NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 05: A woman smiles while wearing a large feathered costume during the annual West Indies Day parade on September 5, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The annual celebration of Caribbean culture returned this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although a smaller, unofficial parade was held in 2021. The parade follows the Carnival of rue des Caraibes, J’ouvert, which attracts dozens of people. thousands of costumed celebrants. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Every June, National Caribbean American Heritage Mondaye recognizes and celebrates the significant contributions of Caribbean people across the United States and shares the rich history and diversity of the community.
Caribbean immigrants have contributed to the growth and development of America since its founding. Some arrived on American shores through slavery. Others voluntarily left their country of origin to seek a better life in this country, nicknamed “the land of opportunities”.
Today, the United States is home to 8.5 million people who were either born in the region or from Caribbean ancestry In the United States, the Caribbean diaspora is therefore strongly present in America.
Caribbean culture is vibrant, a melting pot of dynamic languages, cuisines, music, festivals, religions and customs. The largest Caribbean communities in America are found in New York, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and California. Brooklyn, New York, is home to the first and only Little Caribbean neighborhood.
This year marks the 17th anniversary of June being designated as Caribbean American Heritage Month, a national recognition championed by the Washington, D.C.-based organization. Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS). The official campaign for a National Caribbean American Heritage Month was launched in 2004 when Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced a bill in Congress. The bill was reintroduced and passed the House and Senate in June 2005 and February 2006. On June 5, 2006, former President George W. Bush signed a proclamation making the resolution official.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden issued what has become an annual proclamation to open the month and recognize Caribbean Americans, emphasizing that our nation’s diversity has always been its strength.
“During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the accomplishments and dreams of the millions of people of Caribbean descent now living in the United States, while honoring the shared history of joy and perseverance that has united and enriched the life in our region for centuries. ” Biden said, noting that “there is no one Caribbean American identity.”
“The mix of cultures, languages and religions present in the United States and the islands reflects the diversity of spirit that defines American history,” he said.
“Meanwhile, our countries are bound by shared values and a shared history: overcoming the yoke of colonialism, confronting the original sin of slavery, and unlocking new opportunities across borders and generations. »
President Biden said Caribbean Americans have contributed to the United States in the “most profound ways” since its founding. In fact, many notable figures who broke barriers and helped transform the history and culture of the United States and especially the history and culture of Black people in America have their roots in the Caribbean.
Figures like Marcus Garvey, Harry Belafonte, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Malcolm They were either immigrants or children of immigrants from the Caribbean region.
Chisolm, the daughter of a Barbadian mother and a Guyanese father, was the first black member of the United States Congress. She also made history as the first woman in the United States to seek the presidential nomination of a major political party. Her iconic political career inspired an entire generation of women to run for public office.
Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) was a native of Trinidad and Tobago and played a major role as an activist in the civil rights movement and the global Pan-African movement. It was Ture who coined the rallying slogan “Black power” in the 1960s. The critical research of Puerto Rican historian and activist Arturo Schomburg raised awareness of the great contributions that Afro-Latinos and African Americans have made. made to society. It was his collection of literature, art and other materials of African history that became the basis of the collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York.
Today, notable people like United States Vice President Kamala Harris, billionaire music superstar and businesswoman Rihanna, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and actress Sheryl Emmy Award winner Lee Ralph is one of the most well-known Caribbean Americans. .
“Caribbean American Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity that the alliance has brought us and to renew its promise for future generations of Caribbean Americans and for all of us,” Biden said. “I encourage all Americans to join in celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
