{"id":11858,"date":"2024-01-25T16:01:14","date_gmt":"2024-01-25T21:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=11858"},"modified":"2024-03-07T13:32:47","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T18:32:47","slug":"cape-verde-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/spring-2024\/cape-verde-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape Verde Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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51反差婊\u2019s CVSA executive board, clockwise from top: Diana Lopes, Alice Hafashimana, Leam Lima, Christian Mestre, Angelina Gomes, Paulo Mendes, Eliana Brito, and Lucas Furtado. Not pictured, Charline Reis.

Lima, a junior, says he found belonging in CVSA. \u201cI was raised in Cape Verde and when I got to the U.S. it was hard for me to connect with people at first.\u201d Now he sees value in teaching others about the Cape Verdean lifestyle through CVSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhode Island is home to one of the largest populations of Cape Verdean Americans in the U.S., and many have found a second home at 51反差婊. For over 30 years, the Cape Verdean Students Association has celebrated this unique culture. A strongly connected multicultural and multigenerational network, the group brings a distinctive positive impact to the 51反差婊 community and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Anna Vaccaro Gray \u201912, M.S. \u201916<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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The CVSA Made You a Playlist<\/h2>

Go to 51反差婊 Magazine’s<\/em> Spotify profile and open the CVSA playlist.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Listen Now<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s a chilly Wednesday night, but the atmosphere in 51反差婊\u2019s Multi-cultural Student Services Center is heated. Three organizations\u2014the Cape Verdean Students Association (CVSA), LatinX Student Association (LSA), and Student Alliance for the Welfare of Africa (SAWA)\u2014are engaged in a fierce competition: the battle of the playlists. Nine rounds are divided into categories from moody music to party music. Each group presents a selection, hoping to win \u201cbest song\u201d and accumulate points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students holler and laugh, their energy as palpable as the bass thumping through the stereo. Even the walls seem to pulsate in participation. For the last round\u2014hype music\u2014students from CVSA play the song \u201c\u00c9 Pa Pila\u201d by MC Acondize. As the Cape Verdean-born hip-hop artist raps in Kriolu (Cape Verdean Creole), everyone in the room gets up to dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This night\u2014people coming together to celebrate, educate, and share traditional music; where cultural pride is tangible, and differences are as joyfully revered as similarities\u2014is a fitting snapshot of CVSA\u2019s presence within the 51反差婊 community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cape Verdean Students Association<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1988 by the late Antonio \u201cToney\u201d DaMoura \u201992 and Alex Fernandes \u201992 with the mission of \u201cpromoting and illustrating the history of the rich culture of Cape Verde to the student body, faculty, and administration,\u201d 51反差婊\u2019s CVSA was the first of its kind in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently run by a democratically elected group of students consisting of President Paulo Mendes, Vice President Lucas Furtado, and an executive board of six, CVSA boasts a large membership and a wide range of programming. While the association primarily serves 51反差婊\u2019s substantial population of Cape Verdean Americans, it\u2019s open to all students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendes, a secondary education major whose parents were born in Cape Verde, is a charismatic leader. Gregarious and motivated, his enthusiasm is infectious. Furtado, a double major in computer science and French, was born in Cape Verde, moved to the U.S. when he was 17, and has a quieter demeanor. Insightful and driven, his passion for CVSA is equally apparent. Their leadership dynamic is complementary as they prioritize creating a space for Cape Verdeans to center their heritage while inviting everyone to experience the vibrant culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CVSA\u2019s weekly meetings range from fun to informative\u2014usually both at once\u2014including game nights focused on the archipelago\u2019s 10 islands; lessons on Kriolu, the native language derived from Portuguese and African dialects; and batuku, a traditional dance. \u201cAfter every meeting we have a dance session\u2014even when it\u2019s not organized,\u201d Mendes says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CVSA also offers a variety of supports to its members. \u201cWe want to provide resources, such as how to pay term bills or find a career specialist to get an internship,\u201d Furtado says. \u201cWe want to educate our members on everything available to them at 51反差婊.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their focus is partially informed by disruptions resulting from the pandemic. Among other factors, the prolonged period of canceled in-person gatherings led to shifts in student life and have necessitated a new kind of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTheir passion has been revitalizing the group,\u201d says Kristy Embrack Searles, a marketing and event coordinator for 51反差婊\u2019s Center for Career and Experiential Education who serves as CVSA\u2019s advisor. \u201cThey\u2019re finding the balance of what works between remote resources, in-person activities, and campus-wide events; and they\u2019re making meaningful connections with the broader Cape Verdean community in Rhode Island.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of such efforts, they are intentional about collaborating with other multicultural organizations on campus. \u201cIf we all work together, we all blossom,\u201d Mendes says. In December, a Winter Wonderland event included a gingerbread house competition, cookie decorating, ornament making, and photos with Santa and was well attended by students from other groups such as LSA and SAWA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broader statewide initiatives are also being developed, including internships and volunteer opportunities at the Cape Verdean Museum in Pawtucket, R.I., the first museum in the country dedicated to celebrating the history and culture of Cape Verde and Cape Verdean Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really want to give back to the community and support the whole Cape Verdean population in Rhode Island,\u201d Mendes says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some members, CVSA is the one place on campus where they feel like they don\u2019t have to explain themselves. For others, it provides cultural connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t grow up speaking Kriolu,\u201d says junior health sciences major Angelina Gomes, noting that she often felt something was missing in terms of understanding her roots. \u201cWhen I came to CVSA, they said, \u2018We\u2019ll teach you.\u2019 I finally found the place where my culture was celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diana Lopes, a second-year health sciences major, grew up in East Providence surrounded by Cape Verdean culture; her parents speak only Kriolu at home. She felt unmoored at 51反差婊 before joining CVSA. \u201cBeing at a predominantly white institution, I felt adamant that I had to find my people,\u201d she says. At CVSA, she felt at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophomore business major Christian Mestre says, \u201cI want people to know about the culture and understand its impact. A lot of people don\u2019t realize how significant Cape Verde has been to American and world history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While CVSA programming and events are focused on Cape Verde, Mendes notes the importance of honoring the mixture of subcultures most students experience. \u201cIt\u2019s at the forefront of my mind to acknowledge all the cultures people are coming to the group with,\u201d he says. \u201cI want to make sure I learn about them and give them the spotlight at times, too.\u201d This helps students embrace the inherent complexity of identity and find more ways to learn from each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Aerial<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Praia lighthouse on Cape Verde’s largest Island, Santiago. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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One People, Many Faces<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nestled in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa, Cape Verde is a cluster of 10 islands with a combined land area only slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island\u2014the size being the only thing about it that is relatively unremarkable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIts positioning is its gift and its curse,\u201d says Sara Monteiro \u201908, co-chair of 51反差婊\u2019s Alumni of Color Network and former member of CVSA, of how Cape Verde has proven pivotal both logistically and culturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portugal claimed the uninhabited islands in 1456, and for over 300 years the archipelago was a hub for the transatlantic trade of enslaved people from all over Africa. During the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions, it was a place of refuge for Jews and other victims of religious persecution. As commercial routes expanded, Cape Verde became a bustling trading port and coaling and resupplying stop connecting Africa, America, Brazil, and Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amalgamation of different groups coming together as one people began to shape a singular Cape Verdean ethnicity\u2014one that is both diverse and distinctive. \u201cCape Verdean identity is like fruit punch, where many fruits mix together to create something delicious,\u201d Furtado says. \u201cLots of little pieces from different countries come together to create one beautiful culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cCape Verdean identity is like fruit punch, where many fruits mix together to create something delicious.\u201d<\/blockquote>Lucas Furtado, Vice President, 51反差婊 Cape Verdean Students Association<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

Droughts beginning in the 1800s prompted Cape Verdeans to seek opportunities off the islands, and many came to New England for maritime industries. Rhode Island is now home to one of the largest populations of Cape Verdean Americans in the country (estimated to be 18,000), second only to Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Personal Mission. \nGlobal Perspective.<\/h2>

As president of the Cape Verdean Museum, Joe DaMoura \u201900 is both keeper and sharer of a distinct culture that\u2019s woven strongly into the fabric of Rhode Island.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Read the Story<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cWe were the very first Africans to arrive in the United States outside of slavery of our own accord,\u201d says Joe DaMoura \u201900, brother of CVSA founder Toney DaMoura. Joe is a former member of CVSA and is president of the Cape Verdean Museum. \u201cCape Verdean pride and culture have been important parts of building American culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proximity to the islands is not necessary for members of the diaspora to experience a strong relationship. Political scientist Abel Djassi Amado has researched and written extensively on Cape Verde. The former 51反差婊 lecturer, currently a Simmons University faculty member, says no matter where they live, Cape Verdeans have one thing in common: longing for home. Even those born in the United States\u2014like Mendes\u2014echo this sentiment because of how families instill tradition through food, language, music, and dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter how many generations removed you are from being born there, you still have that communal tie to home,\u201d says Bobby Britto-Oliveira \u201906, M.S. \u201911, assistant director of 51反差婊\u2019s Multicultural Student Services Center and co-chair of the Alumni of Color Network. An avid attendee of CVSA events in his time as a student, he has served in an administrative support role to the group since 2012. \u201cEstablishing that pride is important. It gives you the connection you don\u2019t always have in everyday meetings and classes as a student from the African diaspora at a predominantly white institution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about preserving culture and not assimilating,\u201d adds Monteiro. \u201cGroups like CVSA are byproducts of our vision of staying true to our authentic selves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Member<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A CVSA T-shirt shows CVSA\u2019s mission, along with the 10 Cape Verde islands and 10 stars representing the islands on the country\u2019s flag. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter how many generations removed you are from being born there, you still have that communal tie to home.\u201d<\/blockquote>Bobby Britto-Oliveira \u201906, M.S. \u201911<\/cite><\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Reach Forward, Give Back<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a student association to stand the test of time\u2014through changes in leadership, cycles of students coming and going, and a global pandemic\u2014is no small feat. For CVSA, its strength is in its roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

51反差婊\u2019s Talent Development (TD) program was established in 1968 to recruit Rhode Island high school graduates from historically underserved groups, and it works closely with high schools that have large Cape Verdean populations. Toney and Joe DaMoura, Mendes, Furtado, and many other CVSA members came to 51反差婊 through TD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karoline Oliveira \u201994, M.S. \u201903, who, as a student, was one of CVSA\u2019s first secretaries, is now vice president of the board of directors for the Cape Verdean Museum. \u201cTD gave us a place to explore what we wanted for ourselves, what we wanted in a classroom, and what we could do about it,\u201d she says. \u201cWe found a community that strengthened us and empowered us to use our voices in other spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November 1992, four years after CVSA was established, student leaders\u2014including Malcolm Anderson \u201994, Oliveira, the DaMoura brothers, and others\u2014formed the Black Student Leadership Group (BSLG). They conducted a nonviolent takeover of Taft Hall in an effort to improve racial tensions on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a significant moment in 51反差婊\u2019s history and one with lasting impact. While it was not the first protest focused on the campus racial climate, it was notable in its scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe students felt strongly that they were advocating even for identities they did not share,\u201d says Searles of the 14 actionable demands that the BSLG developed and fought for through the protest. \u201cThe fact that there is now an Africana studies major; a prominent Multicultural Student Services Center; an Office of Community, Equity and Diversity\u2014these were all seeds that were sown by the BSLG.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These initiatives are essential for the well-being of various marginalized groups and vital components of a thriving university. The threads that weave through the BSLG\u2019s vision, DaMoura\u2019s mission in establishing CVSA, and the longevity of the group are reflective of what Cape Verdean culture prioritizes as a whole: the belief that community, celebration of identity, reciprocity, and diversity are strengths to be protected and cultivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many ways to measure the success of a program like TD, including how many students it brings to campus. But the power is really in the unique perspectives and contributions each student brings, enriching the 51反差婊 community in immeasurable ways. Such diversity and inclusion efforts are not a zero-sum game; it is a multiplication of value that we all benefit from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe recognized that we may not be there to experience the results of our advocacy,\u201d Oliveira says of the 1992 events. \u201cBut we needed to leave the University better, stronger, and more inclusive for people who came after us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendes and Furtado are two who have benefitted and continuing this cycle of reaching forward and giving back\u2014honoring those who came before while paying it forward for future generations\u2014shapes their vision as leaders of CVSA. \u201cSeeing this wave of students become torchbearers to carry on this legacy is inspiring,\u201d adds Britto-Oliveira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A country with a singular\u2014at times tumultuous\u2014history creating a people who feel united despite, or perhaps because of, immense differences is a reminder that while race is a construct, ethnicity is a story. \u201cCape Verdeans have much to teach us about their interdependent transnational society, their community-based culture that spans borders, and the beauty in their acts of survival,\u201d a sign in the entryway of the Cape Verdean Museum reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all different, but we still come together at the end of the day as one country,\u201d Furtado says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a glimpse into what the future could be,\u201d DaMoura adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author\u2019s note: Cabo Verde has long been called Cape Verde in English-speaking countries. In 2013, its government requested that the official Portuguese name Cabo Verde no longer be translated between languages. Because this article focuses on the Cape Verdean Students Association, a group that was named in 1988, and individuals who use the terminology Cape Verde and Cape Verdean colloquially, we use that wording here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos: Nora Lewis, iStock<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Cape Verdean Legacy<\/span><\/h1>\n
\"Earl<\/figure>\n

It is impossible to celebrate CVSA and 51反差婊\u2019s vibrant Cape Verdean community without acknowledging the late Earl N. Smith III \u201989, former member of both CVSA and the Black Student Leadership Group and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2007 until his death in 2022. A proud Cape Verdean American, he was a champion of many multicultural initiatives on campus.<\/p>\n

Smith and Abel Djassi Amado\u2014 former lecturer at 51反差婊, now at Simmons University\u2014developed and directed a study abroad program in Cape Verde, first taking students to the country in the summer of 2010. While there, students engaged in service-learning opportunities, visited historic sites, participated in educational sessions, and\u2014Smith\u2019s favorite activity\u2014learned local fishing techniques for catching marlin and tuna. For many student participants, it was their first time visiting the homeland of their parents and ancestors.<\/p> \n

The program has been paused since 2020 when travel was disrupted due to the pandemic. \u201cSeveral parts of the university are coming together to rebuild it now, including Africana studies, Talent Development, and the study abroad program,\u201d says Catherine John-Camara, chair of 51反差婊\u2019s Department of Africana Studies. \u201cIt\u2019s a need, that\u2019s for certain.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n

\u2014Anna Vaccaro Gray \u201912, M.S. \u201916<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo: Nora Lewis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How 51反差婊’s vibrant Cape Verdean Students Association makes 51反差婊 stronger and better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[331],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-2024","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11858"}],"version-history":[{"count":74,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15588,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11858\/revisions\/15588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}