Originally posted on April 9th, 2013
This short article re-introduces one of the earliest advocates of Portuguese rights in 19th century Hong Kong, Jose’ Pedro Braga. It precedes an analysis of Braga’s first book, “The Rights of Aliens in Hongkong”, a critique of racially inflammatory letters in the English press questioning the hiring of Macanese workers in the civil service. The ensuing narrative before and after the appearance of Braga’s book addressed long held attitudes toward ethnic communities that continued through the end of British rule in 1997.
Jose’ Pedro Braga was a prominent businessman, journalist, and community advocate in Hong Kong from 1889 to 1941. Born in 1871 into a family who were among the first Macanese settlers, Braga spent his working career in the colony and died in Macau as a refugee in 1944.
Among his many accomplishments was the publication of two important works. The first in 1895 at the age of 24 was a small book entitled: “The Rights of Aliens in Hongkong”, which addressed criticism against Portuguese workers in the English press, and highlighted the contributions of non-British workers in the economic and political life of the colony. The second book, written while Braga was in Macau during World War II, was “The Portuguese in Hong Kong and China”, providing an account of the community’s first one hundred years under British rule.
Braga’s visibility as a leader of the Portuguese community no doubt contributed to his work on behalf of those who had no voice in Hong Kong’s affairs. As a businessman, Braga worked in his grandfather’s (Delfino Noronha) printing company for a short time, then in 1910 opened his own printing business: JP Braga & Co, providing employment for many Portuguese immigrants from Macau.
As a journalist, he was the managing editor of the Hongkong Daily Telegraph (1902-1909), often as a critic of government policies, and served as an agent of Reuter’s news service (1906 – 1939). In politics, Braga was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1919, to the Sanitary Board in 1927, and was selected by the governor in 1929 as the first Portuguese non-voting member of the Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s ruling body. His public life culminated in awards from both the Portuguese (1929) and British (1935) governments.
Braga’s career was unique in other ways as well. His first public statement in 1895 directly addressed racial attitudes against Portuguese workers. His historical research suggested that the Portuguese, whom Braga identified as “Macaense” from Macau rather than Portugal, had a rich and important history, one that was not being acknowledged by Hong Kong society, or in some cases, the Macanese themselves. A recurring theme in Braga’s writings was that members of the community, many of whom were born in Hong Kong, occupied a certain “place” and rank in relation to the British and the Chinese, one of the first public acknowledgments of an identity among the Portuguese in Hong Kong.
By reinforcing a common sentiment that the Macanese had always been supportive of British rule, J.P. Braga was very much a man of his times. He represented the second generation who worked and actively invested in Hong Kong’s future. Braga’s views, in fact, mirrored those shared by many Macanese at the turn of the 20th century who expected livable wages, opportunities, and other privileges because of their contributions to the colony’s success as a trading center. By looking closely at Braga’s 1895 book as a representation of this narrative, we see more clearly a picture of Macanese social activism during a critical period in Hong Kong’s development.
