In the highly diverse city of Brussels, where recent research suggests that only 32% of the population has Belgian roots, the focus is less on becoming 'more Belgian' and more on forging connections with fellow Portuguese speakers in Brussels, such as Angolans and Mozambicans, and then with the Moroccan community ('after all, we share eight centuries of history').
Those who wish to become part of the community in Brussels must come up with their own ideas for how to do so, and the young Portuguese are already doing just that.
LUSOBELGAE is a magazine-style book. Through interviews, photographs, and the results of research, it portrays the Portuguese diaspora in Brussels. It is available in English and French.
Text: Veerle Devos and Kristof Dams. Photos: José Fernandes. Lusobelgae is part of a wider project on Brussels as a city in transition.
