Caribbean American Heritage Month

from https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/subjects/social-studies/caribbean-american-heritage-month

Overview

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month(Open external link)! Throughout the month, we are celebrating the culture and contributions of Americans whose roots can be traced to the countries that make up the Caribbean subregion of the Americas.First federally recognized in June 2006(Open external link), Caribbean American Heritage Month recognizes a community that has shaped US history from its earliest days: Alexander Hamilton,(Open external link) our nation’s first Treasury Secretary was himself a migrant from the Colony of Nevis (part of today’s nation of St. Kitts and Nevis) in the British Leeward Islands. Even earlier, in 1613, historical records show that Juan Rodriguez(Open external link) from the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (today’s Dominican Republic) was the first known non-Indigenous person to settle in New Amsterdam, the area that would eventually become downtown New York City.

Not all migration to and from the Caribbean was voluntary, however. During the operation of the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to 19th century, the British forcibly brought millions of enslaved Africans(Open external link) to their Caribbean colonies. They were forced to work in the industries that supported the region’s economy on enormous tobacco, sugar, and coffee plantations, replacing Indigenous Caribbeans who were killed by European diseases that they had no immunity against, like smallpox. Though the slave trade became illegal in the British Empire in 1807, the exploitation and use of forced labor continued. Later, South Asians and East Asians(Open external link) were brought to present-day Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago as coerced laborers.

After slavery was abolished in the US after the end of the Civil War in 1865, migration from the Caribbean grew significantly, as people fled poverty and destructive hurricanes, droughts, and floods in their homelands. While in 1850, there were only 4,000 US residents of Caribbean descent, the population grew to more than 20,000 in 1900, and almost 100,000 in 1930.

As of 2019, over 13 million people living in the United States—or 4% of its total population—have Caribbean ancestry. Approximately 4.5 million Caribbean immigrants represent 10% of the nation’s foreign-born population. Today, the largest Caribbean American groups are from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. US citizens from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have also migrated to the mainland US in large numbers. These communities trace their roots back to Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, and include a mix of cultures, religions, and languages.

New York City boasts the largest Caribbean population(Open external link) of all US cities. Across all boroughs, there are vibrant communities like “Little Haiti” in Brooklyn and “Little Dominican Republic” in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. In these neighborhoods, you’ll frequently hear conversations in Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole—commonly spoken languages in Caribbean nations, and among the top spoken languages in the City. You’ll also always see Caribbean heritage, culture, and contributions on full display.

This June, and all year long, we encourage our families to explore the resources below to learn more about Caribbean Americans and their vibrant and diverse community, and their impact on this country, and particularly the fabric of this multicultural City.

Events, Exhibitions, and Places to Visit

• The New York Public Library (NYPL)(Open external link) is hosting events throughout June(Open external link), including Urban Stages: Wepa! Latin Dance(Open external link) at the Soundview Library in the Bronx, where you can not only learn about Latin dance, but also begin to salsa yourself! Join on June 30 starting at 3:30PM.
• Check out the  NYC Parks Event Calendar(Open external link) to learn about the many dance and fitness events(Open external link) coming up at parks across the City that use Caribbean-infused musical playlists and training to help improve overall health.
• The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) is hosting Caribbean Week in New York 2026 (CWNY 2026)(Open external link) from June 1–5 “to bring the rhythms, colors, and conversations of the Caribbean to the heart of Manhattan.” 

Reading List

The following book suggestions for students of all grade levels are about Caribbean history and experiences that families and educators can read with their students this month and beyond. We hope you will enjoy and learn from these outstanding titles—some are historical and non-fiction by nature, while others are original works of fiction that feature characters of Caribbean ancestry and perspectives that are often not reflected in other popular works.

Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

Many of these books are readily available via New York’s public libraries, as well as through the Citywide Digital Library available on Sora(Open external link) which provides free access to hundreds of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students, including those in the Caribbean American Heritage Collection(Open external link), which features hundreds of fiction and non-fiction titles in e-book and audiobook formats to explore throughout June.

Educator Resources

• “Lukasa: History of Africa and the Diaspora” Volume 2: The Revolution That Gave Birth to Haiti(Open external link) is the story of the Haitian Revolution—from the enslavement of the Haitian people by French colonial rule, and resistance to enslavement. Author Laurent Dubois and illustrator Rocky Cotard chose to capture the scale and complexity of Haiti’s history as a story in comic form.
• The  National Archives and Records Administration(Open external link) has a collection of primary and secondary sources, as well as selected resources from other Federal sites such as the National Parks Service and Library of Congress.
• Check out the lesson plan “Feathers and Female Power: The Costumes of Carnival”(Open external link) from the New York Times Learning Network, which explores the history and role of costumes in Caribbean Carnival. 

Hidden Voices

Hidden Voices(Open external link) began as a collaboration with the Museum of the City of New York(Open external link) that was initiated to help City students learn about the countless individuals who are often “hidden” from traditional historical records. Each of the people highlighted in the series has made a positive impact on their communities while serving as outstanding examples of leadership, advocacy, and community service. There are several curriculum options available that are especially relevant during Caribbean American Heritage Month, including:

• Hidden Voices: Untold Stories in New York City History,(Open external link) which includes a profile of Elsie Richardson, the daughter of Caribbean immigrants from the island of Nevis who helped reinvigorate the Bed-Stuy neighborhood.
• Hidden Voices: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in United States History(Open external link), which includes profiles of significant figures like Pat Chin, a multi-racial Jamaican woman who co-founded a record store in Jamaica that jumpstarted the careers Reggae, Soca, and Calypso icons, and Nezam Ahmed Hafiz, a Guyanese Cricket player who became the vice-captain of the United States National Cricket Team in 2000.
• Hidden Voices: Stories of the Global African Diaspora Volume 1(Open external link) and Volume 2(Open external link), which include profiles of Anane “Queen Nanny,” who led a life of resistance, leadership and freedom that led to her being known as Jamaica’s first and only female national heroine, and Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian-born journalist and Mother of London’s Notting Hill Carnival—one of the largest cultural events and street parties in the world that brings Caribbean communities together.
• Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History,(Open external link) which features prominent members of the LGBQ+ community among its profiles like poet Audre Lorde, whose mother immigrated to the US from the island of Carriacou.
• Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities in United States History(Open external link), which features profiles of history-making Caribbean Americans with disabilities, including Harry Belafonte, a Jamaican American civil rights activist and Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award winning musician and actor with dyslexia and low vision; Wanda Díaz-Merced, an astronomer from Puerto Rico, who learned to listen to the stars after she, as an adult, lost her ability to look at them due to blindness; and Cuban actor and director Emerson Romero who didn’t let his deafness hamper a successful career in film and instead used it as an innovator in creating assistive products for the deaf community.

In addition to these lessons, we regularly feature profiles on history-making individuals who could be considered to be “hidden voices.” During Caribbean American History Month, check out our profiles on:

• Pura Belpré, a barrier-breaking storyteller who dedicated her life to ensuring the Puerto Rican children in New York were well-represented in the books on the shelves of the New York Public Library.
• Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías, a doctor and activist of Puerto Rican descent who played a pivotal role in the women’s health movement by advocating for the rights and freedoms of Latina women and other marginalized communities throughout her career.
• Antonia Pantoja, a Puerto Rican activist and educator known for fighting for the rights of her community, especially in New York City.