Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Culture Commission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senator Miranda urges creation of commission to study Massachusetts Cabo Verdean Cultural Center
Summary
Senator Miranda introduced and spoke in favor of a resolve (S.2995) to establish a legislative commission to study the feasibility of a Massachusetts Cabo Verdean Cultural Center in Boston, citing long-standing immigration history and concerns about cultural erasure; the Ways and Means substitute was adopted and the measure was ordered to third reading and passed to be engrossed.
Senator Miranda rose on the floor to support a resolve to establish a special legislative commission to study the feasibility of creating a Massachusetts Cabo Verdean Cultural Center in Boston. The Ways and Means Committee had recommended a substitute draft (Senate document 2995), which the chamber adopted and ordered to third reading.
On the floor, Senator Miranda described the long history of Cabo Verdean migration to Massachusetts, noting early ties to Nantucket and New Bedford and a persistent community presence in Boston, Brockton, Taunton, New Bedford and the Cape. She said census estimates put the state’s Cabo Verdean population at over 70,000 and that community advocates believe that figure is undercounted. "I rise today in support of the resolve before you to establish a special legislative commission to investigate and study the feasibility of establishing a statewide Massachusetts Cabo Verdean Cultural Center in the city of Boston," she said.
Miranda argued the commission would help preserve cultural history and guard against displacement and erasure driven by gentrification, saying a center would "assure that Cabo Verdean history and culture will remain a permanent fixture in the Commonwealth." The Senate adopted the committee substitute and later passed the measure to be engrossed.
Next step: The substitute resolve (S.2995) was ordered to a third reading and passed to be engrossed; future sessions will return the measure for final action and any accompanying committee reports.
