Cape Verdeans in the Netherlands consist of migrants from Cape Verde to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and their descendants. , figures from Statistics Netherlands showed 20,961 people of Cape Verdean origin in the Netherlands (people from Cape Verde, or those with a parent from there).

Migration history

Early migration from Cape Verde to the Netherlands began in the 1960s and 1970s. The migrants consisted primarily of young men who had signed on as sailors on Dutch ships, and as such they concentrated primarily in the port city of

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, especially the Heemraadsplein area. Prior to independence in 1975, Cape Verdean immigrants were registered as Portuguese immigrants from the

overseas province Overseas province ( pt, província ultramarina) was a designation used by Portugal for its overseas possessions, located outside Europe. History In the early the 19th century, Portuguese overseas territories were referred to as "overseas domini ...

Portuguese Cape Verde Cape Verde was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the initial settlement of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 until the independence of Cape Verde in 1975. History 15th century The islands of Cape Verde was discovered in 1444 by Dom Prin ...

. Another wave of migration began in 1975, following the independence of Cape Verde from Portugal; this new wave of migrants comprised primarily teachers, soldiers, and other lower officials of the former government. There was an immigration amnesty for Cape Verdean migrants in 1976. From 1996 to 2010, the number of Cape Verdeans in the Netherlands recorded by Statistics Netherlands grew by roughly 25% from a base of 16,662 people; about three-quarters of the growth in that period was in the 2nd-generation category (people born in the Netherlands to one or two migrant parents from Cape Verde).

Distribution

Approximately 90% live in the

metropolitan area. In Rotterdam, the largest concentration live in

Delfshaven Delfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas. It was a separate municipality until 1886. The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft. Delft itself was not located on a major river ...

, where they make up about 8.8% of the borough's population. The city has more than 60 Cape Verdean civil organisations. Smaller groups can be found in other cities such as Schiedam,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

Zaanstad Zaanstad () is a Dutch municipality in the province of North Holland, situated northwest of Amsterdam. Its main city is Zaandam. It is part of the conurbation and metropolitan area of Amsterdam. It had a population of in . Topography Popul ...

, and

Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...

Employment and business

Cape Verdeans generally have better labour market outcomes than other migrant groups like

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

Moroccans Moroccans (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Kingdom of Morocco. The country's population is predominantly composed of Arabs and Berbers (Amazigh). The term also applies more broadly to any people who are of Moroccan nationality, s ...

, similar to those of Surinamese, but worse than those of natives. The various Cape Verdean-run hair salons of Rotterdam often serve as gathering points for the women of the community. Other common ethnic business niches include transport businesses and travel agencies. The Cape Verdeans are also renown in the music industry and currently developing within the contemporary fine arts.

Notable people

Luc Castaignos Luc Castaignos (born 27 September 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for club 1. FC Magdeburg. Club career Early career The roots of Castaignos' family are located in the département of Landes, one hundred kil ...

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

* Alex Da Silva, Artist * Miguel Dias, boxer *

E-Life Elvis de Oliveira, better known as E-Life, is a rapper from Rotterdam, Netherlands. He is also a DJ for radio station Juize FM. E-Life started his music career with rap crew Dope Syndicate. DJ Raw Deal's move to the United States in 1995 pro ...

, rapper * Eddy "Eddy Fort Moda Grog" Fortes, rapper *

Nelson Freitas Nelson Freitas (born April 4, 1975) is a Cape Verdean-Dutch singer, producer and recorder. He records with GhettoZouk Music, which also signed artists Chelsy Shantel and William Araujo. Biography Freitas was born in the Netherlands to Cape Verd ...

, singer, writer and producer *

Alviar Lima Alviar "The Machine" Lima (born 23 March 1978) is a retired Cape Verdean-Dutch middleweight kickboxer who fought out of Rotterdam, Netherlands. He made his K-1 debut against Warren Stevelmans in K-1 MAX Netherlands 2008 The Final Qualification. ...

, kickboxer * Suzanna Lubrano, singer * Dina Medina (1975-), singer * Gery "GMB" Mendes, musician and actor *

David Mendes da Silva David Miquel Mendes da Silva Gonçalves (; born 4 August 1982) is a Dutch former professional footballer of Cape-Verdian ancestry. During his career, he played for Red Bull Salzburg, AZ, Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax, Panathinaikos and NAC Breda. ...

* Sonia Pereira (1972-), psychic, medium, television presenter and actress * Gil Semedo, singer *

Sonja Silva Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to: People * Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya) :* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films :* Sonia ...

(1977-), presenter, actress, model and singer * Luis Tavares, kickboxer *

Lerin Duarte Lerin Duarte (born 11 August 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Having come through the youth department of Sparta Rotterdam, he started his senior career at the club, before transferring to Heracles Almelo. H ...

* Deroy Duarte

Notes

Sources

* * * *

External links

Embassy of Cape Verde in the Netherlands

Gemeente Rotterdam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Verdeans In The Netherlands African diaspora in the Netherlands Ethnic groups in the Netherlands