Author: Gianna Depina

The exploration of Cape Verdean demographics within the United States presents an interesting case of migration patterns and diasporic communities. This research project, inspired by my personal connection to the Cape Verdean-American identity, seeks to dig deeper into the historical and current demographic profiles of Cape Verdeans both in our homeland and abroad, with a particular focus on our presence in Massachusetts. Despite their significant population within this region, Cape Verdeans remain unknown outside of certain locales, suggesting a unique cultural and geographical concentration (Jorgen, 2008).

Cape Verdeans represent a distinctive group whose migration stories and demographic trends offer valuable insights into the dynamics of diaspora and cultural transmission, which was influenced in 1975, when Cape Verdeans gained their independence. My project aims to understand why Cape Verdeans have predominantly settled in Massachusetts as opposed to other areas, which could be linked to historical migration flows, economic opportunities, or social networks that facilitated their relocation and community formation in this state. Another insight that arose throughout the process of my research were the wrongfully made racial categorizations through Data types. Alongside demographics, I plan on extending my focus on understanding the hierarchical status’ of Cape Verdeans in society which influenced by colorism within the Portuguese colonizers. Understanding these factors is crucial for comprehending the broader narratives of migration and settlement patterns of minority groups in America, specifically Cape Verdeans.

References:

(Batalha & Carling, 2008; Halter, 1993; Ramalho, 2011)

My interest in the Digital Scholarship Summer Research Fellowship initially steamed from my eagerness to conduct research outside of natural sciences, along with the ability to conduct research on a subject I am extremely passionate about. This semester, a new minor in humanities was presented to the student body which is health humanities. I have a strong belief that in order to be successful being a physician, it is important to put both STEM, and humanities requirements on the same level of importance. This also ties along with being a human being coexisting with others. I believe that humanities is critical for coexistence as well. With that being said, other than my interest in pursuing a minor in humanities, I wanted to also conduct my own research about my culture incorporating humanities, while working and learning from others in my group. The Fellowship program fulfilled all of my desires which is what drove me to be interested in applying for it. Digital humanities also opens up a new world for many individuals who have been underrepresented statistically throughout history. With new and improved technologies and methodologies, many minority groups, specifically those who do not reside in America, can no longer be left out. Overall I am grateful to be apart of this amazing opportunity!

My project is based on studying the demographics of Cape Verdeans in America, with both a primary and secondary objective. For some background knowledge, I am a Cape Verdean-American with little knowledge about our history when it comes to demographics. I was born in Boston MA with a large populations of both Cape Verdean-Americans and Cape Verdean immigrants. Throughout my lifetime, I have noticed that whenever I travel out of Boston, and tell locals my ethnicity, they have no idea what Cape Verdeans are. I want to investigate this further and understand why we are primarily located in Massachusetts other than our homeland. With that being said, my primary objective is to understand the current demographics of Cape Verdeans, including gender ratios, age distribution, ethnic backgrounds, and geographic distribution, both within Cape Verde and in the diaspora. My secondary objectives throughout this study is to analyze trends over time in migration patterns, population growth, employment sectors, and educational attainment.

Throughout this amazing fellowship opportunity, I plan on using a humanistic approach to learn more about my culture, as I have already learned many new things about it just in this first week. I also plan on coming out of this with a new perspective on my identity, along with learning more about the backgrounds of my group mates as we are a diverse group of people with many stories to tell. Many tend to generalize black individuals under one category when in reality, we all have unique cultures and stories which differentiate us from on another in beautiful ways. I want to bring light to these statistical disparities, along with the generalizations placed upon black people now through history, specifically Cape Verdeans. I am extremely excited and looking forward to seeing where this opportunity will take me!