Caribbean Heritage Month commemoration was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 to recognize the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. The resolution passed the Senate in Feb. 2006 and President George H.W. Bush issued the proclamation in June 2006.
Since the declaration, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This year marks the twelfth anniversary of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month.
This year's theme is Contributing to the American Landscape. The commemoration of Caribbean American Heritage Month aims to remind Americans that our greatness lies in our diversity. Caribbean immigrants from founding father, Alexander Hamilton, to journalist, Malcolm Gladwell, have helped to shape the American dream.
Census Quick Facts
As of June 2013, the Caribbean-American population of the United States was approximately 11.1 million (Note that these populations are not mutually exclusive, as people may be of more than one ancestry or ethnic group). Some of the largest Caribbean ancestry groups in the U.S. include:
4.9 million Puerto Ricans
1.9 million Cubans
1.6 million Dominicanos
1.0 million Jamaicans
908,000 Haitians
196,000 Trinidadians and Tobagonians
62,000 Bajans
53,000 Bahamians
17,000 U.S. Virgin Islanders
