The Transition of Cape Verdeans into the American Culture: a Pain or a Gain?

Author: undesclosed

[Cape Verdeans] immigrants arrive in America unprepared to encounter a world whose atmosphere is reliant on the color of one’s skin; black or white. The result is sometimes ... to adapt to all that is American and leave their ethnic heritage behind. In other words, they become “Americanized”; a phrase that was coined in the first quarter of the 20th century. In this era, immigrants were encouraged to adapt “American speech, ideals, traditions and ways of life.” (http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/a/amer-izatn.asp)

President Theodore Roosevelt summed up Americans’ thoughts on immigration when he said, “There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country . . . there is room here for only 100% Americanism, only for those who are American and nothing else.” (Rumbaut, 1999, p. 172).

When Roosevelt said this, most of the immigrants that came into the country were of European decent, as a result of the “national origin” quotas that were in effect favoring Europeans. These Europeans didn’t find too many problems becoming American, since they were all generally the same race and coming from the same culture. However, in 1965 everything changed with the passage of the Hart-Cellar Immigration Act that abolished all national origin quotas, which allowed more ethnically divergent immigrants to flow into the United States. Today, 90% of all immigrants are not European, but Asian, Latin-American, and African (Mudede, 2001). America has become [not a melting pot but a mosaic ground of multi-cultural colors; different immigrant groups are holding on to their ethnic languages and cultures, resulting in ethnic enclaves, bilingual education and new models of assimilation. You find different spots with different cultural tastes, but rarely a fusion of cultures and traditions. This is the cultural ground the cape Verdeans immigrants have encounter since their arrival to US.]

So, depending on individual experiences in living in the land of uncle Sam, you may run into different analysis of the transition of Cape Verdeans into the American culture. One cannot deny that the outcome of this assimilation depend on educational attainment, socioeconomic status, human necessity and circumstance. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that nothing is fixed in this process. “The ultimate paradox . . . may well be that in the process, what is being assimilated metamorphoses into something quite dissimilar from what any . . . ever imagined or intended . . .” (Rumbaut, 1999, p. 192) .

Well, going back to the basic question, do you consider the Transition of Cape Verdeans into the American Culture: a Pain or a Gain?

Please, click on postreply below to post your comment.

I have to admit that adapting to the American culture has been togh for me especially when you face so much racism and descrimination from the main stream society. But you gotta be strong to beat the system.

And one way to win it is through hard work and dedication to good stuff. For example, many Cape Verdeans men should be investing much more time in learning the key tool for imigrants to survive and do well in this culture - the English Language - than spending time at bar talking about Benfica, Sporting or Porto. I'm not talking about the basic English just to get by. I'm talking in getting your GED, finishing your high school, going to college and get good paying jobs in the coorporate America, goverments and other sector instead of working in factory and Mac-jobs their whole life.

Thank you!

I think many Cape Verdean have done well in America, but some has gone through horrible expirience. So I would say it's both a pain and a gain.

Hi,
I would say
It's a gain with pain!

As many already said, let's be smart, hold on to the tools (English language) adjust to the changes faster, root ourselves in our own culture (so beautiful, no alienation) and take the high way to success with both cultures.[/b]

One of the things that makes it a pain is when you start to see things just in terms of racism, just black and white. The humillianting attitude, " you are just doing this to me because I'm black", is what makes things much difficult here in US.

remeber my fellow, Cape Verdeans, in America there is just one color that counts: the color of DOLLAR!

i agree and disagree with many. the color of the dollar holds some weight
anyways, the mentality that hurts those who cannot succeed is the "es ca gosta di mi pamodi ami e pretu". All those hoodlums in the cape verdean community and those that came here while they were young andnever took the opportunity to better themselves, who do they blame. the blame game starts with the number culprit. look in the mirror. if your cousin, sister, brother, or father went to jail, it is not because they are black. people commit stupid things. live with it. my brother whom i thought was an angel, killed someone. blame the lack of parenting and the lack of strenght from the individual.

i have nothing but respect for those who came from nothing, and with nothing became somebody. racism does not prevent you from reading a book. racism does not prevent you from making a business that caters to people whose background you share. stupidity, which i am proud to say was most of my childhood has been replaced by a knowledged individual. dont blame society for your stupidity. this country provides you with a free education. what you do with an education is up to you. maybe i am wrong, if i have a test and i refuse to study, will i blame the white teacher for failing my stupid behind. No sir

Vagabundo, did you say that "this country provides you with a free education?" I don't think so. My collegue tuition is going up to the roof. The propective of me staying incollege until I graduate is getting slim because I don't have money to pay the increasing tuition every semester.
This is the only country that if you don't get money you have a large chance not to go to collegue and have to do the mac-jobs out there. All te system sees and wants from you is $$$$$. Nobody cares about poor people going to college or getting educated. The higher education system is again becoming a privilege of the wealthy and uper class. So, I don't what you mean when you said "this country provides you with a free education."

to get a free ride all your life, sometime sacrifices have to be made. borrowing to secure your future is not a crime. i had to borrow 15600 to finish my degree. the opportunity is there, you have to make things happen. if i give you cement, gravel, and some water. do you think the house will build itself? "No nha irmon di ortu mai"

I think it's kind of funny that you all slammed the other half of this very same paper.

I think the other half of the same paper was slammed because, according so some people, that specific section had a fair amount of racially biased language and, a subject that usually causes a lot of talk in this nation. I think people are being smart in picking out on the points that need to be shaped up on that paper and at the same time debating the useful segments of that same essay.

i think essentially it is a pain whether you are young or old. the problem is that it's not just a transition in terms of geology but also culturally and morally. everything we know suddenly changes. for me it was mostly and is still a pain. i was 12 when i came so i got to experience my teen yrs in a place where i didnt know the language or people

Es terra na campo de oportunidades e numero um na mundo. Infelizmente ki ta straganu nos nome nes terra e alguns di nos jivens ki sigui maus kaminhos, nobega ku maus kolegas e ka uza monton di oportunidades ke basicos nes pais. Vagabundo se calhar ka tem razao pamo educacao nes terrinha ta kusta txeu nha irmon, ma si bu e um jovem ku forca e koragi e ka nada dificil di esforca na Liceu pa bu kosnigui ajuda de bolsa, ali o na CV na kal des e mas faxi konsigui um bolsa ?. Nu meste mas forca e representacao nes sociedade merkano, nu mesti mostra nos jovem ma du undi num tem poku rekursos na tudu nivel, ma li nu tem chance de ser prumeros na nos familia ki ta konsigui um curso universitario. Jovens nhos korda ! Ka nhos kurpa ninguem nem nada pa nhos situacao !

I belive that everyone is equiped with adaption. It is tough to adapt to a new world but, eventualy averything will get back to place. What I'm trying to say is that regardless of color creed or race we are an intellegent "Fidjus da you know what I'm sayng" and the excuse of racism and discrimination shouldn't stand on the way our of success in this country. I know people that's done well in this country and they are capeverdeans. I think that the mentality of the people in this country that brings the most problem to new comers, is the "me" mentality. That is, I trust me and only me. We should be able to program the member of our families that come here for the first time to follow the right path. encouraging them to follow through with school and become whatever they want to become.

I totally agree with Danny. A big obstacle to the success of Cape Verdean immingrants in America in its own people. In fact, many Cape Verdeans here are very hateful and jealous of each other. If they see you doing well, they become very unconfortable and jealous and start to create a bad image and reputation of you by talking trash about you to others and even going far to get you in trouble with law and the immigration. That's trash, my people; that's poor and ignorant people's mentality.

We can do better. Yes, instead of being selfish and fighting against each other to succeed in the US, we should strenghen our family and community ties and run the immigrant road to success as a group that support each other and genuinely cares about the well being of our people.

A pain with later gain.

For some it has proven to be a big mess because they kind of forgot or got confused about who they truly are.

A sweet pain, I'd say.

No pain no gain.