The Making of the Cape Verdean

by Manuel E. Costa Sr.

The Making of the Cape Verdean is a book written about Cape Verdeans who migrated from the Cape Verde Islands in the late 1800's to the 1970's to New Bedford Massachusetts. The book is based on the historical facts about the Portuguese colonization of the Cape Verde islands and its people located off the West Coast of Africa. The author provides the history of colonization under Portuguese rule of Salazar and how the Cape Verdean people survived famine, imprisonment, torture, politcal unrest and the abandonment of the Portuguese government. In addition, the author gives you a voyeuristic view of what life was like growing up in the Cape Verdean community in New Bedford after they migrated to the United States. This book is a powerful recap of of Cape Verdeans from this period and location. There is no other documentation that captures the Cape Verdeans the way "The Making of the Cape Verdean" does in this book.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 20, 2011

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by Manuel Edward Costa Sr. (born 1918 in New Bedford MA, and died in 1992; his parents were born in St. Antão, Cape Verde and came to the U.S. in the early 1900’s). The book was prepared for its 2011 publication by his daughter, Jeanne. It is considered “The only book in existence that chronicles the lives of Capeverdianos from the time they arrived in New Bedford in the late 1800’s to the 1970’s.”

He recounts, “Looming out of the Atlantic Ocean … is the archipelago of the Cape Verdean Islands. For eons, these 10 islands and 8 islets remained undiscovered by Europeans until Diego Gomes and Antonio da Nola came upon them purely by accident in the year 1460… These islands, the possession of Portugal, are situated 370 miles west of Dakar, Senegal. They are divided into two groups, the Northern windward group called the Barlovento and the Southern leeward group called the Sotovento… their composition is of volcanic origin. One such volcano is still active on the island of Fogo… the humidity makes the climate uncomfortable and unhealthy. The hot, dry climate results from westward blowing winds from the Sahara Desert… (Pg. 7)

“When Europeans found these islands about 1460, they were uninhabited. During the ensuing 500 years, what transpired to the people who came to inhabit the islands is quite unbelievable… The Portuguese are known for their exploits in exploration and colonization, but they were too ambitious when they undertook the task of making the Cape Verdean Islands a paying investment…How did these islands come to be the possessions of Portugal?... Pope Alex VI issued a Bulla in 1493, assigning to Portugal all of the new lands to be discovered East of a line drawn from Pole to Pole… and to Spain all the lands West of the line. The Pope … recognized the need to convert heathen people and approved the Portuguese claims to the African coast…” (Pg. 7-8) “Ever since the Pope … declar[ed] the Cape Verdean Islands part of the Portuguese empire, the Cape Verdean people have been devout Catholics. They are very religious and have high regard for the priesthood, nunnery, and the Pope.” (Pg. 144)

“How did people come to settle these forbidden lands where habitation was seemingly impossible? The Portuguese colonizers stole Africans from the Guinea Coast and forced them into servitude … as a way station for vessels. This became Europe’s first colony in Africa. The population there was quite low until slavery became a thriving and profitable business… The timing was perfect for meeting the demand for slaves in Brazil and the United States.” (Pg. 8)

“During the era of slave trading, the island of St. Thiago, and then Sao Tome, became slaving depots where slaves from … the West Coast of Africa were collected and housed, pending dispatch to plantations and mines of South America, Cuba, and possibly the United States. Slave trade…. was a vicious business with White Portuguese and mulattoes … bartering with African chieftains … Most commonly, they would dispatch heavily armed envoys into the hinterland to procure their precious cargo by force.” (Pg. 9)

“The story of the Cape Verdean is one of poverty and more poverty, it is their way of life, they know no other. As long as the Portuguese government owns these islands, the people will be in misery. Maybe it is a blessing that the Portuguese claimed possession of the islands because one doubts if any other country would have taken them. The islands have strategic, but very little commercial importance. Each island is a miniature melting pot…. The Cape Verde Islands are physically part of Africa. They are not part of lush equatorial Africa, with its rain forest and green vegetation, but arid Africa. Most islands are made up entirely of rock and sand… In spite of this bestial treatment by a dictator government, the Cape Verdean … still remains fiercely loyal to Portugal, and fiercely proud of a heritage that reeks of shame and disgrace. Ask a Cape Verdean what nationality he belongs to and invariably he will reply, Portuguese. He can be an American, Brazilian, Israelite or Englander and the answer will be the same: I am Portuguese. Genetically, ethnologically, and sociologically, the majority of the people … are of African descent. Psychologically, most Cape Verdeans consider themselves European.” (Pg. 11-13)

“Even though the natives of this island [St. Antão] are better equipped to make a place for themselves in the modern world, they are handicapped by despondency borne out of the criminal Portuguese colonial neglect present in all the islands.” (Pg. 37) “Why has this happened? Part of the answer is the apathy of the Portuguese government, which is unwilling to invest in the resources of the people of the Islands.” (Pg. 56) “the Cape Verdean came to the United States in and about 1820-1840. This emigration coincided with the whaling boom in New Bedford, MA.” (Pg. 61)

“…the Portuguese … look down on the Cape Verdeans because of their African blood, and the Cape Verdeans themselves have been infected with color snobbery. People of the Barlovento are prejudiced against the darker Sotovento and even against the dark people within their own group.” (Pg. 58) “In 1960… a racial census … found that only 6 Cape Verdeans identified themselves as Black. This will give the reader some idea what the feelings of the Cape Verdeans are in that area in respect to racial identity… first and second generation groups … want to be called ‘Portugee’ (not Portuguese)… They, like their ‘city cousins,’ cling to their ‘White’ heritage.” (Pg. 82)

“here in America … Open associations with Black Portuguese would cause social ostracism for the White Portuguese… Those that intermarry … get along fine but their children tend to remain with the colored parent. Then again there are those ‘half breeds’ who will have nothing to do with their Black brothers, cousins, aunts, etc.” (Pg.85) “The Cape Verdean usually refers to the Black American derogatorily … If a Black American had light skin, ‘good’ hair (Caucasian type), and fair eyes, then he ‘looks like a Cape Verdean.’ … In the past, the Cape Verdean has had a superior attitude toward his Black brother … but conditions are getting much better as the Cape Verdean is getting better educated … and adopting many of the habits, manners, and dress of the Black American.” (Pg. 89)

“It has been said by many visitors to the New Bedford area … that the Cape Verdean men and women are the most beautiful people of color that they have ever seen. This area has more beautiful women of color, per block, than anywhere else in the United States. The different strain of the many bloods … has produced a hybrid individual, the likes of which one won’t find anywhere else.” (Pg. 104)

“The average Cape Verdean family still clings to the food habits of the old country but with an American variation. Their basic dish is rice and beans, or rice and peas, or rice with kidney beans. This is what they call ‘Jag’ (short for Jagacida’)… The way that Jag is made by these people, it has a very tasty flavor. Many of the other ethnic groups that frequent the Cape Verdean community become addicted to this particular dish… In the ‘old country,’ the basic dish is ‘Catchupa,’ sometimes called ‘Munchupa.’ This is made mostly of corn with vegetables and a piece of meat added… it is like a thick soup, but its consistency is much thicker.” (Pg. 166-167)

Costa wrote an open letter to Sen. Edward Kennedy, stating, “Why should I, living in New Bedford, in the USA, be concerned with what is happening in South Africa, Rhodesia… or any other African country? I know that the Cape Verde Islands, where my forbears are from, received their independence from Portugal July 5, 1975. It pleases me, but too many scars remain for any of us to forget…” (Pg. 219)

In an Appendix to the book, a speech (delivered February 20, 1970) by Amilcar Cabral [one of Africa's foremost anti-colonial leaders] is reproduced, which states, “the chief goal of the liberation movement goes beyond the achievement of political independence to the superior level of complete liberation of the productive forces and the construction of economic, social, and cultural progress of the people… the liberation movement must… organize the people … in order to resort to violence in the cause of freedom… The armed struggle for liberation, launched in response to the colonialist oppressor, turns out to be a painful but efficient instrument … In the moment of victory, it must be translated into a significant leap forward of the culture of the people… If that does not happen, then… the struggle will have been made in vain.” (Pg. 302-305)

This book will be “must reading” for anyone interested in the history of the Cape Verdean people.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was great to read about my heritage, but it took me forever to finish the book because it got very technical in some areas.

I was determined to complete the read. I did! Overall a very informative book.