The origin and role of the figure of “Assimilado” in the control of the black in the colonies of portugal
The term assimilated, as used in the post-independence period, has been redefined. It is more a “construction” of the revolutionary FRELIMO than a work of the “settler”. And in this context, its impact on the fate of Mozambicans after independence cannot be attributed to Portuguese colonialism without considering the evolution of the term as a result of internal ideological struggles within FRELIMO.
This Briefing Note explains how Portugal compulsively used the process of assimilation in its colonies in order to discipline and control Black activism. Being assimilated was the primary condition for having a dignified life in colonial times, which is why practically all the literate Mozambicans who later founded FRELIMO or joined the armed struggle were overwhelmingly assimilated.
