Emigration and Diaspora
- Diaspora
At the end of the 17th Century, migration started among a population that was hit by a double thirst: the thirst to discover new worlds beyond the closed horizons of the islands, and the thirst to give wings to their freedom and cut the bonds of a long period of servitude.
The numbers of the Cape Verdean diaspora are not rigorous, all the more so because there is a high proportion of descendents of emigrants that are already integrated to the host societies in the oldest communities, and also because there are many cases of dual nationality. Some believe that the Cape Verdean population outside the country is almost double that of the resident community. The known statistics indicate more modest numbers, but these still confirm that the community living outside the country is larger.
The flow of migration started in Brava at the end of the 17th Century, with the appearance of American whalers who required provisions and maintenance on one hand, but also manpower. Local labour was soon recognised to be cheap and very hard working for the hard tasks of whaling, and emigration increased so much that suddenly there was a significant community of Cape Verdeans in Massachusetts (Boston, New Bedford), nicknamed the “Bravas”. The island of S. Nicolau also followed into whaling, as did Fogo. There are currently over 250,000 Cape Verdeans in the United States. Many contracted workers went to S. Tomé fleeing the famines that devastated the islands of the archipelago in the 19th and 20th Centuries. It happened to be the poorest community that emigrated from Cape Verde, once the lands where they worked were largely degraded and abandoned, although there are excellent natural conditions for agriculture. The number is calculated at around 20,000. Portugal is the oldest destination for the diaspora, and the second most significant, with 140,000 people. Senegal (principally Dakar) is home to over 20,000. Holland, was a significant destination for emigration in the mid-20th Century, particularly from S. Vicente, once more due to the passage of merchant ships. Around 40,000 Cape Verdeans currently live there. InFrance there is a significant community of around 20,000 immigrants. InBrazil there is a community of around 20,000 people from Cape Verde, mostly university students.Angola is currently home to around 40,000.Italyis one of the most recent destinations for emigration, with around 10,000 people.
The Cape Verdean diaspora, which also includes smaller numbers in many other countries such asLuxembourg,SwitzerlandandSpain, is a very acute subject for positive and negative reasons. On the positive side, they have a presence in prestigious sectors of host societies, such as business and politics to knowledge and the liberal professions, and they make a financial contribution to the progress of the country, through direct investment, through money transfers and even through contributions of knowledge. However there are also thornier topics, such as the people of Cape Verdean descent, who were deported to Cape Verde due to persistent criminality in their host countries or for drug trafficking, who took advantage of the great increase in air traffic to the archipelago and the expansion of the country’s seafront.
A progressive reduction of the flow of emigration from Cape Verde is now being witnessed, partly due to the restrictions imposed by the traditional host countries due to the increase in unemployment rates. However this reduction is also due to Cape Verde’s rise to the status of a semi-developed country, which has made it more attractive not just to its natives, but even to foreigners, particularly from the countries of the west African coast, who see the opportunity to improve their lives there.
At the end of the 17th Century, migration started among a population that was hit by a double thirst: the thirst to discover new worlds beyond the closed horizons of the islands, and the thirst to give wings to their freedom and cut the bonds of a long period of servitude.
The numbers of the Cape Verdean diaspora are not rigorous, all the more so because there is a high proportion of descendents of emigrants that are already integrated to the host societies in the oldest communities, and also because there are many cases of dual nationality. Some believe that the Cape Verdean population outside the country is almost double that of the resident community. The known statistics indicate more modest numbers, but these still confirm that the community living outside the country is larger.
The flow of migration started in Brava at the end of the 17th Century, with the appearance of American whalers who required provisions and maintenance on one hand, but also manpower. Local labour was soon recognised to be cheap and very hard working for the hard tasks of whaling, and emigration increased so much that suddenly there was a significant community of Cape Verdeans in Massachusetts (Boston, New Bedford), nicknamed the “Bravas”. The island of S. Nicolau also followed into whaling, as did Fogo. There are currently over 250,000 Cape Verdeans in the United States. Many contracted workers went to S. Tomé fleeing the famines that devastated the islands of the archipelago in the 19th and 20th Centuries. It happened to be the poorest community that emigrated from Cape Verde, once the lands where they worked were largely degraded and abandoned, although there are excellent natural conditions for agriculture. The number is calculated at around 20,000. Portugal is the oldest destination for the diaspora, and the second most significant, with 140,000 people. Senegal (principally Dakar) is home to over 20,000. Holland, was a significant destination for emigration in the mid-20th Century, particularly from S. Vicente, once more due to the passage of merchant ships. Around 40,000 Cape Verdeans currently live there. InFrance there is a significant community of around 20,000 immigrants. InBrazil there is a community of around 20,000 people from Cape Verde, mostly university students.Angola is currently home to around 40,000.Italyis one of the most recent destinations for emigration, with around 10,000 people.
The Cape Verdean diaspora, which also includes smaller numbers in many other countries such asLuxembourg,SwitzerlandandSpain, is a very acute subject for positive and negative reasons. On the positive side, they have a presence in prestigious sectors of host societies, such as business and politics to knowledge and the liberal professions, and they make a financial contribution to the progress of the country, through direct investment, through money transfers and even through contributions of knowledge. However there are also thornier topics, such as the people of Cape Verdean descent, who were deported to Cape Verde due to persistent criminality in their host countries or for drug trafficking, who took advantage of the great increase in air traffic to the archipelago and the expansion of the country’s seafront.
A progressive reduction of the flow of emigration from Cape Verde is now being witnessed, partly due to the restrictions imposed by the traditional host countries due to the increase in unemployment rates. However this reduction is also due to Cape Verde’s rise to the status of a semi-developed country, which has made it more attractive not just to its natives, but even to foreigners, particularly from the countries of the west African coast, who see the opportunity to improve their lives there.
