the land of my ancestors so my understanding of my culture is complete.
In summary, the scholarship will help me attend the school of my dreams and be a positive role model to others and use my education to make our world a better place. My Macanese culture has enriched my life and I will always carry it with me as I mature and grow as a young adult. I want to continue the legacy of being Macanese and to teach people that I encounter and meet about who I am and where I come from. We are such a unique culture and I promise to keep that fire lit up in me and always remember how proud I am to be Macanese.