Cape Verdean American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cape Verdean immigration to the United States began in the early 1800s. The first Cape Verdean immigrants arrived aboard New England whaling ships, which would often pick up crewmen off the coast of Cape Verde. American captains valued Cape Verdeans as crews, because they “worked hard to save what they could while on board vessel they could be hired for much less money than American seamen. Furthermore, they made a disciplined crew.”[1]
This Cape Verdean immigration “trickle” grew to a “flood” in the 1900s as Cape Verde suffered drought, starvation, and economic decline. [2] Once on whaling ships and in America, Cape Verdean men were able to send money and news of other family and friends already in “the land of opportunity.” They also sent bidons (gasoline barrels) full of food, clothes, and other items to New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island. The latter are the oldest and largest Cape Verdean communities in the United States. These communities and new Cape Verdean communities are marked by close kinship ties and interdependence among families, a traditional Cape Verdean practice that has been passed down through the generations.
Contents |
[edit] Areas
Cape Verdean immigration continues to this day. Dorchester, Massachusetts, Brockton, Massachusetts and Pawtucket, Rhode Island are the fastest growing new immigrant communities in the United States.”[2]
There are an estimated 265,000 Cape Verdean immigrants and their descendents living in the United States,[3] according to a June 2007 New York Times article.
[edit] Famous people
Some notable Cape Verdean-Americans include:
- Demetrius Andrade
- Michael Beach
- Stephen Cooper
- Wayne Fontes
- Peter Gomes
- Ryan Gomes
- Luis Rosa, Director, Student Health and Counseling Center, Western Oregon University
- Dana Barros
- Paul Gonsalves
- Tony Gonzalez
- Davey Lopes
- Dana Mohler-Faria
- Paul Pena
- Horace Silver
- David Soares
- Damon Dash
- Stacey Dash
- Charles D. Smith
[edit] References
- ^ Haywood, Carl Norman. American Whalers in Africa. Boston University PhD.. Quoted in Tchuba. Retrieved on 2006-06-06.
- ^ a b Cape Verde History and Culture. Retrieved on 2005-05-05.
- ^ DeParle, Jason. "In a World on the Move, a Tiny Land Strains to Cope", New York Times, New York Times, 2007-06-24. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
Lisa Left Eye Lopes
[edit] External links
- Tchuba, the American Committee for Cape Verde, 1978. "Cape Verdeans in America: Our Story." Schooner Ernestina, Official Vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved May 5, 2005
- SPIA Media Productions, Inc. "Cape Verde History and Culture." Retrieved May 5, 2005
- National Park Service. "African American Sailors in the Union Navy from Cape Verde." Retrieved December 4, 2005.
- FORCV.com: Cape Verdean Immigrant community News and information webpage
- The Cape Verdean-American Home Page
- Cape Verdean Culture
- History of the Schooner Ernestina
- Cape Verde and Cape Verdeans in the U.S.
- Portuguese Family Histories - Cabo Verde/Cape Verde
- Cape Verde Embassy in the United States
|
|||||
