Op-Ed

A deeper look into the Racial Perceptions and Misconceptions Between Cape Verdeans and African Americans 

The controversy involving Eric "Billy" Gomes, a juror in the 2006 murder trial of Christopher M. McCowen, in which Gomes allegedly made racist remarks against blacks, has touched a delicate subject between Cape Verdeans and African Americans. In fact, a rather ironic opportunity has come to shed light on a very recurring and complex issue - the intra-racial perceptions and misconceptions between the two communities.

Oldest Immigrant Black Group versus Oldest Black Citizens of US

Cape Verdeans are the oldest black immigrant group in the United States - In fact, the only Africans allowed to enter the country in the 1800s according to the immigration laws of that period. They willingly come to North America as menial workers for the whaling industry some two hundred years ago. African Americans, by contrast, arrived in North America roughly two hundred years earlier under inhumane circumstances - as slaves. This historical distinction, however insignificant it may seem in the current times, played and continues to play a troubling role in the complex relationship between the two communities. Even though they both share obvious racial ties and geographical origins, there isn't a wholesome cordial and positive perceptual relationship between Cape Verdeans and African Americans. This is partly due to a small amount, but vocal, members of both groups who have apparent distrust and dislike vis-à-vis each other.

Small Minorities - Loud Voices

From the Cape Verdean angle, a small minority, yet very vocal, refuses to identify with or acknowledge their obvious shared black racial heritage with African Americans. Moreover, these folks often make disparaging remarks against American Blacks when amongst each other. Elements from this small minority of Cape Verdeans are more often than not, older, poorly educated, and have limited exposure to the complex realities of Black America. Eric "Billy" Gomes would fit in this group. He would fit in, that is, if the allegations against him are proven to be factual. Mr. Gomes is accused by his fellow jurors in the 2006 murder trial of Christopher M. McCowen of making racist remarks against blacks. He denies having made any such remarks.

However, recently Billy’s aunt, Delainda Julia Miranda, was quoted in a Boston Globe article (Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/19/jurors_kin_says_he_lied_about_bias/) as having heard him numerous times making less than flattering remarks against American Blacks. "They're lazy; they don't want to work. . . . All they do is rob people, kill them, and deal drugs.” Miranda, 74, stated in a sworn statement, that she once heard Gomes making such comments about African Americans. Needless to say such words are racist and certainly one who adheres to such views should not have been a juror in a murder trial involving an African American.

Still, however serious and racially charged these allegations are, they are only allegations. Mr. Gomes has not told his side of the story and he hasn't yet been charged with perjury. He's entitled to the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty. Nevertheless, given the media interest in the case, which has taken a national dimension, the allegations against Eric "Billy" Gomes shed light, as previously noted, on the complex relationship between Cape Verdeans and other historically black immigrants and African Americans.

The Eric "Billy" Gomes controversy brings into the media foray something that media pundits rarely care or are able to do an in-depth analysis on.

This case, however, has become an exception, given its appearance on widely reputable and nationally influential newspapers like The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and several other print media outlets across the country. As a result, people near and far from New England shores, particularly those in the Cape Verdean and African American communities are now talking about and reflecting on their perceptions vis-à-vis each other. On the Cape Verdean side, pundits have taken on this opportunity to reflect and publicly opine on the rarely discussed but nonetheless recurring issue – the inaccurate stereotypical perception that some Cape Verdeans and African Americans hold of each other.

Eric "Billy" Gomes: Symbol of Cape Verdean Stereotype

Among the stereotypes that some African Americans hold of Cape Verdeans is that they lack pride in their African heritage and harbor ill-feelings toward them. Many American reared and English Speaking Cape Verdeans are very well aware of and can attest to this ever clichéd and generalized perception of their ethnicity when they have conversations and interactions with African Americans, particularly the ones from New England. Cape Verdeans from many different walks of life complain that when they have conversations with African Americans, an imaginary presumptively guilt Eric "Billy" Gomes, is what almost always seems to come to their head when the word "Cape Verdean" pops up.

So, in essence, as of late, given The Boston Globe article (Link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/01/19/jurors_kin_says_he_lied_about_bias/), Eric "Billy" Gomes has come to symbolize the age old stereotypical perceptions of Cape Verdeans by African Americans. The truth, however, is far more complex than a presumably guilty Eric "Billy" Gomes. That is, even if the allegations against Mr. Gomes are true, his views would only reflect those of a tiny minority of Cape Verdeans - the "old time" pre-independence colonially minded ones. These are for the most part older and poorly educated and have very little exposure to the well-to-do upper mobile African Americans who number in the millions. The so called black "under class" with its highly visible drug dealers and street hustlers is the image that for the most part these under-educated and unexposed Cape Verdeans have of African Americans. Nonetheless, these negative and limited perceptions of African Americans are not unique to Cape Verdeans by a long shot.

Memo to everybody else

There are guilty Eric "Billy" Gomes in all social groups. That is, those who have had limited education and haven't been exposed to the many different social facets of Black America hold similar views to Mr. Gomes' alleged remarks, regardless of ethnic origin.

This being said, on a final note, I and other members of the Cape Verdean community who have had to arduously shatter and disprove for the thousandth times the herein addressed stereotypical images of Cape Verdeans, would like to earnestly send a memo to the media pundits, reporters and members of the African American community: Mr. Gomes' alleged racist remarks to other jurors and others, which may certainly have impacted the verdict of Mr. McCowen murder trial, if proven to be true, would only apply to a very few and particular Cape Verdeans, not the general ones.