ARCHIVES OF LEAD STORIES
November 25, 2004
Cape Verdeans find new political
power
Jeremy Schwab
Cape Verdeans in Boston have become increasingly
politically organized in recent years. Like other people of color,
Cape Verdeans turned out in full force for the September Democratic
primary for Suffolk County sheriff in which incumbent Andrea Cabral
trounced challenger Stephen Murphy.
Activists formed Cape Verdeans for Cabral this past summer, raising
over $1,000 for Cabral — a modest, but significant sum.
The group registered voters and urged them by phone and mail to
come to the polls.
The victory for Cabral, who is part Cape Verdean, symbolized to
some Cape Verdeans that they could realize their aspirations as
an immigrant community.
“I think the Cabral race really signalled a new time in
the Cape Verdean community and in Boston,” said John Barros,
executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.
“I think symbolically people understand or believe now that
their votes count. That we can support candidates and have them
win, and maybe get more attention from political officials.”
Like people of color as a whole, Cape Verdeans have received plenty
of negative press from Boston’s daily newspapers. Drug trafficking
and youth violence have been heavily covered, while positive developments
have been given short shrift.
The increase in community activism is in part an effort to gain
respect, said Gunga Tavares, cultural attaché at the Cape
Verdean Consulate.
“When people look at the negatives they start saying it
is reflective of negative things in this community,” she
said. “They don’t say the grandparents of Cabral did
a good job educating her. We want respect for our community and
the achievements we’ve had.”
Signs of an increase in community activism abound. In recent years,
activists formed the Cape Verdean Community Task Force, recently
renamed Cape Verdean Community Unido.
The organization works with youths, taking them on trips and organizing
them to paint murals. The group recently expanded its homework
assistance program and started a year-round girls soccer league
along with the Bowdoin Street Health Center.
The organization, which drew almost 100 people to a community
meeting last week at the Strand Theater, plans to become more
politically involved, though it cannot endorse a candidate. Executive
Director Denise Gonsalves says the group plans to collaborate
with the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
in supporting legislation to help immigrants.
Community organizations working in the Cape Verdean community
recently formed the Boston Cape Verdean Collaborative.
“It is a monthly meeting of agencies and
organizations looking at what can be the common agenda for all
these groups,” said Tavares. “Right now, we are looking
at education. We are telling parents the importance of being involved
with their children’s education, how to work with the Boston
Public Schools, their rights and responsibilities.”
This fall, Cape Verdean activists formed Cape Verdeans for Democratic
Action, a group which helped with the Kerry campaign and reportedly
aims to continue supporting candidates in the future.
“There’s a big difference between now and five years
ago,” said Tavares. “I think people that were just
living their day-to-day lives and being regular citizens realized
they had to pay more attention to the community as a group.”
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