Dr. Lee, said in a Radio interview that if you want to hide Information from people of color(mainly Black people) just write it down in a book, article, brochure etc.

Is this true with Cape Verdeans? If it is true at all..
I know you read; that is why you are on this forum, but lets think of CV community in general....

I know that there are lots of good things that can easily be discovered but yet the community is very Ignorant about it.. For example, free and painless HIV test in many places.... Social services etc.

Did you ever ask a CV for direction... all you get is " when you see a yellow house.... a men standing @ the corner and so on"

Let me know what you think and give a possible solution...

Ednei,

I couldn't agree with you more. The average Cape Verdean doesn't seem to be friend with reading. You rarely hear them discussing an article they read in the internet, newspaper or talking about a best seller like Da Vinci Code or discuss ideas about new books that talk about their own reality such as Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation (Nations of the Modern World) by Richard A. Lobban, or Between Race and Ethnicity: Cape Verdean American Immigrants, 1860-1965 (Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Centennial) by Marilyn Halter.

All you hear them doing in bars or other gathering sites is talking about Portuguese soccer teams like Benfica, Sporting, Porto or talk about night clubs and "pikenas" (chicks), brazilian and Mexican "novelas" (Soap opera) or about violent movies they saw and found it great how the "ator" ( the good guy) killed the "chefi bandidu" (the villain). And we all see the results of this lack of passion for reading: ignorance on most of today's issues, disconnection with reality and issues that mattert and a wave of violence and crime in their communities and country fruit of poor minds and poverty which in it's a fatal result of lack of education and passion for reading.

Maybe, one way to cope with this lithargic state of mind is to keep attracking them to the internet and forums like this since the internet since to be in fashion among the Cape Verdeans and start awakening the sleeping love for books, readings and intelligent debates.

It's true
I couldn't agree further
but there are explanations to it.

What are the explanations

the explanation is that guest is an idiot

Dear compatriots

First of all, I apologize for my poor english but I am sure you will understand it.

The fact is that most part of capeverdean immigrants are illeterate and it is difficult to them to read even in portuguese, our official language.

But I agree with you, reading books is disappearing of our habits and that is harmful for all of us. Even in the islands people don't get to keep a conversation with you if you don't talk about things like soccer, grogue, membras, movies, night clubs, drug dealers and so and. All of this is for lack of reading. I wish other parents should do as I did. I have a small library at home and every month my kids had to tell me the summary of a book. That increased they mind and their knowledge and nowadays, their conversation capacity is larger than that of their school fellows.

But in fact it is very difficult to tell a man with only "quarta classe" to read a book. We have to start with kids.

So, what's the solution for this large mass of people who don't have "quarta classe" - 4th grade?

I really hate it when people talk about the very race they belong too. With every race there is a person who tries to distance himself/herself away from they're culture. They wish they're people would speak or act more proper, dressed better or have better friends.

It's not the people you hate, it's yourself because you wish you were someone different (branco). Try making friends outside your own race and you'll find out there's an Asian who hates Asian, an African American who hates A-American, a white person who hates white people. You hate your own kind, but you won't educate or help them, instead you put them down 4 whatever reasons.

Cape Verdean's came here without knowing how to read or write in they're language or any other. Our parents own homes and business, and send they're kids to colleges, thats their goal. So if you can't see the good in us, then you should get your head out of your ***.

Realize your kids didn't bring the violence here, they found it and adapted to it. Our parents came here to escape poverty, they didn't know Dorchester and Roxbury was a crack and gang zone. Do your part as an adult or parent to fix things, if your not doing anything to fix it your just letting it get worse.

"Cape Verdean don't read"
"CV are the most selfish people"
"CV are the most greedy people"
"CV are the most jealous people"
blah..blah..blah!!!!

Mario,
who did you want to hit?
It is clearly that we are talking about Cape Verdeans that DO NOT READ( by choice) and not cape Verdeans that CAN'T READ...

We are only looking for ways to progress.. I am aware of all the strugles our parents went through and will face... Hence, we should use that as a motivation ....

No one is trying put fellow CV down.. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a CV doing well... I look at them as models.

Now, do you have any suggestion on how to make things better?
peace

Guest,

I appreciate you taking your time and contribute to the debate... It makes us stronger and that is what cv community needs..

let's get to the helping matter...

I am very involved in the community..

I started when I was 17 . I worked for MAPS, DSNI, CVCTF worked close with Denise and Flavio, IMS (Justin Fernandes), Alcides Semedo.

I do what I can and I am always ready to help. I am in school at this moment but everytime I go home the first thing I do is visit CV organizations and find out what is going on and try to help..

I hope you are doing the same or more..

I'm doing what I can to help. I basicaly screwed up my entire life and 2 years ago I woke up, due to one of my friends. Now I work for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

I'm helping all of my friends and the majority of the CV young men that are considered gang members. I consider us a brotherhood, we screwed up and now we want to fix things before it's too late. But we need the support of our community. I want to aopoligize to all the mothers who have lost a child because of the violence. I never thought things would turn out this way.

If you or anyone else wants to find out more about me and what we're doing just google my name Mario Rodrigues and use key words like Boston Herald, boston Globe, Peace institute, or gang.

Once again I apoligize to all the mothers.

It may be true that Cape Verdeans do not read enough, fine the problem has been identified. But, what is next why is that we don't read enough, what is it in our culture that effects us so negatively? As was pointed out in a previous post we were a nation of slaves; people suppressed and breeded for the sole purpose of slavery. Taken from Africa and placed on islands (that we now call home) to supply the triangle trade of GOLD, RUM, and SLAVES. But history has taught that those who adapt and shange are those who rise to the top. It is true we were beaten if we tried to read books and women were completely excluded from academic circles. But NOW, the books are out there the information avaialable for people of any race gender or religion, what will be the excuses that some will use tomorrow. I cannot blame the past; I can only to seek to change and correct the future starting with myself. I am 20 year old Cape Verdean male, through my actoins and accomplishment I can add my part to the breaking down of unfavorable statistics and stereo-types. What do you think?

Thanks for the support, Friend.

Mario, I've spoken with you several times and I see the work you are doing and the passion you have for it. You made a commnet about wasting your life. If you hadn't been involved in the life you used to lead, you might not be as effective at the work you are doing.

Portuguese is our official language?