Everyday, I pass by the French Embassy on my way to work. I see them, women and men, young and old, standing outside the embassy. They are dressed on their best attire and they hold thick envelopes. Many of them have dreamt of a trip to France almost their whole lives. They might be trying to visit Louvre or walk up the Eiffel Tower or they are trying to reunite with family members who have been working in France. Some want to go and find that job that will change their lives. I imagine they must be quite nervous. They must of have practiced their answers quite a few times making sure what they say makes sense and guarantees them that coveted visa.
When you live in an island surrounded by the big blue sea, you dream of knowing what’s behind the ocean. When you know so many who have left and returned with better social, educational and economic status, you dream of having the same or better luck. The article on New York Times of June 24, 2007 entitled “In a World on the Move, a Tiny Land Strains to Cope” did an excellent job of capturing the sentiments of many Cape Verdeans who are searching a way of leaving their motherland in search of better opportunities. The article failed to mention that with the increase in economic power of many Cape Verdeans as Cape Verde becomes increasingly more developed, many Cape Verdeans do not want to emigrate to search for a job, at least not a low-skilled job, but want to travel as a tourist to know other places, spend time with family members who live abroad or make new business deals with foreign companies.
As the author mentioned, emigration has had both positive and negative consequences to Cape Verde and its people. He failed to mention that many Cape Verdean emigrants and/or their children have had the opportunity to attend higher education in other countries. Although their journeys have not always been colorful and exciting, their hard work and determination have let them to achieve higher than expected. They are contributing heavily to the development of the countries that have welcomed them. I am increasingly learning about Cape Verdeans in the United States that have become some of the best professionals in their areas of expertise. Just recently a Cape Verdean was selected as the best physician in Saint Louis.
Cape Verdeans love Cape Verde although those who have never left the islands and dream of new horizons as well as some who temporarily lived in a developed country and romanticize they time spend there may take the islands for granted. Despite the economic developments, Cape Verde can be a difficult place to live at times, even for those with better economic means. Things in the islands don’t always go as planned. Live here is more difficult for those who have not enjoyed the fruits of the economic boom. For every family enjoying a newly built 2000-squared-feet two-story house with a plasma TV, microwave, washer and an SUV parked in the garage and who eats three delicious meals a day prepared by their full-time maid, there several others who live in poorly-build one-bedroom houses with no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing. Poverty is far from finished in Cape Verde.
In no island where I have visited, is poverty more apparent than in the island of Santiago where economic development is creating a two-tear society. Those who have managed to gain social, economic and perhaps political power enjoy a lifestyle that would make most in the U.S. feel envy. They are still the minority. Many Cape Verdeans continue to live in poverty and worry about when they will have the next hot meal. They see their fellow Cape Verdeans driving the latest cars while they are jam-packed into a bus or small van as they come into the city, sometimes with an empty stomach, to sell their goods or take care of their affairs. Some have fallen into a life of crime and unsanctioned prostitution to rise above where they came from and/or keep up with those who are making it big. If in Sao Nicolau, the difference between the rich and the power is not very prominent as the island has been forgotten by time, in Santiago, the difference between the haves and have-nots are can hit you hard on the face, if you care to look around and listen to plight of the people. Cape Verde’s beautiful climate, surroundings and culture as well as the resistant spirit that Cape Verdeans have, make it is easy to miss the relative depth of Cape Verde’s poverty.
Emigration is responsible for some of the socioeconomic differences found in Cape Verde. However, Cape Verdean emigrants play an important role in the development of Cape Verde. With economic development comes greater social responsibility. It necessary that those who are benefiting from greater economic development to land a helping hand to those who are being left behind. Cape Verde used to live of foreign charity. With all of the problems that arise from emigration and with many countries closing their doors to others, it is now time for Cape Verdeans to become more self-sufficient and more accountable to each other. In the past, many Cape Verdeans survived because they were able to make bread out of stones and share it with their neighbors. That spirit of love and accountability must be kept alive to ensure social stability with economic development. There is a lot to be done to ensure that every Cape Verdean lives a life of dignity.
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