Jamaicans make up half of the Caribbean population living in the United States, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The bureau released its 2020 census population data this week, which reported that of the 46.7 million Black or African-American respondents to the census, some 2.6 million people identified as either being solely Caribbean or partially (mixed).
Of the 2.6 million people, some 1,047,117 people identified as Jamaica, another 1,032,737 identified as Haitian, 194,364 identified as being Trinidadian and Tobagonian, and another 119,806 identified as being West Indian.
The number of respondents who identified as being solely Caribbean was 2.1 million, with Jamaicans and Haitians together accounting for over 80% of that group.
Caribbean inclusion in the U.S. Census
This is the first time that a U.S. Census has included Caribbean groups. Other new groups include German, Lebanese, Chinese, Native Hawaiian and Mexican — and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages like the Navajo Nation. The release includes information about more than 200 detailed race and ethnic groups not tabulated from previous censuses.
Previously, the Census Bureau released 2020 Census data on the Hispanic or Latino population and major race groups such as White, Black or African American, Asian, etc.
“These 2020 Census data illuminate the rich diversity across our nation,” said Rachel Marks, chief of the Census Bureau’s Racial Statistics Branch.
“We have this comprehensive picture thanks to the millions of people who responded to the census and provided their detailed racial, ethnic or tribal identity, and thanks to the stakeholders, researchers and tribal leaders who helped us improve how we collect these detailed data.”
Jamaican-American population growing
The Jamaican diaspora in the United States is the largest Caribbean immigrant group. An estimate from the American Community Survey says there are over 1.5 million people of Jamaican descent living in the United States.
Jamaican immigrants are found throughout the United States, with significant communities in cities such as New York City, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, and Hartford. New York City, particularly the borough of Brooklyn, has one of the largest concentrations of Jamaican Americans.
Jamaican migration to the United States has occurred in several waves. The earliest Jamaican immigrants came to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, a significant increase in immigration occurred in the mid-20th century and continues to the present day.
