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Francisco DeSouza
Francisco DeSouza, born Masaka (Uganda), came to the UK after the Ugandan expulsion in 1972
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About
Francisco DeSouza was born in Masaka (Uganda), but was expelled from Uganda, along with a majority of the South Asian population, in 1972. He subsequently came to the UK with his wife and son, arriving at Stansted Airport (1972).
Francisco DeSouza was interviewed by Selma Carvalho in 2012 for 'Oral Histories of British Goans from Colonial East Africa'. Between 2011 and 2014 the Goan Association UK co-ordinated a project to record oral histories of the Goan Community living in the United Kingdom. This project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and was managed by Selma Carvalho. Carvalho published a book based on the interviews titled A Railway Runs Through: Goans of British East Africa, 1865–1980 (Matador, 2014). The interviews are archived at the British Library under collection reference number C1557. Francisco DeSouza’s interview is C1557/29, © The Goan Association.
Listen to Francisco talking about his experience of expulsion from Africa.
Interview conducted by Selma Carvalho, 2012.
FD: We couldn't believe. I mean, I certainly could not believe that we were being expelled. As far as I'm...I was concerned, I'm an African, I was born in Africa. Okay, go on parentage, but I was born in Africa so why would anyone, you know...I couldn't believe that...
SC: Were you sort of outraged?
FD: I am angry that, you know...and the first few months that I was here, I really felt like...I say I wish I could go back. But eventually, you know, you get accustomed, you get used to it and...
SC: How did you go about the whole business of packing up an entire life?
FD: There's nothing you could take. You could take £50 per family, or was it £100? Whatever. And one bag. That was it. So I left everything behind except documents. I brought all my papers and some old photographs I had, and that was it. Everything else was left behind.
SC: Were you married at this time?
FD: Yes.
SC: And what was your wife's name?
FD: Antoinette.
SC: And did you have children?
FD: One son, yeah.
SC: And so did they pack up along with you?
FD: Yeah. There was pressure to leave as quickly as possible. Because I remember when I was leaving at Entebbe Airport, they were just taking gold away from people. And I could see, you know, there was piles of jewellery from...you know, taken from the Asians. And that's probably the most gold I've ever seen, you know, on a table. And I just wonder, I said, well, this is not going to go to the government.
Listen to Francisco describing his arrival at Stansted Airport in 1972.
FD: I arrived in July, I think it was around the 7th or the 10th of July 1972.
SC: Okay.
FD: Yeah. It was...yeah, I think that's...
SC: And what were your first experiences on arrival?
FD: It's the weather. I remember we got down at Stansted, we arrived at Stansted Airport. And even though it wasn't...no, did I say July? I think I came in October, sorry. It was in October. Yeah, October. And I...you know, when you look out, the trees were different. I mean, the...it was cold, the weather was miserable. And I said, is this England?
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Entry credit
Laura Owen
