Respect. Pride.
Perseverance. Growth.

Our Vision:

The Cape Verdean Association's vision is to be an organization that provides a cultural, social and recreative dynamism, so all Cape Verdeans can interact freely and friendly. This vision is meant to not only unify Cape Verdeans, but to create better conditions of life, through conviviality and civism. 

The Cape Verdean Association goals are:

• To do its utmost and explore all the possibilities so that a Club will create a cultural, recreational, and social center. 
  
• Strengthen efforts to unify all Cape Verdeans in Bridgeport and at large.
• Contribute to promoting and identifying the Cape Verdean culture and developing its cultural and informative levels.
• Clarify and to strengthen Cape Verdean's social and cultural rights in Bridgeport.
• Fortify solidarity and friendship among all Cape Verdeans.
• Assist all members of the Cape Verdean Community in Greater Bridgeport to resolve their problems, such as seeking housing, employment, or any other matters concerning their interests.
• Create awareness through the American public opinion about Cabo-Verde/United States of America long and historical relationship, as well as the Cape Verdeans immigrant's contribution to this Nation. 
• Inform Cape Verdeans of Greater Bridgeport about the evolution of the realities in Cabo Verde.

Cape Verde History:

Cape Verde islands are located approximately 350 miles (570 km) west of the Cape Verde Peninsula in West Africa, Senegal, and the islands cover a combined area of slightly over 1,500 square miles (4,000 sq. km). Portuguese marines discovered Cape Verde in 1456. The Island was uninhabited but was fertile enough to attract the first settlers six years later. Many talks about Cape Verde's myth that every ship sailing south of the Canary Islands did not return. The reason was due to strong wind and current that sent the vessels towards the direction. This colonist founded Ribeira Grande, which is known as Cidade Velha today. The Europeans began to import, and export between Europe, West Africa, and the Americas soon discovered. The settlers began to import slaves from the West African coast and created sugar plantations, which was never successful due to the Caribbean's strong productivity.

Furthermore, the Islands' location put the settles in a strategic position to station transatlantic slave trade. After centuries, the Portuguese colony had grown wealthy, which attracted rivals such as English and French to attack the city. Some believe these rivals sent pirates to do their dirty work.

         In 1747, the Island experienced a change in weather patterns, resulting in deforestation and overgrazing, which led to Cape Verde's first recorded drought. This catastrophe drought killed nearly 100 thousand people. With opportunist Britain, France, and the Netherlands challenging Portugal to control the slave trade, the Island economy fell due to little investment from the Portuguese side. The people experienced hunger, which many men migrated to America to work on whaling ships. Today, Cape Verdean's shares communities with many ethnicities along with New England and around the world. Cape Verdeans have never forgotten to help their homeland, and now the immigrants contribute 20% of the country's Gross Nation Product(GNP). By the end of 19 century, Cape Verde revived from the ocean liner that became an essential stopover for coal, water, and livestock, and Mindelo Sao Vicente, with its deep protected harbor, became the Island's new commercial and cultural center. In 1948, Cape Verde opened its first international airport in Sal, which improved the country's economy.