Postcolonial mobility and keywords of migration: the Portuguese in Luanda

This article explores the workings of some familiar keywords when applied in a context where migration patterns diverge from conventional expectations in public debate and research. It focuses on the Portuguese seeking a better future in Angola, and it analyses emerging configurations of keywords of migration in this postcolonial setting. By focusing on this unconventional case, the article illuminates some of the stereotypical notions linked to central keywords of migration. Departing from the concepts “migrant”, “expatriate”, “returnee” and “integration”, it explores emic constructions of the Portuguese mobile subjects’ identities, incorporation processes in Angola and shifting postcolonial power positions. Moreover, it uses the emic viewpoints to discuss some globalised connotations of the four keywords. The analysis will make clear that the context-specific workings of these concepts are influenced not only by the particularities of this case but also by powerful international discourses on human mobility. On a conceptual level, the article argues for using keywords as a tool for social analysis. Arguably, ethnographic explorations of the usage and understanding of purportedly simple words can open up profound insights into shifting social values.