Arrival and Settlement

A few Cape Verdeans have been finding their way to Canada since the early 1960s, when the islands were undergoing one of the worst famines in their history. This was also a time when Portugal was at war with her colonies on the African continent and when tens of thousands of troops were based on the islands, which led to increased repression and political tension. Young males were vulnerable to conscription in the Portuguese army, and migration became a desirable option. Improvements in transportation and communication resulted in greater contact with the outside world.

According to Canadian census data of 1991, only 55 people of Cape Verdean birth were then living in Canada. This figure seems to be low, since Cape Verdeans are known to reside in several major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. In Toronto alone their number is estimated to be at least 300 (including those born in Canada), a number that is likely to increase in the incoming years. One reason for these disparate figures may be the fact that those who arrived since the islands’ independence often came as tourists and may not be counted among the Cape Verdean–born for census purposes. Others may have been born in Angola or Mozambique. Many of Cape Verdean parentage who identified as Cape Verdean and spoke Crioulo felt obliged to flee these countries after they became independent. A reasonable estimate would suggest the number of Cape Verdeans throughout Canada to be about 500.

The thorny question of Cape Verdean ethnic identity also needs to be taken into account in order to understand the difficulties of assessing the number of Cape Verdeans in Canada. Under colonial rule, Cape Verdeans were Portuguese citizens and carried Portuguese passports; even today many born in Cabo Verde still identify as Portuguese. It is conceivable that some born in Cabo Verde gave their country of birth as Portugal and indicated Portuguese as their mother tongue. (Though a language in its own right, Crioulo is often presented as Portuguese outside the Cape Verdean group.) Others may have classified themselves as black or African Canadian for census purposes. In the United States, whether to identify as black or not has been a divisive issue among Cape Verdeans for several generations.

There are no compact Cape Verdean communities within the cities where they have settled. This is probably due to the fact that Cape Verdeans arrived in Canada on an individual basis, although in recent years extended-family migration chains have begun to form. Most coming to Canada originate from the part of the archipelago known as the “leeward” islands (Brava, Santiago, Fogo, Maio). They tend to be better educated and more skilled than the general Cape Verdean population and include professionals, such as nurses and social workers. A number have undertaken university studies since their arrival in Canada, and some small-scale entrepreneurs have established their own businesses. There have even been Cape Verdean–owned restaurants that have appeared from time to time in Toronto and Montreal, although such enterprises have tended to be short-lived.

In Toronto there is a Cape Verdean social club called the Caboverdeano Clube, whose membership is estimated in the several hundreds. Activities include meals featuring Cape Verdean dishes, musical performances by well-known musical groups and singers from the islands, soccer matches, and fund-raising events to aid the home country. Through the club, formal ties are maintained with similar groups in the United States with whom Cape Verdean Independence Day, 5 July, is celebrated jointly. In the coming years, Cape Verdean migration to Canada seems likely to continue, though on a small scale, and to become somewhat more structured as family migration networks and voluntary associations develop.