Assimilado

Assimilado or assimilada (if female), literally "assimilated", was a status assigned from the 1910s to the 1960s to those African subjects of the colonial Portuguese Empire who had reached a level of "civilization", according to Portuguese legal standards, that theoretically qualified them for full rights as Portuguese citizens. Portuguese colonizers claimed the goal of their assimilation practices to be the "close union of races of different degrees of civilization that help and support each other loyally"; however, this notion of a "close union" differed from its practical application in the cultural and social spheres of the colonies of Portuguese Angola, Portuguese Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea.

Formation in Portuguese lawmaking

Assimilation ideals begin

Portugal, along with France, was one of the only Africa colonizers which introduced the idea of assimilation of the colonized people into the population of the motherland. Although Portugal was one of the first European presences in Africa, Portuguese influence remained coastal and trade-oriented until the late 1800s, early 1900s; "control of the hinterland was non-existent, even in the 19th century", but with increased competition between European powers, the Portuguese "became more aggressively engaged", and adopted ideals of assimilation.

Laws and administration

Portuguese colonial laws had general and specific contexts for each of the colonies of Angola, Mozambique, and Portuguese Guinea; "some of the legislation and policies the Portuguese implemented reflected their empire-wide preoccupations, [while] others reflected their concerns specifically with the colony". In Angola, for instance, the procedure started with the applicant proving his ability to speak and write Portuguese. He then had to show that he had a source of income and pay a fee. The applicant also had to furnish a number of documents and certificates. The Organic Charter of Guinea enacted in 1917 also stipulated that the applicant must show proof of dedication to the interests of Portugal. In other African colonies, authorities required that natives live in a "European manner." One historical account even cited a covert surveillance system that monitored assimilated parents to ensure they did not teach their children any of the African languages.