Introduction
Portuguese colonialism in Africa is critically analyzed in Amílcar Cabral’s book Unity and Struggle. The section on “Portuguese Colonial Domination” emphasizes how exploitative and brutal Portuguese rule was, with its emphasis on forced labor, land expropriation, and cultural assimilation. Cabral argues that Portuguese colonialism was an approach for both cultural control and economic exploitation as the Portuguese sought to eradicate the cultural heritage of the native communities.
Summary of Arguments and Keywords
From the beginning, the author draws attention to the parallels between the oppressors and the oppressed. Cabral shows how communities have to survive living in one of the areas with the richest resources. As the writer puts it, “Side by side with these natural riches, some of which are exploited by the colonialists, Africans live on a sub-human standard – little or no better than serfs in their own country” (Cabral, 1979, p. 17). Keywords such as “assimilation,” “violence,” “colonial domination,” and “colonialism” are central to Cabral’s argument and, therefore, enhance the message of injustice and exploitation.
Connections with Other Readings
These ideas align with the themes of other readings, such as Vincent B. Khapoya’s The African Experience, Toby Green’s A Fistful of Shells, and Howard W. French’s Africa’s Lost Kingdoms. In the first book, Khapoya argues that European colonization led to the exploitation of African resources and labor. Similarly, as Cabral and Khapoya point out, the “colonization of Africa by European countries was a monumental milestone in the development of Africa” (Khapoya, 2010, p. 107).
In A Fistful of Shells, Green demonstrates how European traders employed force to exploit African communities for their own benefit. In the way Cabral discusses violence and discrimination against African communities to fuel the growth of European economies, Green states that the resources of African states, such as gold, were indeed attractive to Europeans (Green, 2019). Finally, French’s writing examines colonialism’s effects on African communities, pointing to the fact that Europeans were interested not only in gold but also in enslaved people (French, 2019). As a result, one can see the same theme in Cabral’s work, which shows the exploitation of the native communities.
These works of literature challenge readers to consider the consequences of colonialism in Africa objectively. How has the stagnation of African economies been impacted by the exploitative use of African resources and labor? How have the sociopolitical dynamics of African states been affected by the loss of cultural identity? In what ways have African communities opposed and contested colonial rule? The mentioned readings help one delve deeper into the phenomenon of European colonialism and the level of discrimination and exploitation. While analyzing the provided works, one can gain profound insights into the reasons and background of the African community’s mistreatment and the dominance demonstrated by the Europeans.
Conclusion
Therefore, Cabral contends that Portuguese colonialism functioned as a strategy for cultural domination and economic exploitation, as the Portuguese aimed to destroy the cultural identity of the subjugated populations. The author draws attention to the similarities between oppressors and the oppressed from the start. Cabral demonstrates how populations had to survive while residing in one of the regions with the most abundant resources.
These ideas are in line with those presented in earlier publications that show how European colonization resulted in the exploitation of African labor and resources. Readers are encouraged by these writings to critically examine the impact of colonialism in Africa. The cited literature provides a clearer understanding of the phenomena of European colonialism and the extent of prejudice and exploitation.
References
Cabral, Amilcar. 1979. Unity and Struggle. Monthly Review Press.
Green, Toby. 2019. A Fistful of Shells. The University of Chicago Press.
French, Howard. 2019. Africa’s Lost Kingdoms. The New York Review of Books.
Khapoya, Vincent B. 2010. Colonialism and African Experience. Pearson.