Manuel Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos
62 years old · Champigny-sur-Marne (Paris suburbs)
Retired (former construction worker/painter)
Persona: Emigrant in France (Worker)
Manuel Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Manuel Joaquim Ferreira dos Santos |
| Age | 62 |
| Gender | Male |
| Location | Champigny-sur-Marne (Paris suburbs) |
| Occupation | Retired (former construction worker/painter) |
| Education | 4th grade (left school to work) |
| Housing | Owns apartment in France; owns house in Portugal (village in Trás-os-Montes) |
| Family | Married to Lurdes (60), three adult children born in France, six grandchildren |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - CAN vote (votes at consulate) |
| Time in France | 45 years (emigrated 1980) |
Background Narrative
Manuel left Portugal in 1980, nineteen years old, escaping military service and poverty. His village in Trás-os-Montes had nothing—no jobs, no future. France had construction boom and needed hands. He took a train with a cardboard suitcase and two addresses written on paper.
Forty-five years later, he's still in France, but never stopped being Portuguese. He married Lurdes (also from Trás-os-Montes, met at a Portuguese dance), raised three children who speak French better than Portuguese, built a house in the village for retirement. Every August, the whole family caravans back—the Portuguese return migration that doubles village populations for one month.
His children are French. They have French spouses, French careers, French lives. His grandchildren barely speak Portuguese despite his efforts. The house in the village will be theirs someday, but will they want it? Who will maintain the traditions when his generation is gone?
Manuel follows Portuguese politics religiously. He reads Portuguese newspapers, watches RTP Internacional, argues with other Portuguese in the café about what's happening "back home." He's voted in every election from the consulate. Portugal is still his country, even if he'll die in France.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Lower-middle (French pension ~€1,400/month) |
| Income source | French social security pension |
| Financial stress | Low (owns two properties) |
| Housing cost burden | 0% (owns French apartment) |
| Economic trajectory | Stable; French pension secure |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 4 | Strong family bonds; helps fellow Portuguese |
| Self-Enhancement | 2 | Built success through work, not ambition |
| Openness to Change | 2 | Made big change once; now values stability |
| Conservation | 5 | Tradition, family, Portuguese identity paramount |
Top 3 values: Tradition, Benevolence, Security
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Biconceptual with conservative tendency
Expression: Manuel's politics mix working-class solidarity (he was union member in France) with traditional values. He respects hard work, family, faith. He's suspicious of both extremes—lived through Portuguese fascism, doesn't trust populists.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | RTP Internacional, France 24 | High |
| Online | Portuguese news sites, Facebook | Medium |
| Social Media | Facebook, WhatsApp | Medium |
| Community | Portuguese association, church, café regulars | Very High |
Media consumption pattern: Heavy Portuguese media consumer. RTP news daily. Facebook for family and Portuguese community. Compares French and Portuguese coverage. Gets local village news through family WhatsApp group.
Relationship to Portuguese Politics
Voting Status
- Portuguese citizen with full voting rights
- Votes at Portuguese consulate in Paris
- Never missed a presidential election
- Follows Portuguese politics closely despite distance
Political Awareness
- High engagement with Portuguese politics
- Compares to French experience constantly
- Nostalgic for "old Portugal" but not Salazar
- Suspicious of radical change
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- Portuguese identity transmission: "My grandchildren don't speak Portuguese. It dies with them."
- Village decline: "Our village has 50 people now. It had 500 when I was young."
- Portugal's direction: "Is it getting better or losing itself?"
- Children's disconnect: "They're French. They don't feel Portugal like I do."
- Return decision: "We built the house to retire there. But Lurdes has doctors here. Do we go?"
Hopes
For Portugal:
"I hope Portugal thrives. That young people can stay—not leave like I did. That the villages don't die. That it becomes a country worth staying in."
For his family:
"I want my grandchildren to know they're Portuguese too. To visit the village, learn the language, understand where they come from."
For himself:
"I want to die in Portugal. In my house, in my village. But I want Lurdes to be okay, and I want the family to come together at least one more time."
Fears
Personal fears:
"That we're the last generation who really cares. That the house becomes another ruin. That Portugal becomes foreign to my own blood."
Political fears:
"Chega worries me. I remember Salazar's time—not personally, but the stories. Portugal fought for democracy. Don't let it slip."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That I wasted my life between two countries, belonging fully to neither. That I should have stayed, should have returned, should have... I don't know anymore."
"In Their Own Voice"
How he'd describe emigration:
"We left because we had to. Portugal couldn't feed us. France gave us work, dignity, a future. But we paid a price—our children are French, our grandchildren don't understand us, and the Portugal we dreamed of returning to has changed beyond recognition. Was it worth it? For the children, yes. For us... I still don't know."
What he'd say to young Portuguese considering emigration:
"Go if you must. We all did. But know what you're leaving behind. It's not just a country—it's who you are. Keep the language, keep the ties, keep coming back. Or one day you'll look in the mirror and not recognize the Portuguese person you were supposed to be."
On voting from abroad:
"I vote in every election. Portugal is still my country, even from here. Those who say emigrants shouldn't have a voice don't understand—we never stopped being Portuguese. We just had to be Portuguese somewhere else."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Negative | Distrusts populism; remembers Portuguese dictatorship |
| Gouveia e Melo | Positive | Competent, respects military tradition |
| Marques Mendes | Positive | PSD traditional; stability |
| Seguro | Neutral | PS okay; emigrant concerns not central |
| Catarina Martins | Neutral | Left ideas fine; but too urban for him |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Neutral | Doesn't know well; liberal ideas confusing |
| António Filipe | Neutral-Positive | PCP defended workers; but too ideological |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Emblematic of massive Portuguese emigration to France
- Double property owner—France apartment + Portugal house
- Grandchildren's language loss as cultural death
- Annual August return as ritual
- Could interact with: French grandchildren, village neighbors, consulate staff, other Portuguese emigrants
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: watching RTP in France, August caravan to Portugal, village house maintenance, grandchild who says "je ne comprends pas"