Link:http://bpe.org/btr/index.html


By Joshua Wanyama Founder of Spectrum Interactive Media (spectrum-interactive.net) & Blogger at africanpath.com

email:wanjala@spectrum-interactive.net

Source:http://www.africanpath.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=411

Minneapolis 02/12/07- Do y'all post news on Cape Verde? A lot of people forget about this island nation off the west coast of Africa and its frustrating and insulting! There's a debate about the racial identity of Cape Verdeans. Some even choose to identify themselves as Portuguese as opposed to African and thats an insult that they would even want to identify themselves with the people that colonized and enslaved us! I know I am African! Cape Verdean Americans are the only group of African Descendants that can readily race their roots back to the motherland due to the fact that we are the only African descendants to come to America voluntarily! How do you feel about Cape Verdeans and the whole racial identity issue? Signed – Northern Light.


This was an email I received from one of our readers. After further email conversation, I told him I will look into it and see if I could post something on the issue. Considering I have never been to the Cape Verde Islands, I ask you to forgive me whenever i present the wrong information. I will attempt to be as factual as possible.

My reply to the above post was:

On the issue of race and whether one is African or not, I think if you are born in a country or territory marked under Africa, then you are African regardless of skin color. If you are born to parents who fall under the above category but in a country outside Africa, I consider you to be an African descendant and if you choose, you can claim your African Nationality and I will uphold it. If you end up spending most of your life in the African continent, then you are my brother/sister for whatever issues Africans face, then you have faced them too. The bond lives on.

Race is such a sticky issue. Everyone has their own opinion. In a melting pot such as the US, you grow accustomed to meeting people from diverse backgrounds with their own racial agendas and expectations or other races.

Cape Verde is a chain of islands off the coast of West Africa. According to the CIA Factbook, the islands were colonized by the Portuguese during the 15th century. It was a trading post for African slaves and and important coaling and resupply stop for transatlantic shipping. The country gained independence in 1975 and held its first multi-party elections in 1990. Due to heavy droughts during the latter part of the 20th century causing hardship, heavy emigration prompted the population of expatriate Cape Verdeans to be higher than the domestic one.

Due to all this migration, the nationality of Cape Verdeans has been brought into question. Northern Light wonders, “Why would one want to identify themself more with their former European colonizer as opposed to identifying themselves as Black/African?”

Due to the fact that Cape Verde is composed of Asians, Jews, African and Portuguese descendants, race and identity has been an issue for decades. This is further amplified by the fact that Cape Verde is off the coast of Africa as opposed to being attached. While the [majority] of the population view themselves as African, [a small number of them] call themselves Portuguese. So under what race would you classify a Cape Verdean?

This is not the only discussion on diverse groups of Africans. What about Mauritius? What about the variety you find in Sudan? Sudanese Thinker blogged on the same issue in a very interesting post dissecting the Sudanese tribes and culture.

I got into an argument one day over the classification of North African countries. To me, they are all African countries while to my friend (who by the way hails from Egypt), they were all Middle Eastern countries. So at the end, what do we do when geography and culture clashes?

I have always maintained that an African, is an African is an African. The white farmers ostracized in Zimbabwe. Cape Verdeans locked in an eternal identity debate. The North African countries that due to geography fall within Africa, while culturally, they are more in line with the Middle East. All these are Africans in my eyes.


Link:http://jassstewart.com/index.htm

For me this article sounds more like propaganda and manipulation.

why?

well there is a very clear tricky game between semantics. The author plays with the meaning of the world "africa".

In the common language, "africa" equates with "blacks", in its more scientific meaning it equates with a continent where there is not only blacks people living.

The author of this article, plays with the two meanings of the word africa. He tells that anyone that is born in africa is african. this is a fact. but then comes into the article the second meaning of "africa" which means "black race" or "negro race". There comes the tricky propaganda and manipulation of this article.
Everyone who is born in africa is african but everyone who is born in africa is not part of the "black negro race".

The debate is not in the first meaning of africa, it is focused on the second, north africans are african but are not part of the "black negro race", north african are arabo-berbers which are of mediteranean or middle eastern origins.

The confusion and manipulation is the same concerning cape-verdeans. Capeverdeans don't tell that they are not geographically in africa, they tell that racially and culturally they have closer links with the portugueses, who colonised africa, rather than the "black-negro africans" and the geography has nothing to do with it.

So, what is the problem with CVerdians being Africans or Mauritanians being Africans?

being in africa has to meanings,

1) its a geographical location

2) it is used as a synonym for a race (the negro)

the first meaning applies to the mauritians or to the north africans, but the second meaning doesn't, the mauritians (there is plenty in france) are a creole country with a mix of indians and french, very little of them have african-negro origins...

Sir, your classification is wrong and that is what we want you to see. Mauritanians cannot be a creole people: The classification of creole is different ( People originated in Ilsand (generally) and result of the encounter of more than one people with two different language and culture).

The Mauritanians (north Africa people) got trapped into the mentality that they are not African or else (according to you) only because of what you said: "Africans is used to mean the countries of negro", which to many means inferior, so I am not African. You are got into that trap too. Just like what Social Psychologist would classify as Euristics (mine was accident, yours was on purpose, therefore your fault, not mine)

Name of the continents and belonging to a continent has nothing to do with races. Just like when you say, you have origins in Cabo Verde but it is not your country. That is an old mentality that many scholarly ignorant people got trapped into and it is mainly perpetrated by white mentality.


My first question is? Africa is used by whom to mean country of negroes?

You are not trying to prove anything. Everything is already done (studies, researches, etc) and I assure you none can corroborate with your statements.

What is left is the mentality, which is perpetrated by the machine of Propaganda (media) through classical conditioning.

By the way negroes doesn't exist only in Africa but in large part of Asia. because people have moved for millions of years ago. Lack of resources, oppression are the main causes.

If your logic is to be Universal, but not to serve conviniences and complexed mentality of the few, then White Americans are not Americans.

White Brazilians are not Americans. Black Indonesians are not Asian.


We canot continue with this debate because it is futile and only because the world business is still conducted by the white superiority mentality and many of other ethnic cultures and mentalities get themselves trapped into that mindset, because many are all clssically conditioned. Pavlov and Skineer was right.

But we are not goint to stop thinking for the progress of humanity and I am not the one who defends black superiority either.

So, be safe.

Cabrala

I will come back and comment more on depth your last post.

I just want to point out the confusion between mauritania and mauritius, mauritius is a creole country, mauritania is a mixed race country that feels more linked to the arabs than the blacks, it is there right.

HOW DID THAT CONTINENT GET TO BE CALLED AFRICA AND WHAT DOES THE NAME AFRICA MEAN OR IN ARABIC WHAT DOES THE WORD AFRAKE MEAN?

WHAT WAS THE NAME BEFORE THAT CONTINENT WAS CALLED AFRAKE LATER AFRICA?

WHAT DOES THE NAME GOODWANAH MEAN?

salah, if you watch ancient-roman maps, they were used to call africa what is now called algeria. By extension, when the europeans arrived in sub-saharian african 500 years ago, they called all the continent like that.

Alternatively, do you know why Europe is called europe?

I am going much futher back then when the Europeans came to Africa.

Europe (Eu) means hillside (rope) means to tie or to bind.
The word Afrake is an old Arabic word which means to divide and the Arabs were the first to divide what later was called Africa from the word Afrake. The Arabs from Saudi Arabia or also Ar Rub'al Khali

Long before Lord kitchner back to the days called the Ottoman Arabia Empire and futher back. Some of this goes back 1400 years ago.
When in fact there was a caliphate and before The islamic hordes spreading ISALM BY THE SWORD OF ALLAH THAT REACHED BEYOND THE CAUCASUS AND INTO ASIA MINOR AN TO THE MEDTERRANEAN AND TODAY WHAT IS CALLED SUDAN,THE GREAT RIFT VALLET ETHIOPIA.
INTO SOUTHERN SPAIN & PORTUGAL.

SIERRA MORENA,ALGARVE,ALMADA,ZAFRA,MEDINA DE CAMPO. EUROPES ENTRANCE INTO THOSE AREAS ARE AFTER WHEN THE MOORISH POWER WAS LOST. THE LAST GREAT MOORISH KING WAS Ez-ZAGHAL OF ANDALUSIA. INTERNAL DIPUTES DID THEM IN.

( QUEM DEUS VULT PERDERE,PRIUS DEMENTAT)

WHO CAN FORGET THE COURTS OF THE LIONS IN THE ALHAMBRA AND THE GREAT KHALIFS. WHAT ABOUT THE MOSQUE OF CARDOVA.

There is a lot of what was Port de Gaul that was changed in history by those from the North.

salah,

the name africa have been give to the area now called algeria by the romans...the roman empire started 1000years before the arab-expansion, unless if you have some new innovative information concerning the roman empire?

Concerning europe, I didn't get your joke. The real origin of EUrope is the greek mythology Godess "Europa"...do you know about greek mythology?

salah,

africa did have a civilisation since the prehistoric times, but the african civilisation stayed blocked at the level of the tribal civilisations untill recently. For a comparison, europe stayed blocked in a tribal civilisation untill the celtic tribes have been dominated by the romans or by the germanics people. The tribal civilisation in europe stopped more than 1500years ago, in africa in some locations it is still alive. That's why when the europeans arrived in sub-saharian africa, they dominated without difficulty the black-africans...That's history, I am not inventing anything...

There is a lot of talk on this website about whether Cape Vereans are African, Portuguese, Europeans or whatnot. With all due respect - why?

My personal impression, as a foreigner trying to learn about my new home country, is that a Cape Verdean is a Cape Verdean, with his/her own unique culture, language, politics and even geography (situated inbetween three different continents, it is just chance that it is considered to be part of Africa, no?). I have yet to experience that Cape Verdeans living in Cape Verde would have any problems whatsoever with their identity. And I have not yet met a single Cape Verdean living in Cape Verde who seriously even considers rejoining with Portugal.

Of course I could be completely wrong but to me much of the sometimes harsch debate on this forum seems to be dealing with a non-issue.

But regardless how a big an issue it really is, why spend so much time and effort on debating the past? Couldn't we leave the past behind us and think ahead, focussing on more important issues such as how to develop this wonderful and beautiful country in an economically and environmentally sustainable way?

It's just a thought. With no intention to be provocative.

Uffe you are so correct. You see things as they are. Many CV'S have mentality issues of being superior based on the class and racist attitudes by colonialism. It pleases us that you see things clear,and you are welcome. I am sure you can understand the negative debate,those who want to stay as a colonizer and those who fought for freedom and democracy. Many as you can see are not happy with the late Dr Amilcar Cabral the freedom fighter. So now they must cry like babies because they can't misuse the population any more. So be it. thank you for your honesty. Verdade.

The oppressors never want things to change. You know why.
Manu

If we are to take the science of some of the worlds great anthropologist Africa is the thing for all life human form.

So what? What is the Beef? Out of darkness came light. The earth was void and Black then God said let there be light.

What is the best soil to grow crops is it not black soil. Whats the Beef?

If Adam was made out of the rich soil of the ground and it was black and Adam was Black. Whats the Beef?

If God took a rib from Adam and made Eve so what. Whats the Beef?

So the origin of man was from Africa. Whats the Beef?

Then men moved on the face of the earth and environment and ecology and food made a change in how they looked. So here we are.Whats the Beef? Is it not called in one word (METAMORPHOSE) lOOK UP THE WORD.

NOW THAT WE ARE ALL HERE; THAT IS MANKIND, AND CABOVERDIANOS ARE A kALEIDESCOPE OF HUMANITY. JOKINGLY WE SAY THE GREEN PEOPLE. GREEN HORNS. WHATS THE BEEF?

MAYBE WE CAN STRETCH THE WORD THAT WE ARE LOOK OUT HERE IT COMES FOLK,ARE YOU READY. CABOVERDINAOS ARE.......................
KALANCHOE. (SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL)

LOOK IT UP THEN YOU AND THEN BE . WHATS THE BEEF? THATS OUR KAMA.
YEA NOW THATS IS SOME REAL S---T. AND IF IT WAS NOT FOR S--T YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT.NOW WHATS THE BEEF?

When men dig for oil is it not black. (BLACK GOLD)

Manu Salah
BANTU a KAFIR ALMIGHTY DEUS AZIJAH.
VIDA de MOUNDO.

I GIVE SOME ONE A GOOD CHANCE TO CALL ME AN INFIDEL
Lets see who will be first? Come on and

BANTU: WE ARE FIDELIS TO OUR CAUSE FOR HUMANITY


WHERE IS YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR? WHATS THE BEEF?

IT'S AN AFRICAN THING!!!!!!

Uffee,

you are from the EU, and you can testify that all the countries member of the EU respect human rights? So does Portugal. The old portugal before 1975 was a fascist country which didn't respect human rights, and I am the first to criticize it. But nowadays portugal is an examplar EU country that respects civil rights, human rights, freedom of speech...So my idea of cv rejoining portugal is not an idea of the past it is an idea of the future, of democracy and developement.

So I am not debating the past but the future. The future is the unsustainability of capeverde as an independent country. This unsustainability is due to the lack of self-funding, which could if verified prevent highways, hospitals, schools to be built. This could push investor not to invest, if the road workers are not paid, if the teachers are paid with 3 months late, if the electricity works only 5 hours/day...

The inclusion into our fatherland portugal and then the EU, will solve all these problems, and will find a very large support in cv (much more than in portugal). Portugal is a country of freedom and respect human rights, salazar portugal didn't, this is the past, the future is the EU.

salah,

you should go there and help yourself. I am not interested in living neither in capeverde or portugal.

Anyway, no need to be somewhere to have the right to talk about it. And I think that an external input is sometimes good...especially when propaganda starts to blur the vision of the people, like it is happening to the paicv members of this site....

I have question I've meant to ask for a long time, Mr. Salah, does this character, st_antao, remind you of some of the old time New Bedford CVs?

"St_antao, la majorite silencieuse, la colere du peuple qui grouille"

when a pseudo-elite hides the truth from the people then there is a backclash.

Here I see just arrogance, arrogance of a few of the powerfull/paicv who want to impose their truth to the people. I see propaganda, propaganda from the very few who want to impose their ideas to the people; against the people.

What do you know about the people,you are not in there mist.
You take the position of the people who lost and i can understand that. Before independence the petite-Bourgeoise did anything and everything they wanted against the population,abused and misused people. Education was for only the elite. the poor class peasantry had to remove their hats and say Sr.Doctor. The woman were fair game without any protection. Injury and injustice is what we suffered.We were beaten for the smallest infraction because of your prejudice. Our people lived in constant fear. We were not saved by you or God. If we are to tell all of the truth we would be a greatly While we had some good people in the church we also know all the facts about the church and many of the Priest. Grown men were beaten for nothing. That is why we had Rebelados up on the hill.

Mr Web Master this man is getting a big kick of messing with people it is his delight. So I will say this you all enjoy this clown he is really pulling the chain and for him it is his enjoyment but for me I have left this Forum. I have said all that needs to be said I will get back to doing some good work with other Cabo Verde people and our true friends on another venue.. Its to bad we didn't get him before he escaped Cabo Verde. He wants to be skillful in his game but it is over. That is the reason for the season and why it was necessary to have a Amilcar Cabral and PAIGC/PAICV.
We are still working to eliminate those awful things that was going on all those years. 500 years of abuse we shall never forget. We remember Tarrafal,we remember ST.TOME,GUINEA,ANGOLA,MOZAMBIQUE WE REMEMBER WHAT HAPPEN IN THE HILLS AND IN THE VALLEY AND THE TABANCA AND IN GODS HOUSE. HOW MANY SONS AND DAUGHTERS SUFFERED AND WAS THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH. TEARS,SWEAT AND BLOOD. NUNKA NU TA DE SKI SAY.
Ate Logo

salah,

"We were beaten for the smallest infraction because of your prejudice."...We? You are an american born citizen who spent the first 40 years of his life comfortably living in the USA. You were maybe by beaten someone in the USA...Furthermore, I am 40 years less than you, so I don't have any kind of resonsability and nor do I have any kind of heritage from oppressors.

You are more likely than me to be from a petite bourgeoisie familly. why? Because it was the petite bourgeoisie who had the opportunities to send their familly abroad, and not the poors. Your are the third generation of americans in your familly, this means that you come from a rich capeverdean familly who had the rigth to emmigrate from capeverde.

Finally, I can tell, that We were beaten for the smallest infraction because of your familly prejudice. then when the things were getting tough, your familly took the first boat to the usa...lucky they were. Three generations later, you along with 30 other capeverdeans you have taken part to the guinea-bissau guerilla in order to take control of capeverde and its identity, but history is putting everything back to its real place.