Cape Verdean American

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.” [cite book|last=Haywood|first=Carl Norman|title=American Whalers in Africa|publisher=Boston University PhD. Quoted in cite web|url=http://www.ernestina.org/history/Tchuba/tchuba-3.pdf|title=Tchuba|chapter=2|accessdate=2006-06-06]

This Cape Verdean immigration “trickle” grew to a “flood” in the 1900s as Cape Verde suffered drought, starvation, and economic decline. cite web|url=http://www.spiamedia.com/cape_verde.html|title=Cape Verde History and Culture|accessdate=2005-05-05] 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.

Most Cape verdean Americans speak English, while others may speak Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creoles.

Areas

Cape Verdean immigration continues to this day. Dorchester, Massachusetts, Brockton, Massachusetts, East Providence, Rhode Island, Pawtucket, Rhode Island Bristol, Rhode Island and California are the fastest growing new immigrant communities in the United States.”

There are an estimated 265,000 Cape Verdean immigrants and their descendents living in the United States, [cite news |first=Jason|last=DeParle|title= In a World on the Move, a Tiny Land Strains to Cope
url= http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/world/africa/24verde.html?ex=1340337600&en=8224c0ecff09f44f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|work= New York Times |publisher=New York Times |date=2007-06-24 |accessdate=2007-07-02 ] according to a June 2007 New York Times article.

Famous people

Some notable Cape Verdean-Americans include:
* Demetrius Andrade
* Michael Beach
* Stephen Cooper
* Wayne Fontes
* Peter Gomes
* Ryan Gomes
* Dana Barros
* Paul Gonsalves
* Tony Gonzalez
* Davey Lopes
* Dana Mohler-Faria
* Paul Pena
* Horace Silver
* David Soares
* The Tavares brothers, who comprised the 1970s R&B band Tavares
* Damon Dash
* Stacey Dash
* Charles D. Smith
* Cynthia Barboza
* Glenn Pires
* Lisa Left Eye Lopes

Organizations

The Cape Verdeans of Southern California (CVSC, Los Angeles), [http://capeverdeansofsoutherncal.org/]

Capital Cape Verdeans of West Sacramento (CCVA)

Cape Verdean West Association of the Oakland/Bay Area (CVWA)

Sociadade Caboverdianos de Norte de California also of West Sacramento (SCNC) [http://www.proudtobecapeverdean.com/home]

Cape Verdeans of Atlanta (CVA) [http://www.capeverdeansofatlanta.com]

References

External links

* [http://www.ernestina.org/history/index.html 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]
* [http://spiamedia.com/culture/ SPIA Media Productions, Inc. "Cape Verde History and Culture." Retrieved May 5, 2005]
* [http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/sailors_index.html National Park Service. "African American Sailors in the Union Navy from Cape Verde." Retrieved December 4, 2005.]
* [http://www.FORCV.com/ FORCV.com: Cape Verdean Immigrant community News and information webpage]
* [http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/caboverde/cvahome.html The Cape Verdean-American Home Page]
* [http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.us/cverde.htm Cape Verdean Culture]
* [http://www.ernestina.org/history/ History of the Schooner Ernestina]
* [http://www2.bc.edu/~brisk/capeverde.htm Cape Verde and Cape Verdeans in the U.S.]
* [http://www.dholmes.com/histories/caboverd.html Portuguese Family Histories - Cabo Verde/Cape Verde]
* [http://virtualcapeverde.net/news2/index.php Cape Verde Embassy in the United States]
* [http://news.caboverdeonline.com/news-and-articles/163/the-first-cape-verdeans-in-louisiana]