Jamaican Americans are an ethnic group of Caribbean Americans who have full or partial Jamaican ancestry. The largest proportions of Jamaican Americans live in

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, both of which have been home to large Jamaican communities since the 1950s and the 1960s. There are also communities of Jamaican Americans residing in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The vast majority of Jamaican Americans are of

Afro-Caribbean Afro-Caribbean or African Caribbean people are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern Afro-Caribbean people descend from the Indigenous peoples of Africa, Africans (primarily fr ...

descent, although smaller numbers are of full or partial Indian Jamaican, Chinese Jamaican, European and Lebanese descent.

Historical immigration

After 1838, European colonies in the Caribbean with expanding

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

industries imported large numbers of immigrants to meet their acute labor shortage. Large numbers of Jamaicans were recruited to work in

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

in the 1850s. After slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865, American planters imported temporary workers, called "swallow migrants", to harvest crops on an annual basis. These workers, many of them Jamaicans, returned to their countries after harvest. Between 1881 and the beginning of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the United States recruited over 250,000 workers from the Caribbean, 90,000 of whom were Jamaicans, to work on the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

. During both world wars, the United States again recruited Jamaican men for service on various American bases in the region.

Significant immigration waves

Jamaican laborers cutting sugar cane - Clewiston

Jamaican immigration to the U.S. increased during the civil rights era of the 1960s. As with many other sources of Caribbean immigration, the geographical nearness of Jamaica to the U.S. increased the likelihood of migration. The economic attractiveness and general Jamaican perception of the U.S. as a land of opportunity explain continued migration flows despite economic downturn in America. Traditionally, America has experienced increased migration through means of family preference, in which U.S. citizens sponsor their immediate family. Through this category a substantial amount of Jamaican immigrants were able to enter mainly urban cities within the U.S that provided blue-collar work opportunities. Jamaican immigrants utilized employment opportunities despite the discriminatory policies that affected some Caribbean émigrés. Jamaicans comprise the largest nationality of U.S. immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean. Because so many have assimilated into the

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

community, it is difficult to estimate their number. The 1990 U.S. census placed the number of documented Jamaican Americans at 435,025.

Demographics

An estimated 554,897 Jamaican-born people lived in the U.S. in 2000. This represents 61% of the approximate 911,000 Americans of Jamaican ancestry. Many Jamaicans are second, third and descend from even older generations, as there have been Jamaicans in the U.S. as early as the early twentieth Century. The regional composition is as follows: 59 percent live in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

, mainly in the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

; 4.8 percent in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

; 30.6 percent in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

, particularly

; and 5.6 percent on the

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. The

New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

and

have the largest number of Jamaican immigrants in the United States. South Florida is home to the highest number of undocumented Jamaicans, whereas most documented immigrants tend to reside in Brooklyn. Jamaicans refer to

Miami metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida. It is the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the lar ...

and

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

colloquially as "

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

21" and "Little Jamaica" respectively. Jamaicans in the Miami metropolitan area mostly live in

Broward County Broward County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Florida, United States, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the List of the most ...

and Jamaicans in

have formed communities in Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens. Especially Central Brooklyn, particularly

East Flatbush East Flatbush is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. East Flatbush is bounded by Crown Heights and Empire Boulevard to the north; Brownsville and East 98th Street to the east; Flatlands, Canarsie and the Lon ...

, Crown Heights,

Flatbush Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Prospect Park to the nort ...

, and Flatlands, parts of East Brooklyn like Brownsville and especially

Canarsie Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin, East 108th Street, and Louisiana Avenue; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on th ...

and the Northeast Bronx, particularly

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

and Williamsbridge neighborhoods holding the largest Jamaican populace. Large communities of Jamaican immigrants have formed in

and the whole New York Metro Area, which includes

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

and much of

and

, along with

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

(centered in and around the

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

and

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

areas), which has the second largest Jamaican community in the U.S. In recent years, many Jamaicans have left New York City for its suburbs, and large Jamaican communities have also formed in many other major cities like

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

(including Delaware and other parts of eastern Pennsylvania),

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

/Central Maryland,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Western NY State ( Buffalo and Rochester) and

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

. Smaller numbers are in Charlotte,

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

U.S. states with large Jamaican populations

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, there were 1,047,117 Jamaican Americans. The 10 U.S. states with the largest Jamaican populations in 2020 census were: #

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

– 284,228 #

– 254,148 #

– 61,949 #

– 60,091 #

– 52,815 #

– 37,264 #

– 35,953 #

– 33,767 #

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

– 29,100 #

– 29,099

U.S. metropolitan areas with largest Jamaican populations

The top U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest populations of Jamaicans (Source: 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates) # New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA-CT MSA – 335,659 # Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA – 181,591 # Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA – 71,133 # Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA – 44,705 #

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washington, D.C., the fed ...

– 44,260 # Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA – 36,039 # Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT MSA – 28,764 # Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA – 20,381 # Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area - 18,504 # Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA – 18,251 # Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area - 17,377 # Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area - 15, 854 # Baltimore, MD MSA - 15, 367 # Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro - 15,339 # Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA – 13,698

U.S. communities with high percentages of people of Jamaican ancestry

The top 25 U.S. communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Jamaican ancestry are (2010): # Blue Hills, Connecticut (

neighborhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neigh ...

) 23.9% #

Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Lauderdale Lakes is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 35,954. History The city of Lauderdale Lakes was in ...

18.8% #

Lauderhill, Florida Lauderhill is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a principal city of the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 74,482. Etymology The development that eventually came to be k ...

17.6% # South Floral Park, New York 15.5% #

Miramar, Florida Miramar is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 134,721, making it the fourth-largest city in Broward County, the sixth-largest cit ...

15.40% #

Bloomfield, Connecticut Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census, Bloomfield's highest decennial census count ever. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of ...

and

Mount Vernon, New York Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Moun ...

12.9% # Lakeview, New York 12.7% # North Lauderdale, Florida 11.1% #

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...

11.0% # El Portal, Florida 8.5% #

Roosevelt, New York Roosevelt (historically known as Greenwich and Rum Point) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the South Shore (Long Island), ...

8.2% #

Pembroke Park, Florida Pembroke Park is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town took its name from its location along Pembroke Road. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area. Almost one-half of its residents live in mobile homes. As of the ...

8.0% # North Valley Stream, New York and

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

7.90% #

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 97,335 at the time of the 2020 census. History Early history In ...

7.60% #

Miami Gardens, Florida Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb of Miami and located north of Greater Downtown Miami, downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from Interstate 95 in Florida, I-95 and N ...

6.3% # North Amityville, New York 6.1% # South Miami Heights, Florida 6.0% #

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) on Long Island, in New York, United States. The town's combined population was 793,409 at the 2020 census. It occupies the s ...

and

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead, New York, Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough ...

5.9% #

Lake Park, Florida Lake Park is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Lake Park is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 9,047 at the 2020 US census. Geography Lake Park is located at (26.800389, –80.064237). ...

and

Carol City, Florida Carol City is a neighborhood in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. It was formerly listed as a census-designated place in the 2000 U.S. Census. History Julius Gaines, the developer, had originally planned to name it Coral City. However, un ...

5.8% #

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

, Gordon Heights, New York, Ives Estates, Florida and Golden Glades, Florida 5.7% #

North Miami Beach, Florida North Miami Beach (commonly referred to as NMB) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The City of North Miami Beach is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. Originally named "Fulford-by-the-Sea" in 1926, after ...

5.5% # New Cassel, New York 5.30% #

Bronx, New York The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

and Chillum, Maryland 5.2% #

Pembroke Pines, Florida Pembroke Pines is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located 22 miles (35 km) north of Miami. It is a suburb of and the fourth-most populous city in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Pembroke ...

and

Wheatley Heights, New York Wheatley Heights is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located within the Town of Babylon, in Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 5,140 at the time of the 2020 census. In the past, some or all of ...

5.1% #

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

and

Windsor, Connecticut Windsor is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The town is part of ...

4.5% #

Orange, New Jersey The City of Orange (known simply as Orange) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 34,447, an increase o ...

and South Bay, Florida 4.3% #

Spring Valley, New York Spring Valley is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the town of Ramapo, New York, Ramapo and Clarkstown, New York, Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, Rockland County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is ...

4.2% #

Goulds, Florida Goulds is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The area was originally populated as the result of a stop on the Florida East Coast Railroad. The railroad depot was located ne ...

, Tamarac, Florida and

Royal Palm Beach, Florida Royal Palm Beach is a village in southeast Florida, located within Palm Beach County. Despite its name, the village is located approximately fifteen miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area. The population w ...

4.1% #

New Carrollton, Maryland New Carrollton is a city in central Prince George's County, Maryland, 10 miles (16 km) east of Washington, D.C. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13,715. History Developer Albert W. Turner acquir ...

Plantation, Florida Plantation is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a part of the South Florida metropolitan area. The city's name comes from the previous part-owner of the land, the Everglades Plantation Company, and their unsuccessful attem ...

and

Cottage City, Maryland Cottage City, officially the Town of Cottage City, is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,335. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue (the border ...

4% # Mangonia Park, Florida, Redan, Georgia and

Somerset, New Jersey Somerset is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Franklin Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

3.9% #

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

Naranja, Florida Naranja is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Many orange groves were once located in this area, so the community name came from the Spanish word for orange, ''naranja'', ...

and

Stone Mountain, Georgia Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,703 as of 2020. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square miles. It lies near and ...

3.8% #

Mount Rainier, Maryland Mount Rainier () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, bordering Washington D.C. The population was 8,333 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mount Rainier is contained between the Northwest Branch Anacostia Ri ...

Adelphi, Maryland Adelphi is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 Census, the population was 16,823. Adelphi includes the following subdivisions; Adelphi, Adelphi Park, Adelphi Hills, ...

, Pine Hills, Florida, Baldwin, New York and

Poinciana, Florida Poinciana () is a settlement and census-designated place (CDP) in Osceola and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It is part of the Greater Orlando area. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 69,309. Transportation U.S ...

3.7% #

Westbury, New York Westbury is a Village (New York), village in the town of North Hempstead, New York, North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United Stat ...

and Inwood, New York 3.6% #

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Brentwood, Maryland Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 3,828. Brentwood is located within of Washington, D.C. The municipality of Brentwood is located just outside the northeast boundar ...

3.5% #

Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. The town is know for their pancake throwing contest held ...

3.4% #

North Miami, Florida North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, about north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University. Originally the "Town of A ...

and

Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",

3.3% # Richmond West, Florida 3.2% #

Haverhill, Florida Haverhill is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is a part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. Haverhill became a town on May 3, 1950, and was named after the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The town is located ...

3.1% #

Opa-Locka, Florida Opa-locka () is a Municipality, city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Spanning roughly , it is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 16,463, up fro ...

and

Margate, Florida Margate is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city of Margate is part of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,712. History Margate was founded in the ...

U.S. communities with the most residents born in Jamaica

Top 50 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Jamaica are (2010): # Sunrise, FL 19.6% # Norland, FL 18.5% # Blue Hills, CT 18.3% # Lauderdale Lakes, FL 16.9% # Andover, FL 15.0% # Lauderhill, FL 14.8% # Utopia, FL 13.1% # Palmetto Estates, FL 12.6% # Miramar, FL 12.5% # Scott Lake, FL 12.3% # South Floral Park, NY 12.1% # Mount Vernon, NY 11.2% # Bloomfield, CT 11.1% # North Lauderdale, FL 9.7% # Fort Devens, MA 9.3%
Northwest Dade, FL
8.5% # Uniondale, NY 8.2% # St. George, FL 8.1% # East Garden City, NY 7.7% # El Portal, FL 7.5% # Silver Springs Shores, FL 7.5% # Washington Park, FL 7.2% # North Valley Stream, NY 6.7% # Sunrise, FL 6.6% # Harlem, FL 6.4% # Lakeview, NY 6.2% # Opa-locka North, FL 6.1% # Hartford, CT 6.0% # Roosevelt, NY 5.9% # Westview, FL 5.7% # Tangelo Park, FL 5.5% # Miami Gardens, Broward County, FL 5.5% # Pembroke Park, FL 5.3% # Lake Park, FL 5.2% # Ives Estates, FL 5.1% # North Amityville, NY 5.1% # Canal Point, FL 5.1% # Rock Island, FL 5.1% # Boulevard Gardens, FL 5.0% # North Miami Beach, FL 5.0% # Lake Lucerne, FL 4.9% # Golden Glades, FL 4.9% # Broadview-Pompano Park, FL 4.8% # Carol City, FL 4.7% # East Orange, NJ 4.7% # Pembroke Pines, FL 4.4% # Stacy Street, FL 4.3% # Mangonia Park, FL 4.3% # Three Lakes, FL 4.2% # Elmont, NY 4.2% Total immigrant population from Jamaica according to ACS 2015-2019 estimates: 741,400; the top counties were: 1)

Broward County, Florida Broward County ( ) is a County (United States), county in Florida, United States, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's second-most populous county after Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the List of the most ...

------------------- 86,600 2) Brooklyn Borough, New York ----------- 62,200 3) Bronx Borough, New York ---------------- 49,400 4) Queens Borough, New York ------------- 49,000 5)

Palm Beach County, Florida Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida, Broward County ...

------------- 26,900 6)

Miami-Dade County, Florida Miami-Dade County () is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populous coun ...

------------- 23,400 7) Westchester County, New York ------- 18,200 8)

Hartford County, Connecticut Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. According to the 2020 census, the population was 899,498, making it the second-most populous county in Connecticut. Hartford County contains t ...

---------- 17,100 9) Orange County, Florida -------------------- 16,900 10)

Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a suburban County (United States), county located on Long Island, immediately to the east of New York City, bordering the Long Island Sound on the north and the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of the 2020 United St ...

-------------- 16,600 11)

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, and is one of the centrally located counties in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's second-most populous county,< ...

------------- 12,500 12)

Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a County (United States), county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the List of counties in Connecticut, most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. ...

--------- 12,100 13) Prince George's Co., Maryland ------- 11,100 14) Philadelphia County, Penn. ------------ 10,100 15)

Dekalb County, Georgia DeKalb County (, , ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its ...

------------------- 9,900 16)

Suffolk County, Massachusetts Suffolk County ( ) is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936, making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts. The county comprises the cities of Boston ...

------- 8,200 17)

Gwinnett County, Georgia Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, being located about northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the ...

---------------- 7,500 18)

Hillsborough County, Florida Hillsborough County is located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. In the 2020 census, the population was 1,459,762, making it the fourth-most populous county in Florida and the most populous county outside the Miami metro ...

------------ 7,300 19) Saint Lucie County, Florida -------------- 7,000 20)

Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its no ...

---------------- 6,800 21)

New Haven County, Connecticut New Haven County is a county (United States), county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connectic ...

------ 6,400 22) Los Angeles County, California ------- 5,900 23)

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

------------------------ 5,700 24) Harris County, Texas ----------------------- 5,300 25)

Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Manhattan Borough, New York -------- 5,100 27)

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville, Maryland ...

-------- 5,100

Media

The media landscape for Jamaican Americans is limited in terms of dedicated platforms, with coverage concentrated in regions with a high density of Caribbean immigrants, such as New York, New Jersey, Hartford, Atlanta, Central Florida, and South Florida. These outlets serve as essential sources of news, culture, and community connection for the diaspora. However, the lack of tailored media options has led to increased reliance on platforms like WhatsApp, which can sometimes contribute to the spread of misinformation. Several Jamaican-based media entities, including ''

The Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

'', ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'',
Loop News
', and '' RJR News'', often cover diaspora-related news and updates. However, their primary focus remains on events and issues within Jamaica and the broader Caribbean region. Below is a selected list of Caribbean media platforms in the diaspora tailored to Jamaican-American audiences, featuring news, music, and cultural content. These platforms often focus on cultural preservation, community building, and political engagement, addressing the unique needs of Jamaican Americans and their descendants.

Radio

* WNTF (1580 AM): A Caribbean music station based in Bithlo, Florida, serving the Orlando area. * The Voice of the Caribbean: A non-commercial station in South Florida broadcasting on 102.1 FM and 94.3 FM.Voice of the Caribbean Radio
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * The Caribbean Radio: An online Caribbean radio station streaming reggae, soca, and cultural news worldwide.The Caribbean Radio
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * Caribbean Affair Connection: Hosted by Lady D on WOKB 1680 AM in Central Florida, providing Caribbean music, news, and views.Caribbean Affair Connection on WOKB Radio
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * The Wayne Hall Show: Based in Atlanta, offering Jamaican and Caribbean music, news, and community-focused programming.The Wayne Hall Show
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * Reggae Runnins on HOT 105 FM: Broadcast on '' WHQT'', featuring the best of reggae and Caribbean culture.

Online

* Jamaicans.com: A platform connecting the diaspora with cultural content, events, and news.Jamaicans.com
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * South Florida Caribbean News: An online Caribbean news publication covering diaspora stories in South Florida and beyond.South Florida Caribbean News
Retrieved December 30, 2024.

Newspapers and Magazines

* Caribbean Today: Florida's oldest Caribbean media house, providing diverse coverage of diaspora news and entertainment.Caribbean Today
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * Caribbean American Passport: A magazine based in Central Florida, celebrating the vibrancy of Caribbean-American culture.Caribbean American Passport
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * Caribbean Life: A publication owned and published by ''

Schneps Media Schneps Media is a New York City-based media company founded in 1985 that owns and operates both print and online news services. Their first newspaper was '' The Queens Courier''. The company's flagship publication since 2019 has been '' amNewYor ...

'', offering diaspora news, features, and events.Caribbean Life
Retrieved December 30, 2024. * Island Origins: A lifestyle magazine that showcases Caribbean culture, food, and people while celebrating its influence in the diaspora, particularly in South Florida.Island Origins
Retrieved December 30, 2024.

Community-Based Media

* Caribbean Affair Connection: A vibrant radio show hosted by Lady D on WOKB 1680 AM, Central Florida. * The Wayne Hall Show: Offers a mix of Caribbean music, news, and community updates in Atlanta.

Socioeconomics

Age and English proficiency

In 2014, the median age of Caribbean immigrants was 48 years, compared to 44 years for the general immigrant average. The median age of Jamaican immigrants was 49 years old. According to the

Migration Policy Institute The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an American non-partisan think tank established in 2001 by Kathleen Newland and Demetrios G. Papademetriou. About The Migration Policy Institute was established by Demetrios G. Papademetriou and Kathle ...

's tabulation of census data, 6% of Caribbean immigrants were under the age of 18, 76% between the ages of 18 and 64, and 19% were 65 and older.''MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census'' American Community Survey from 2014 In 2019, the median age of Jamaican Americans was 37 years old (U.S. Census Bureau 2019). Caribbean immigrants are more likely to be proficient in English compared to the general immigrant population. In 2017, only 2% of Jamaicans were

Limited English Proficient English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

(LEP). By 2019, the figure had reduced to just 0.9% of Jamaicans who were LEP (U.S. Census Bureau 2019).

Education and employment

Caribbean immigrants perform better than the general immigrant population in terms of high school graduation rates. In 2017, 24% of Jamaican immigrants had a bachelor's degree. This was higher than the Caribbean average of 21% (compared to 31% in the general immigrant population). In 2019, 30% of Jamaican Americans had a bachelor's degree. This is higher than the American average of 24.3% (U.S. Census Bureau 2019). 76% of Jamaican immigrants are working age (18 to 64). An estimated 30% of Caribbean immigrants are in the service occupations, 21% are in sales and office positions, and 25% are in management, business, science, and arts occupations and only 9% of Jamaican immigrants are in construction and maintenance jobs. Jamaicans specifically, 32-37% seek management, business, science, and arts positions. According to the

, Jamaican immigrants to the United States consistently compose of a high share of skilled professionals. Caribbean immigrants tend to have a higher employment participation rate than the American average.

Income

In 2014, the median Jamaican immigrant yearly income was $51,000 with a 13% poverty rate. The median Jamaican immigrant income is higher than the average Caribbean immigrant income, which was about $41,000 with a 20% poverty rate. According to World Bank data, in 2014, the Caribbean as a whole was sent $9.7 billion, 8% of the US GDP as remittances, not including Cuba, which is estimated to send $1.8 billion. In 2019, Jamaican Americans had a median household income of $62,044, higher than the American average of $57,761. Jamaican Americans had a poverty rate of 11.2%, lower than the American average of 12% (U.S. Census Bureau 2019).

Homeownership

Jamaican Americans have one of the highest rates of homeownership among Latin American and Caribbean immigrants in the US.

Music

Many cultural events in Jamaica are also observed by Jamaican Americans in local public celebrations or in the privacy of their homes. Many Jamaican Americans have also been very influential and successful in

Hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...

DJ kool Herc Clive Campbell (born April 16, 1955), better known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc, is a Jamaican-American DJ who is credited with being the founder of hip hop music in the Bronx, New York City, in 1973. Nicknamed the Father of Hip-Hop, Campbe ...

is credited as being a pioneer in rap/hip hop music. Other famous rappers and DJ's such as

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

Special Ed Edward K. Archer (born May 16, 1972), known professionally as Special Ed, is an American rapper and producer. Ed is perhaps best known for the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm the Magnificent" from his debut album '' Youngest in ...

Pete Rock Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned along ...

Canibus Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper. First having gained recognition for his freestyling abilities, he signed with Universal Records to release his debut studio al ...

Heavy D Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. '' Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Hea ...

, Joey Bada$$,

Slick Rick Richard Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs " The Show" and ...

, and Bushwick Bill are all of Jamaican heritage.

Dances and songs

Jamaica's most popular musical forms are

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

. There are also others such as "dub poetry" or chanted verses,

Ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

and

Rocksteady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...

, with its emotionally charged, celebrative beat. Jamaican Americans also listen to a great variety of other music such as:

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, calypso, soca, rap,

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

and "high-church" choirs.

Actors

Notable Jamaican-American actors include

Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress, businesswoman, and talk show host. She is co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show ''Red Table Talk'', for which she has won a Daytime Emmy Awards, Daytim ...

Kerry Washington Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fil ...

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she earned acclaim for her role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she was nomi ...

and

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

Cuisine

In Miami and Brooklyn, especially in the neighborhood of

along

, Nostrand, Utica and Church Avenues, one sees groceries filled with a variety of Caribbean cuisines, including sugar cane, jelly,

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

and yams.

Traditional costumes

In New York City, Jamaican Americans participate in the Caribbean Labor day parade in Brooklyn annually and dress in lavish and colorful costumes during the Brooklyn celebration along Eastern Parkway. There is also a Jamaican American flag representing their heritage in the United States. The flag is a blending of the American flag and the Jamaican flag. Many Jamaican Americans tend to fly solely the Jamaican flag.

Sports

A number of Jamaican Americans have excelled in international competition and carried home many trophies. Donald Quarrie won the 200 and the 4 × 100 meters relay Olympic Gold Medal. Merlene Ottey won the 200 and the 4 × 100 meters relay.

George Headley George Alphonso Headley Order of Distinction, OD, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, MBE (30 May 1909 – 30 November 1983) was a Jamaican cricketer who played 22 Test cricket, Test matches, mostly before World War II. Co ...

, who was born in

in 1909, transported to Cuba, grew up in Jamaica. and lived in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Sanya Richards-Ross Sanya Richards-Ross (née Richards; born February 26, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed internationally for the United States in the 400-meter sprint. Her notable accolades in this event include being the 2012 Oly ...

won gold in the 400 metres after finishing third at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Richards-Ross has also won Olympic gold in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the best 400m runner in the world for a decade, ranking No. 1 in the world from 2005-2009 and again in 2012. Several Jamaican-Americans, including

Jeff Cunningham Jeff Cunningham (born August 21, 1976) is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He is Major League Soccer's third-all-time leader in regular-season goals scored with 134. Born in Jamaica, Cunningham initially played for ...

Robin Fraser Robin Fraser (born December 17, 1966) is an American soccer coach and former player. He is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. He previously served as head coach of Colorado Rapids and Chivas USA and as an assistant for Real ...

, and

Mark Chung Mark Chung (born June 18, 1970) is a former professional Association football, soccer player who played ten seasons in Major League Soccer. Born in Canada, he earned twenty-four cap (sports), caps, scoring two goals, with the United States men's ...

have played for the United States national soccer team. There have also been many Jamaican-American

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

players including

Patrick Ewing Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is a basketball ambassador for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played most o ...

, Ben Gordon,

Andre Drummond Andre Jamal Drummond (born August 10, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2012 NB ...

, Roy Hibbert, Andrew Kennedy, and Omari Johnson. Notable Jamaican-American

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

football players includes

Patrick Chung Patrick Christopher Chung (born August 19, 1987) is a Jamaican-American former professional football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for ...

, Atari Bigby, Nevin Lawson, Orlando Franklin, Kenrick Ellis, Ryan McBean and

Laken Tomlinson Laken Tomlinson (born February 9, 1992) is a Jamaican-American professional football guard for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils. He was selected by the Detroit Lions i ...

. There are also several Jamaican-American world-renowned boxers including boxing greats

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...

and

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (né Sinclair; born February 24, 1977) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed between 1996 and 2017. He list of undefeated boxing world champions, retired with an undefeated record a ...

Politics

Jamaicans have been involved in American political issues since the 1800s. John B. Russwurm fought against slavery and co-founded America's first black press, ''Freedom's Journal,'' in 1827.

Ferdinand Smith Ferdinand Smith (5 May 1893 – 14 August 1961) was a Jamaican-born Communist labor activist. A prominent activist in the United States and the West Indies, Smith co-founded the National Maritime Union with Joseph Curran and M. Hedley Stone. By 1 ...

co-founded the

National Maritime Union The National Maritime Union (NMU) was an American labor union founded in May 1937. It affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in July 1937. After a failed merger with a different maritime group in 1988, the union merged wit ...

and was considered one of the most powerful black labor leaders in U.S. history.

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) (commonly known a ...

became one of the most influential activists during the 1920s and 30s and it was Garvey's ideas that had a profound influence on the views of American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther King. Some academics and experts claim Garvey "helped paved the way" for the Civil rights movement, American civil rights movement. Renowned Jamaican-Americans from this group include former United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State and four star general Colin Powell, Vice President Kamala Harris, former National Security adviser Susan Rice, "Mother of the Pell Grant" Lois Rice, former Governor of New York David Paterson, and lieutenant governor of Virginia Winsome Sears.

Science and technology

Walt Braithwaite, Walt W. Braithwaite helped transform the field of aerospace design, driving the development of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems at Boeing. Braithwaite also made a significant contribution to the development of the IGES, Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES). Braithwaite's common data format and translators from Boeing were subsequently used as the basis for developing the IGES protocol. Yvette Francis-McBarnette was a pioneering paediatrician who was the first to use prophylactic antibiotics in the treatment of children with sickle cell. Virgin Galactic Unity 25, Christopher Huie, Virgin Galactic astronaut and Senior Engineering Manager, Flight Sciences. Successfully completed Unity 25 space mission. He is also co-founder of the Black Leaders in Aerospace Scholarship & Training (BLAST) Program. Karen E. Nelson published the first ever comprehensive human microbiome study. Paul S Ramphal is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina and inventor of the (Ramphal) Cardiac Surgery Simulator. The Ramphal Simulator is used in the training of many cardiothoracic surgery residents in the United States. Robert Rashford co-invented the world's first portable 3D non-destructive evaluation (NDE) system. The system was used in the maintenance of the United States Government's Hubble Space Telescope. He also invented a protective enclosure for use transporting Orbital replacement unit, orbital replacement units (orus). Rashford designed and developed unique spacecraft support systems for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Airborne Support Equipment (UASE) at the Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC). At General Electric, he designed and tested a variety of spacecraft for both commercial and military applications. At Bechtel, Bechtel Corporation, he designed a nuclear reactor support structure. He has designed numerous highly complex engineering systems that successfully flew on board NASA, NASA's Manned Space Flight Programs. Mercedes Richards was a pioneering scientist who was the first astronomer to make images of the gravitational flow of gas between the stars in any Interacting binary star, interacting binary; the first to image the Chromosphere, chromospheres and Accretion disk, accretion disks in Algol binaries; the first in astronomy to apply the technique of tomography; the first Astrophysics, astrophysicist to make theoretical hydrodynamic simulations of the Algol binary stars; the first astronomer to discover Starspot, starspots on the cool star in an Algol binary and the first astrophysicist to apply novel distance correlation statistical methods to large astronomical databases. John Thompson (inventor), John Henry Thompson, who studied and worked in the US, invented the Lingo (programming language), Lingo programming language used in Adobe Director. The language is used for animation, web design, graphics, sound and video games.