Research Guides: Our Town/Nha Vida: The purpose of the exhibit

A note about the exhibit

This exhibit is not intended to showcase or be a 'show and tell' of the people and places that together created the Dartmouth Cape Verdean community. Rather, it is intended to make one think, challenge pre-conceived notions and assumptions, and expand the understanding of what it meant and means to be someone who identifies as Cape Verdean in Dartmouth.

The project co-investigators intentionally included difficult language and concepts in the exhibit, as these were/are the lived experiences of our interviewees and need to be acknowledged.

Our Town/Nha Vida

This virtual exhibition is based on the physical exhibits that were on display at the North Branch of the Dartmouth Public Library (September 2022) and the New Bedford Public Library (October 2022). Where appropriate additional images and text have been added, however, the virtual exhibit remains true to the physical exhibit in purpose.

The exhibit utilized oral histories—the voices—of Cape Verdeans who are an underdocumented and under-represented historical community in Massachusetts. It specifically focused on Cape Verdeans who have a connection with Dartmouth, Massachusetts, either because they were raised, live or lived, work or study here. We share their experiences through excepts of the oral histories, photographs and documents that specifically reflect their lived experiences.

A detailed history of Cape Verdean settlement in Dartmouth still remains to be written. However, the broader history of their migration and settlement to Massachusetts is noteworthy. It is known that intentional migration began in the mid to late 1800s, as part of the whaling industry. They settled predominantly on the South Coast, specifically New Bedford, and went on to work in the cranberry and textile industry after the decline in whaling. While Cape Verdean migration post 1974 was still drawn to New Bedford due to familial connections, greater employment opportunities saw these new immigrants settle in Boston itself. Cape Verdeans, whether they be whalers or late 20th century immigrants, married, raised families and contributed to the social and financial fabric of Massachusetts. Estimates from the 2014 American Community Survey show that 37,145 foreign-born individuals from Cape Verde reside in the United States, and of those, 25,013 live in Massachusetts. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Cape Verdean immigrants live in Boston.

The project co-investigators, Sonia Pacheco and Memory Holloway (both affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) state that:

We set out with the goal of using the oral histories to obtain a greater understanding of how Cape Verdeans have shaped their respective geographies, specifically the Town of Dartmouth, and how the Town has shaped them, and as the project comes to a close, it is possible to gather some great insights.

Based on what was documented, we can state that, unsurprisingly, this is a rather complex issue, where community belonging is oftentimes at odds with cultural and racial identities. Growing up and living in Dartmouth, historically, had a different meaning than being Cape Verdean in places like New Bedford. Interestingly, we discovered that the geographic boundaries of both places simultaneously meant nothing—as families and individuals found themselves consistently traveling to New Bedford to participate in club activities, worship, and community events—while at the same time, having long-term consequences in areas such as self-identity, and feeling like you did not belong where you live.