According to the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), “Caribbean immigrants have been contributing to the well-being of American society since its founding. Alexander Hamilton, the First Secretary of the Treasury was from the Caribbean island of Nevis. We count among our famous sons and daughters, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Cicely Tyson, W.E.B. Dubois, James Weldon Johnson, Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier to name a few. ICS' effort began in 1999 with a petition to President Bill Clinton for the recognition of a Caribbean American Heritage Month.

“In 2000, ICS began leading activities in celebration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington DC, building on efforts started by a now defunct ad-hoc group of Washington DC residents to have a Caribbean Heritage Month designated in Washington DC in 1999.

“The official campaign for a National Caribbean American Heritage Month began in 2004 when a legislative bill was tabled in Congress by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Language was provided by ICS Founder and President Dr. Claire Nelson. The Bill was reintroduced and passed the House in June 2005 and the Senate in February 2006. A Proclamation making the resolution official was signed by President George W. Bush on June 5, 2006.”

Key Stats

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table B04006, People Reporting Ancestry, Universe: Total population, find West Indian (except Hispanic groups)

Note: The table above is scrolled to the bottom and cropped to list West Indians in the United States. Click the image for the full table.

Table B03001, Hispanic or Latino Origin by Specific Origin, Universe: Total population, find Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican, showing United States populations (table image below)

Note: Click the image for the full table.

More Stats

Source: 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates.

Table S0201, Selected Population Profile in the United States, Caribbean ancestries with population of 65,000 or more, presenting these 10 Topics:

Barbadian (301)
British West Indian (321-331)
Cuban (270-274)
Dominican (275-279)
Haitian (336-359)

Jamaican (308-309)
Puerto Rican (260-269)
Trinidadian and Tobagonian (314-316)\
West Indian (335)
West Indian (All groups [300-359], excluding Hispanic origin groups)

From Business and Economy > International Trade Data.

Bahamas (1985-2023).

Barbados (1992-2023).

Cayman Islands (1992-2023).

Cuba (1992-2023).

Dominican Republic (1985-2023).

Haiti (1985-2023).

Jamaica (1985-2023).

Trinidad and Tobago (1985-2023).

Note: To access U.S. trade figures with a Caribbean country not listed above, enter the four-digit code from the list of country codes into this URL — <www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c0000.html> — replacing 0000 with the country code.

From the International Database, World Population Estimates and Projections:

Data Tool > International Database (IDB), Population estimates and projections for 227 countries and areas.

Data Tool > International Database (IDB), Population estimates and projections for 23 countries in the Caribbean, refer to the table below showing “trends”

International Database (IDB), Population estimates and projections for 23 countries in the Caribbean, refer to the table below showing “trends”

Note: The “trends” table above lists 23 Caribbean countries. Click on the image for the full table in alphabetical order. Click on any country to view Quick Facts (2023), Patterns and Trends and Sources.

From the Library: