Home across the Atlantic? Views on the maintenance of the Portuguese culture in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Abstract

Working within an assimilation framework adapted from Bullivant (1984), the article provides a discussion of the views held by second-generation Portuguese residents in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The views in question relate to the tension that the group feels between maintaining their culture or being assimilated into the wider society. Three aspects are investigated—the notion of what it means to be Portuguese, the influence of institutions and practices which either assist or retard assimilation, and the maintenance of the culture. Findings reveal that the majority of informants had difficulty in articulating core cultural values, lacked institutional support, kept infrequent contact with overseas relatives, made little use of Portuguese-related media and practised low levels of mother-tongue usage. Yet the desire for cultural expression remains. The article asserts that unless the above desire is translated into appropriate action, Portuguese cultural values face a steady erosion.