Flavor R E C I P E
My Family Flavors Live On Written by M A R I A K E L LY Photos by J A M I E A L E X A N D E R
CAPE VERDE TO AMERICA My mom’s family came to the US in the 1920s after there had been volcanos on the island of Fogo in Cape Verde. Most of them settled in Carver, Massachusetts to work in the cranberry bogs. Others went to Plymouth, Brockton, New Bedford, Waterbury, Connecticut and areas throughout New England to find work. My mom, Frances (Chica), has an extremely closeknit family. She was one of four children raised by my grandmother, with help from her family, after my grandfather was deported back to Cape Verde. My grandmother, Ella, was a proud, strong woman who worked hard to never have to depend on anyone, and always had a pot of food for anyone that was hungry. Growing up, they had their community of family that consisted of cousins, aunts and uncles, and was overseen by the matriarch, my great grandmother, Taca. “Taca’s Gang” as they are known, is a large wellrespected family that to this day continues traditions that are six-plus generations strong. Although most of us were born in America, we were taught to be very proud of our family history.
THE RICH HERITAGE OF CAPE VERDE Cape Verdeans are proud people that love their heritage and the fact that they have had their own country since 1975 when they gained their independence
from
Portugal.
Known
for
their
traditions of strength, hard work and respect for family, the people of the islands proudly pass down their customs from one generation to the next. The Cape Verde archipelago, volcanic in origin, is comprised of ten islands and eight islets that are situated about 350 miles off the west coast of Africa and Senegal. However, most Cape Verdeans don’t consider themselves either Portuguese or African. The Islands were actually discovered by ancient Phoenicians, and then later colonized and exploited by the Portuguese. The islands also became an infamous trading center for African slaves. Most Cape Verdeans stay close to each other and stay true to their beliefs. The language they speak is Kriolu, which is a mix of a slang and Portuguese that wasn’t even a written language until around the
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Owensboro Living J A N U A R Y / / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2
