by Seoyeon Kim ‘26 and Andrea Xu ‘25
Amidst the ceaseless hustle of the Burgess Lower Center, the office of Mr. DaSilva, St. Mark’s new Director of Community & Equity (C&E) Affairs, sinks into the background, hardly conspicuous in the eyes of some fifteen-year-old teenagers. The C&E office is a fishbowl-style room, sitting at the top of the stairs to the lower center at the crossroads of the school.
I had never been to the office before this interview. It actually never caught my attention until the scarlet red envelopes hanging over the money tree recently. When I stepped into the room, the unfamiliarity I usually feel at meeting strangers dimmed. A cordial grin from Mr. DaSilva immediately welcomed me to this new place. The first thing he said was, “As the director of C&E, I’ve been working to improve the representation of the international students at the school. Especially as Ms. Zhu left, I feel fortunate to bring new experiences into the school as someone who previously worked in promoting the voices of international students in other schools.”
Mr. DaSilva traces his ancestry to Cape Verde bordering West Africa, a melting pot of Europeans, including Portuguese and Africans. The island is never found to have its indigenous people. In the 15th century, the Portuguese discovered this uncharted island, which became a hub for the Transatlantic slave trade. He believes his great grandparents at some point migrated to Massachusetts. Massachusetts is littered with ethnic diaspora, and the south coast is known for the majority of Cape Verdeans from the late 19th century.
Mr. DaSilva has been a history teacher for over 20 years. He taught modern and ancient world history, global studies electives such as the Atlantic World, proposed East Asian electives, and Middle Eastern electives in his old school. He had also worked in the Dean's office for the international students and the Admission Office for over ten years at Tabor Academy. He is confident that his observation of teaching history and supporting international students can facilitate his work in the Community and Equity Affairs department.
As a person of color and someone who spent over half of his life in independent schools, Mr. DaSilva has the zeal to improve equity in independent schools. He has had the experience of working at the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE)and also facilitated panels and workshops on multiracial education for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Last year, he left Tabor for St. Mark’s as a chance for personal growth. Mr. DaSilva reflects, “I think it’s important to expand your vision. Staying in one place can often limit your growth.”
Mr. DaSilva also shared that he has a keen interest in East Asian culture. “In my generation, the 70s, Japanese pop culture was a huge thing in our childhood. I had strong connections with the samurais.” Ever since his first trip to China in 2006, he felt determined to commit himself to learning more about East Asian culture and history. Since then, he frequently traveled all over East Asia, spanning from Thailand to Korea. In 2014, his reflection on his identity at the National People of Color Conference (POCC) was truly transformative for him. In fact, Mr. DaSilva joked that he had been to the Great Wall of China over 30 times in the Faculty Orientation! Mr. DaSilva prefers to spend his leisure time doing photography, traveling, especially before the pandemic, building relationships with students, and reading all sorts of books to build his knowledge as a history teacher. Mr. DaSilva’s favorite books are The American Gods and The Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. He also has a penchant for Miyazaki anime.
Mr. DaSilva said that he is enjoying his transition into the St. Mark’s community. He appreciates his role as he proceeds to work with all facets of the school. He also takes delight in attentively observing the culture, students, teachers, traditions, and history of St. Mark’s. He expresses that this is even more interesting in small schools.
Despite these positive aspects of his first year, he has also met some difficulties. He pointed out that it is always difficult to be a new person, especially when they are on their own. His daughter is in college and he is not married, which hampers the process of getting to know others within the community. He also feels challenged when it comes to getting to know 371 students. “My door is open, but that is difficult,” Mr. Dasilva repeatedly mentioned. However, it has to be taken into account that such a process of fitting in is gradual and often takes a long time. In my opinion, Mr. DaSilva is getting there. He was invited to the Lunar New Year festival and got a glimpse of another culture and its warmth. These little bits and pieces add up for one to truly become a part of a community.
Mr. DaSilva’s number one goal is defining Community and Equity at St. Mark’s. One crucial reason why he accepted the position as the Director of C&E Affairs is the title itself. He explains that most schools refer to the position with the words: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But he believes that the word, diversity, inevitably excludes certain groups of people. By zooming into diversifying a community, the ones who were already part of it are left out. His first substantial action in defining community and equity happened on C&E day. He intentionally invited Daryl Bellamy to discuss Fearless because that truly includes the whole community. Mr. DaSilva asserted that those who expressed their doubts about inviting Mr. Bellamy were “upset [because] they were not able to see DEI, and not C&E.” Mr. DaSilva indicates that “it is hard for people to be mindful of the future,” in a place with history. He envisions changing St. Mark’s into a forward-looking community. He understands that this will be difficult, but it is essential to St, Mark’s becoming a more inclusive community.
I asked Mr. DaSilva’s opinion on the social groups of St. Mark’s, which is another topic in the Antiracism issue. Mr. DaSilva told me that the mixing between people from different backgrounds is, in fact, better at St. Mark’s compared to other schools. Furthermore, he explained that bonding based on race is not harmful or shameful. The reality for private boarding schools with a large international student population is that people need friends like them. People are already fully occupied exploring and fitting into the school as guests. They need time to relax and loosen up. Having similar people around them, at least to start, is very valuable. When they finally become comfortable enough, they could enlarge their social circle.
Mr. DaSilva recalls when someone pointed out the racially-segregated groups in the dining hall during lunch. Mr. DaSilva told him two things. First, lunch is an important time for connection and comfort. Second, all those students are categorized under Asian, but are of different nationalities: Taiwanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese just to name a few, and all these countries have unique cultures, traditions, and histories. Mr. DaSilva hopes that the social groups become more diverse as time passes.
As St. Mark’s runs into the end of February, Mr. DaSilva is excited about more announcements from the Pathway leaders, the upcoming cultural fair, and navigating the application for Pathway Prefects in the spring. He welcomes any voices of challenge, encourages students to share their struggles and concerns, and looks forward to learning more about everyone at St. Mark’s in the years to come.