Angola Under The Portuguese: The Myth And The Reality,New

The Book Is The First Comprehensive Study Of Race Relations In Angola. It Covers The Entire Fivecenturylong Relationship Between The Peoples Of Angola And Portugal. Portuguese Imperial Thinkers Asserted That They Were Unique Among European Colonizers In Their Ability To Establish And Maintain Egalitarian And Nondiscriminatory Relationships With Tropical Peoples. This Concept Was Elevated To A Philosophical Plateau And Given The Name Luscotropicalism. Propagated With Fervor By Portuguese Colonial Thinkers, Lusotropical Doctrines Were Widely Accepted As Being Valid By Twentiethcentury Diplomats And Political Thinkers In Both Europe And The United States, Many Of Whom Believed That Portuguese Colonialism In Africa Would Continue Indefinitely. The Evidence Presented In This Work Indicates That Portuguese Rule In Angola Was Deeply Racist. This Conclusion Is Based On A Considerable Body Of Data Gleaned From Archival Sources, Personal Collections, And Systematic Interviewing Of Racially Diverse Angolans And Portuguese Functionaries In The Colonial Administration And The Private Sector. Special Emphasis Is Placed On Devices That The Portuguese Used To Delude Themselves And Others About The Realities Of Their Attitudes And Behavior As Ruling Elites. The Study Concludes With An Assessment Of The Impact Of Lusotropical Myths On Independent Angola.