Caribbean Association of Madison: National Caribbean American Heritage Month Celebration

A long time ago, many major Caribbean nations were under direct U.S. political control at some point, which made their immigration into America much easier. The earliest wave of Caribbean nationals came to the U.S. in the 19th century and were mostly guest workers from the British West Indies program, who worked in agriculture, as well as political exiles from Cuba. As U.S. companies began recruiting English-speaking workers from former English colonies like Jamaica, migration increased to a great extent. This time also saw many more Caribbean people flee political instability and seek refuge in the U.S. The success of the U.S. as a nation also attracted numerous people from the Caribbean regions to the country. Amongst these were talented craftsmen, poets, doctors, inventors, and other individuals that added greatly to different professional spheres in the nation. Some of the renowned names include Alexander Hamilton — the first Secretary of Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers, Celia Cruz — the lady known for creating astounding salsa music, the famous baseball player Robert Clemente, and several other individuals who managed to leave a mark on U.S. history. The U.S. is also a trading partner for the Caribbean nations. National Caribbean American Month was formed to honor these talented individuals and the positive relations the country has built with the Caribbean. While immigration increased before the 20th century, it has since declined gradually. Most immigrants are from five countries: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The month was founded by Dr. Claire Nelson and was celebrated across the nation for the first time by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in 2000. However, the move to officially declare June as National Caribbean American Month started in 2004 when a legislative bill was passed by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The resolution was made official in 2006 when President George W. Bush signed the proclamation, naming June as National Caribbean American Month.

During this month, knowledge regarding the contributions of the Caribbean is pushed to the forefront, and people are also reminded of the great Caribbean cuisine, their music, and the majestic annual parades of the Caribbean Americans. This is the time of the year when the country is given a blast from the past, topped with a lot of entertainment!