Delaware has been hosted to Cape Verdeans since the First World War and continues to do so until the present.  Three Cape Verdeans were living in New Castle, Delaware during the World War One.  Antonio Forte (born 15 May 1894) and Julio Joas Dos Santos (born 12 February 1897) were both born on Santo Antao.  Angelino Antonio Lima was born on 28 December 1892 in Cape Verde.  All the men were categorized with the Selective Service as White males living in New Castle.[1] 

At least a decade later another Cape Verdean was present in Delaware.  Antonio Barrous, most likely a corruption on Barros, was bon in 1907 in Cape Verde.  According to the 1930 Census of Merchant Seamen, Barrous was a 23 year old, single, White male who could read, write, and speak English.[2]  At the time, he was a cook on the ship Imlay, which was ported in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware.

            Louis Perreira Defaria was registered with the Selective Service during World War Two.  Defaria was born on 14 November 1895 in Cape Verde.  He was living in Seaford, Sussex, Delaware.[3] 

As can be seen, Delaware has been host to Cape Verdeans since WWI.  The population has always been small.  In the 1910s there were three, in the 1930s it dropped to one person, and stagnated in the 1940s with one person.  The population slowly rose to 44 people in the 2000 Census.[4]  The earliest immigrants were all categorized as White men from the islands.  It can be assumed that this no longer holds true.  Current Cape Verdean residents are most likely transplants from older Cape Verdean communities in New England and the Northeast. 

Tags: First Cape Verdeans In Delaware

Bookmark: