Cape Verde and Cape Verdeans in the U.S.

by Sabina Steede, 2003

Source:  http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cv.html

 

Contents:

Cape Verde

 

Location:  A group of 21 islands and islets (little islands) stretching 283 to 448  nautical miles off the west coast of Africa. Only nine of the islands are inhabited: Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Sao Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Santo Tiago, Fogo, and Brava.

 

Capital:  Praia (on the island of Sao Tiago)

Population:  408,760 (July 2002)

 

Ethnic groups:  Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

 

Languages:  Portuguese, Crioulo or Krioulu (a Portuguese-based Creole). The official language is Portuguese; the national language is Crioulo.

 

Climate:  Tropical and dry

 

Physical Terrain:  Desert-like due to a continuous cycle of droughts.

 

Economy:  The main economic activities are agriculture and tourism.

 

Religion:  Predominately Catholic which greatly influences culture.

 

Literacy:  The literacy rate for adults is 65% for females and 84% for males.

See http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cv.html for more detailed information.

 

History of the Country

 

The Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited until the 1460’s when the islands became a stopping ground for ships traveling west from Africa or south from Europe and North Africa.  In 1466, King Alfonso V of Portugal signed a royal charter, which granted early settlers in the Cape Verde Islands the right to trade African slaves and goods along the west coast of Africa. The slave trade was a profitable business and between 1501 and 1600 the export of slaves from Africa to the Atlantic islands and Europe was often centered in Cape Verde.  In the early years, 400 to 500 slaves were exported annually out of Cape Verde. By the mid-1800’s, only about 5-10% of the population owned slaves. In 1869, slavery formally ended in Cape Verde when Portugal ordered an immediate end to slavery in all its territories. In 1975, Cape Verde became independent and broke its ties with Portugal.


See http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/caboverde/capeverdean.html for a comprehensive overview of Cape Verde with links to other relevant web sites.

 

Language


History: The Crioulo language emerged in the 1400’s as a result of the slave trade.  It was influenced by African and European linguistic structures but has its own structure and system which is distinct from Portuguese.  The following example shows the differences among Crioulo, Portuguese, and English.

 

N gosta di obi muzika. Crioulo

 

Eu gosto de ouvir musica. Portuguese

 

I like to listen to music . English

 

There are several dialectal varieties of Crioulo, which can be roughly divided between the varieties spoken in the Leeward Islands and those spoken in the Windward Islands. Crioulo has significantly contributed toward a definition of national culture in the Cape Verdean Islands. This language helped to unify Cape Verde by identifying and solidifying the peoples of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau in their common struggle for independence against Portuguese domination. It has also helped sustain a sense of shared cultural identity among Cape Verdeans in other parts of the world. 

 

Oral Traditions:  Crioulo is primarily an oral language and as such has many oral traditions. These include: social talking; sparing with friends; vivid storytelling; mourning openly at a funeral; mornas, which are spontaneous poems, songs, and dances used to express the hardships and hopes of Cape Verdeans; and mantenhas , orally-delivered messages used as a primary means to communicate and maintain relationships between Cape Verdeans in the U.S. and those back home. These oral traditions continue to link Cape Verdeans throughout the world. 

         

Jokes, riddles, proverbs, and folktales are also a significant part of Cape Verdean culture and folkloric tradition. These jokes, riddles, proverbs, and folktales are shared orally from one generation to the next. Many traditional Cape Verdean folklores feature the characters Nho Lobo, Mr. Wolf, and his nephew, Tubino. Nho Lobo is usually portrayed as lazy, greedy, and constantly hungry. He always tries to trick Tubino into doing his work or getting his food for him. These folktales are similar to the Anansi spider stories of West Africa, the Anancy and Tiboki stories of the Caribbean, and Brer Rabbit stories of Southern African Americans.

 

Written Form:   There is a written form that is in the process of being standardized, and several literary works, including poetry and novels, have been published in Crioulo.  As of 1998, an official alphabet was approved by the Cape Verdean government.  It is called the Alphabet for a United Capeverdean Writing System (ALUPEC).  This alphabet contains 23 letters (A, B, S, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, K, R, T, U, V, X, and Z) and 4 digraphs (DJ, LH, NH, and TX). 

 

Everyday Usage:  In the past and present, Crioulo is spoken by all levels of society and is generally passed down through generations. Some Cape Verdeans are monolingual and speak only Crioulo. The educated elite are bilingual and speak both Crioulo and Portuguese. Changes in education are occurring, and Portuguese will probably be more efficiently taught in the schools in order to lower dropout rates. Currently, Portuguese is used predominately in governmental, educational, and religious situations. Crioulo appears to be the language of choice for communication among the general population and is currently used in the media, TV and radio, in Cape Verde and the U.S.  It is also used for business but only in its oral form. Crioulo is used in the written form in literary circles for prose and poetry. It has been the vehicle of a very productive literary tradition, one of the richest in any Creole society. Innumerable poetry and prosodic works have been written in the language. The tradition goes as far back as the 19th century and culminated with the writing of the first novel Oju d'Agua by Manuel Veiga in 1987.

 

Language & Education:  Although Crioulo is the national language of Cape Verde and is spoken by the majority of society, it is not officially used in educational settings. Portuguese is the language of choice in educational circles and lessons are conducted in only this language in Cape Verdean schools. Crioulo is used in school but informally; i.e., talking with peers. This appears to be the case due to the fact that before 1975 Cape Verde was a territory of Portugal. However, it is possible that the quality of education has declined since Cape Verde gained its independence. Reasons for this include lack of adequate learning space, lack of materials, and teachers with little or no training, among other possible factors.  Recently the Netherlands has decided to provide financial support to Cape Verde to strengthen preschool education as one positive step to improve the overall educational system.

 

See http://www.visaonews.com/vnn/english/11_02/13_006EG.asp for information about the Netherlands financial support of Cape Verde's education system, primarily preschool/nursery schools.

 

Immigration to the United States

 

Major Waves:   The major waves of immigration were during the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Between 1820 and 1920, it is estimated that 40,000 Cape Verdeans immigrated to the U.S. More than 60% of these newcomers were from the islands of Brava and Fogo. Immigration laws of 1922 and 1924, as well as obstacles imposed by the Portuguese government prevented further immigration until 1968. Between the years 1975 and 1980, it is estimated that 900 Cape Verdeans immigrated to the U.S. annually. These statistics are only estimates since the U.S. Immigration Service did not differentiate between Cape Verdean and Portuguese immigrants before 1975. This was due to the fact that before 1975, Cape Verde was a colony of Portugal and Cape Verdean immigrants had to immigrate under the Portuguese quota.  Today, it is estimated that close to 400,000 Cape Verdeans are living in the U.S.

 

Major Settlement Areas: Cape Verdians have primarily immigrated to New England, specifically Rhode Island, Massachusetts and later Connecticut. Today, Dorchester and Brockton in Massachusetts, Pawtucket in Rhode Island and Waterbury in Connecticut are the fastest growing new immigrant communities. Presently, some Cape Verdeans are immigrating to California instead of New England.

 

Reasons for Immigrating:  Immigrants have come to the U.S. primarily because of economic hardships in Cape Verde. They are seeking opportunity in the form of better jobs and education. The earlier whaling industry and later cranberry bogs attracted Cape Verdeans to the New England area. Most of the immigrants were impoverished farmers who hoped to secure a better future for themselves back in Cape Verde by their labor abroad. Many Cape Verdeans came to the U.S. to work and save money for 10 or more years before eventually moving back to Cape Verde and providing a better life for their family in their home country. Today, many immigrants make the U.S. their home but visit Cape Verde often and continue to help loved ones back in Cape Verde by sending money and supplies when possible.

 

Literacy and Immigration: Literate Cape Verdean islanders are bilingual in both Crioulo and Portuguese. The literacy rate of islanders varies depending on the island of their last residence. The highest rate of literacy is 74.7 for immigrants from Santo Antao Island and the lowest is 41.4 for immigrants from Sao Tiago Island. 

 

Links:

See http://www.spiamedia.com/cape_verde.html for current projects regarding Cape Verdean immigration.

 

See http://www.ernestina.org/history/ for history of the Ernestina, a ship that carried thousands of Cape Verdeans to the United States.

 

See http://www.umassd.edu/SpecialPrograms/caboverde/foxpoint/foxpoint.html for personal stories.

 

Resources:

Halter, M. (1993). Between race and ethnicity: Cape Verdean American immigrants, 1880-1965. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Use of Language in the United States

 

Most Cape Verdeans in the U.S. are bilingual (Crioulo/English) and some (depending on birthplace) are trilingual (Crioulo, Portuguese, and English). Crioulo is used frequently by many Cape Verdeans in the U.S. and its use is dependent on the situation. Some Cape Verdeans speak Crioulo in many aspects of their lives (school, work, with family, friends, and so on).  It is used in schools primarily in Crioulo/English bilingual classes and informally in mainstream classes and common areas to communicate with peers. Most Cape Verdeans find that learning and using English in the U.S. is important, and English is often the preferred language. However, when communicating with elders, Crioulo is the preferred language.

 

I am more comfortable speaking Crioulo but I need to someone speak to me English because I need to learn this language. (Cape Verdean-born high school student)

 

See http://www.capeverdeancreoleinstitute.org , the web site of the Cape Verdean Creole Institute which includes background information and current project updates regarding the Crioulo language.

 

Connections between Language and Culture:  In the past, recent immigrants to Massachusetts converged in New Bedford to establish a viable Crioulo subculture. Festivals were held which included traditional food and music (nostalgic melodies and folkloric dance tunes). Children were told folktales by storytellers and played ouri, a game similar to checkers and chess.

 

Teaching Cape Verdean Students: Teachers working with Cape Verdean students should take into account that the language of the Cape Verdean population (Crioulo) is primary an oral language. Some Cape Verdean students might not have had many experiences with written language nor had many traditional (i.e., American) early literacy experiences.

 

Also, recent Cape Verdean immigrants might not have had much schooling or positive school experiences. Bilingual education (Crioulo/English) classes would be ideal for recent immigrants. 

 

I like because it help me learn English more quickly. You know why because all my teachers speak both languages. (Recent Cape-Verdean high school student explaining her preference for bilingual education. She was only able to complete school up to the fourth grade in Cape Verde due to lack of schools in her rural area.

 

Classroom Materials

 

Teacher-Created Materials: Since Crioulo is primarily an oral language, teachers need to create their own written materials in Crioulo if necessary or desired. Teachers at the Burke High School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, create their own materials in Crioulo to teach their Crioulo/English bilingual classes. In one assignment, tenth-grade students had to translate an English newspaper article into Crioulo and answer reading comprehension questions in Crioulo about the topic. If bilingual classes are not available, teachers can attempt to communicate with Cape Verdean students by using the following resources.

Pa Nu Papia Kriolu:  A Cape Verdean language book  by Manuel Da Luz Goncalves and Lelia Lomba De Andrade. This book is available for purchase at http://www.capeverdeancreoleinstitute.org .

Children’s Literature:  Since Crioulo is primarily an oral language and stories are passed down through the generations, there are few, if any, children's books. Children's literature written and/or translated into Portuguese is more readily available.

 

www.Schoenhofs.com publisher of children's books in various languages including Portuguese.

 

http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/publications/he/22/22e.html briefly discusses standardized testing of Crioulo-speaking students.

 

www.footstepsmagazine.com the September/October 2001 issue is all about Cape Verde and includes some folktales as well as relevant information about language, culture, and immigration.

 

Contact: Ronald Barboza, Barika Photography, 171 Court Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA 02740
Phone: (508) 996-3411 for Cape Verdean coloring book, Cape Verdean American coloring book, and One, A salute to Cape Verdean musicians and their music.


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last updated July 2003