Braga Family: A Five-generation Legend of Portuguese-Macanese in Hong Kong

As Hong Kong opened up for international trade, the British, Jews, Parsees, and Chinese all made breakthroughs in business. However, the Macanese, who had the advantage of being a close neighbor and were already intermediaries between Chinese and Westerners, showed a "lack of business vigor". Some scholars even pointed out that "when the Chinese were swimming in a boundless ocean, the Macanese seemed to be trapped in a stagnant pool". As the non-Chinese ethnic group with the second largest population in Hong Kong, the Macanese can speak multiple languages and understand Chinese and Western cultures, giving them advantages in business ventures. However, they are not interested in business and would rather choose to be supporting workers in offices. The small number of Macanese who choose to start their own businesses have not been able to fight as hard as other ethnic groups, and as a result, they have not been able to create their own business empires. The story of the Braga family, which spans five generations, may be a typical example of the development of the Macanese in Hong Kong. This family has a long history in China, and when they moved from Macau to Hong Kong, they took advantage of the situation. The family is big, with high level of education, and were meticulous and hardworking... but even though they achieved success in many fields and had considerable influence, they did not leave a prominent mark on the history of Hong Kong's business. By delving into the story of the Braga family, not only can we see the interaction between family inheritance and corporate rise and fall, but also how business power influences the development of modern China and the world.