“Pourtougal”, an imagined homeland: post-memory and the reconstruction of identity among the Portuguese diaspora in the work of Michael Gouveia

Abstract

This study examines the construction of a Luso-descendant identity in O Herdeiro (2025) by Michael Gouveia, exploring how family memory, cultural rituals, and everyday spaces shape an imagined homeland within the Portuguese diaspora. Situated at the intersection of diaspora studies and Memory Studies, the analysis draws on the concepts of “post-memory” (Hirsch), “memory fictions” (Nünning), and “sites of memory” (Nora) to understand the intergenerational transmission of cultural heritage. The study shows that the protagonist’s identity is structured around places such as the family home, the Portuguese bakery, the church, the school, and workplaces, which serve as symbolic supports of Portugueseness. It also highlights the moral pressure to honour the first generation’s sacrifices, often generating feelings of imposture. The fictional notion of “Pourtougal” symbolises an interstitial homeland constructed through memory, imagination, and linguistic hybridity, demonstrating that Luso-descendant identity emerges from an ongoing negotiation between heritage and contemporary experience.