Paper short abstract:

Until recently, Portuguese Hindus were often associated with upward social mobility. At the moment, some of them are considering returning to Mozambique. The main issues discussed in this paper will be how the economic crisis affects their businesses and what their overall perspectives are.

Paper long abstract:

As is well known in South Asian Studies, Indian migrants throughout the world in general (and the Portugal case does not constitute an exception) are generally considered to be virtuous merchants across the world and in fact they often conform to this stereotype. South Asian migrants to Portugal are diverse, but the oldest have been living in Portugal since the late 1970s. Most are Portuguese Hindus that migrated from Mozambique, where their families had lived throughout the 20th century.

The intention in this paper is to present a portrait of Portuguese Hindu merchants in Lisbon from two viewpoints. The first explains the different locations of their stores and therefore explores the 'ethnic economy' that they are engaged in from a different perspective to being viewed as an 'enclave', as it so often is. The second will examine their views on the Portuguese economic crisis and its implications for their businesses. My recent fieldwork points to the fact that different kinds of impulses are now at work among them: either maintaining their small businesses in Portugal despite the economic difficulties that are now involved in doing so or returning to Mozambique or emigrating to India and trying and establish businesses there.

Until recently, the professional trajectories of Portuguese Hindus were associated with upward social mobility. However, we need to examine their perspectives in detail, with regard to how the economic crisis has affected their businesses, what their opinions are about this and whether they would prefer to return to Mozambique.