Indo-Caribbean American
Encyclopedia
Indo-Caribbean American people are Americans who trace their ancestry ultimately to India
, though whose recent ancestors lived in the Caribbean
, where they began migrating in 1838. There are large groups of Indo-Trinidadians, Indo-Guyanese
, and Indo-Jamaicans
in the United States, especially in New York City
, particularly so in Richmond Hill, Queens
. Florida
, California
, Texas
and Georgia
also have small numbers of Indo-Guyanese
and Indo-Trinidadians.
, Orlando
(a large concentration of Guyanese from New York have migrated here), Fort Lauderdale, Port Saint Lucie, Coral Springs, Margate
, North Lauderdale (more than 1% of residents in the city were born in Trinidad & Tobago), Sunrise
, Plantation
, Pompano Beach and Pembroke Pines. Jamaicans of Indian or mixed Indian descent live in moderate numbers throughout Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Indo-Surinamese tend to migrate to the Netherlands, but have started to settle in Florida in small numbers.
Most Indo-Caribbeans have established themselves in the work force, contributing largely to the medical, law, retail, and business fields.
, with a significant minority belonging to Islam
and Presbyterianism
. Major holidays such as Diwali, Holi/Phagwah, Eid, and Christmas are celebrated on a modest scale with a distinct flavor unique to the Caribbean, often contrasting with the Indian-American community.
The Richmond Hill Phagwah Parade is the largest Holi celebration in the United States. Thousands attend the parade annually each Spring in Queens, with thousands of attendees crowding Liberty Avenue and Smoky Oval Park.
South Florida has become a destination for roti shops, sari boutiques, threading, annual religious Diwali and Phagwah events and a popular spot for Indo-Caribbean artists. The Florida Melody Makers are the most well known Indo-Caribbean American band for years and continue to perform around the Southeastern US. 980 AM hosts musical programming weekly every Saturday and features community leaders like Bhagwan Singh, Leela Rampersad, Natty Ramoutar, Sam Subramani, and Peter Ganesh.
Most cultural shows continue to tie a cultural bond between the Indo-Caribbean
and Indian-American communities, as well as inter-religious bonding between Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, especially those hosted at educational institutions with an Indian Students Association like Florida International University
, Florida Atlantic University
, Nova Southeastern University
, and University of Miami
.
The Shiva Mandir of Oakland Park
, was built in the 1980s by the Florida Hindu Organization and hosts one of the largest annual Diwali shows in Florida. The Krishna Mandir of Hollywood, Arya Samaj of Plantation
, and Shiv Lingam Temple of Margate
are largely attended by Indo-Caribbeans. Plantation High School hosted an annual Diwali show from 1993 to 2008, a school where most Caribbeans and Asians are of Indian descent. Starting as a one day event in 2008 and expanding to a three day event since 2009, the Divali Nagar entertains the local community with musical performances, food, and vendors.
Music is a large part of the Indo-Caribbean American community, which includes the tunes of Bollywood
, Carnatic music
, bhajans, chutney music
, soca
(Indo-Caribbeans participate in Miami Carnival and Labor Day Carnival in huge numbers), parang
, steel pan, tassa
, calypso, and dancehall. Bharatnatyam and kathak
are respected classical traditional dances, yet bhangra fusion and dance items from Hindi films, Tamil films, and Telugu films have grown in favor as well. With the increasing emphasis on partying, chutney music and soca music are preferred by the young crowd.
In 2008 a non profit organization Jayadevi Arts Inc (JAI) preserve, present, unite, educate, and promote the arts and culture of Indo- Caribbean communities from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Suriname, and other parts of the Caribbean living in the South Florida area. JAI works to rejuvenate Indo-Caribbean cultural and artistic life and to restore self-esteem to this new American community. Their future events are a United Phagwa Parade, preserving and promoting dying art forms, and educating the Youths on Indo-Caribbean traditions, protocols, and culture.
or Asian Indian. Approximately 400,000 Americans were born in Guyana
and Trinidad and Tobago
, the former having an Indian
plurality, and the latter being 40% Indian and 18% mixed-race (many of which are part-Indian and part-African). The percentage of these who are of Indian origin, however, is uncertain.
Indo-Guyanese
are the majority of the Indo-Caribbean population in the Northeast (while growing in size in Florida, Texas, and Minnesota), while Indo-Trinidadians are the majority in the Southeast. Indo-Jamaicans, Indo-Surinamese, and Indo-Caribbeans from Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados live mostly in the Southeast.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, though whose recent ancestors lived in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, where they began migrating in 1838. There are large groups of Indo-Trinidadians, Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese are mostly descendants of indentured labourers from India who are citizens or nationals of Guyana. They are often referred to as Indians or East Indians...
, and Indo-Jamaicans
Indo-Jamaican
The Hindustani community of Jamaica, popularly known as Indo-Jamaicans or Indian Jamaicans, are primarily the descendents of indentured workers of India who are citizens or nationals of Jamaica...
in the United States, especially in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, particularly so in Richmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, USA. It is bordered by Kew Gardens to the north, Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west, South Ozone Park to the south and South Jamaica to the east...
. Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
also have small numbers of Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese are mostly descendants of indentured labourers from India who are citizens or nationals of Guyana. They are often referred to as Indians or East Indians...
and Indo-Trinidadians.
Migration History
Since the 1960s, a large Indo-Caribbean community has developed in Richmond Hill, New York, a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Additionally, the Indo-Caribbean population has grown rapidly in the Floridian cities of TampaTâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
(a large concentration of Guyanese from New York have migrated here), Fort Lauderdale, Port Saint Lucie, Coral Springs, Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, North Lauderdale (more than 1% of residents in the city were born in Trinidad & Tobago), Sunrise
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
, Plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
, Pompano Beach and Pembroke Pines. Jamaicans of Indian or mixed Indian descent live in moderate numbers throughout Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Indo-Surinamese tend to migrate to the Netherlands, but have started to settle in Florida in small numbers.
Most Indo-Caribbeans have established themselves in the work force, contributing largely to the medical, law, retail, and business fields.
Culture & Religion
Most Indo-Caribbean Americans are followers of HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, with a significant minority belonging to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. Major holidays such as Diwali, Holi/Phagwah, Eid, and Christmas are celebrated on a modest scale with a distinct flavor unique to the Caribbean, often contrasting with the Indian-American community.
The Richmond Hill Phagwah Parade is the largest Holi celebration in the United States. Thousands attend the parade annually each Spring in Queens, with thousands of attendees crowding Liberty Avenue and Smoky Oval Park.
South Florida has become a destination for roti shops, sari boutiques, threading, annual religious Diwali and Phagwah events and a popular spot for Indo-Caribbean artists. The Florida Melody Makers are the most well known Indo-Caribbean American band for years and continue to perform around the Southeastern US. 980 AM hosts musical programming weekly every Saturday and features community leaders like Bhagwan Singh, Leela Rampersad, Natty Ramoutar, Sam Subramani, and Peter Ganesh.
Most cultural shows continue to tie a cultural bond between the Indo-Caribbean
Indo-Caribbean
Indo-Caribbean people or Indo-Caribbeans are Caribbean people with roots in India or the Indian subcontinent. They are mostly descendants of the original indentured workers brought by the British, the Dutch and the French during colonial times...
and Indian-American communities, as well as inter-religious bonding between Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, especially those hosted at educational institutions with an Indian Students Association like Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
, Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
, and University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
The Shiva Mandir of Oakland Park
Oakland Park
Oakland Park is the name of several places in the United States:*Albert Oakland Park in Columbia, Missouri*Oakland Park, Florida, a city*Oakland Park, Missouri, a former village...
, was built in the 1980s by the Florida Hindu Organization and hosts one of the largest annual Diwali shows in Florida. The Krishna Mandir of Hollywood, Arya Samaj of Plantation
Plantation, Florida
Plantation is the name of the following places in the U.S. state of Florida:*Plantation, Florida, a city in Broward County; the largest of the places named "Plantation" in Florida*Plantation, Sarasota County, Florida, a census-designated place...
, and Shiv Lingam Temple of Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
are largely attended by Indo-Caribbeans. Plantation High School hosted an annual Diwali show from 1993 to 2008, a school where most Caribbeans and Asians are of Indian descent. Starting as a one day event in 2008 and expanding to a three day event since 2009, the Divali Nagar entertains the local community with musical performances, food, and vendors.
Music is a large part of the Indo-Caribbean American community, which includes the tunes of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
, bhajans, chutney music
Chutney music
Chutney music is a form indigenous to the southern Caribbean, originating in Trinidad. It derives elements from traditional Indian music and popular Trinidadian Soca music.-History:...
, soca
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
(Indo-Caribbeans participate in Miami Carnival and Labor Day Carnival in huge numbers), parang
Parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating out of Trinidad and Tobago, it was brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words:'Parranda', meaning...
, steel pan, tassa
Tassa
Tassa is a form of kettle drum, presumably of Persian derivation. Tassa drums are widespread all over India. Typically, one or more tassa drums are played together with a heavy bass drum called dhol, perhaps along with brass cymbals or a metal shaker...
, calypso, and dancehall. Bharatnatyam and kathak
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
are respected classical traditional dances, yet bhangra fusion and dance items from Hindi films, Tamil films, and Telugu films have grown in favor as well. With the increasing emphasis on partying, chutney music and soca music are preferred by the young crowd.
In 2008 a non profit organization Jayadevi Arts Inc (JAI) preserve, present, unite, educate, and promote the arts and culture of Indo- Caribbean communities from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Suriname, and other parts of the Caribbean living in the South Florida area. JAI works to rejuvenate Indo-Caribbean cultural and artistic life and to restore self-esteem to this new American community. Their future events are a United Phagwa Parade, preserving and promoting dying art forms, and educating the Youths on Indo-Caribbean traditions, protocols, and culture.
Statistics
The size of the Indo-Caribbean community in America is uncertain, as many were classified as either blackBlack
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
or Asian Indian. Approximately 400,000 Americans were born in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, the former having an Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
plurality, and the latter being 40% Indian and 18% mixed-race (many of which are part-Indian and part-African). The percentage of these who are of Indian origin, however, is uncertain.
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese
Indo-Guyanese are mostly descendants of indentured labourers from India who are citizens or nationals of Guyana. They are often referred to as Indians or East Indians...
are the majority of the Indo-Caribbean population in the Northeast (while growing in size in Florida, Texas, and Minnesota), while Indo-Trinidadians are the majority in the Southeast. Indo-Jamaicans, Indo-Surinamese, and Indo-Caribbeans from Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados live mostly in the Southeast.
Indo-Guyanese Americans
- Asha BlakeAsha BlakeAsha Blake is an Emmy award-winning journalist who anchored KTLA-TV News @ 1PM with Frank Buckley in Los Angeles. She previously was the anchor of the 9:00 p.m. news on Denver's CW affiliate, KWGN-TV before leaving KWGN in 2007 to return to Los Angeles...
- Emmy award-winning journalist - Nicole NarainNicole Narain-Career:She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in January 2002 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos.She has appeared in music videos like R.L's song "Got Me a Model", LL Cool J's "Luv You Better", Mario Winans's "I Don't Wanna Know" and Fabolous' "Baby"...
- Model and actress - Rozonda ThomasRozonda ThomasRozonda Ocelean Thomas , best known by her stage name Chilli, is a four-time Grammy Award–winning American R&B singer and actress who rose to fame as one third of the successful R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop girl group TLC.-Early life:...
- R&B singer and actress - Thara PrashadThara Prashad- External links :* - South Asian Life style* MoraFire - July/August 2007* about.com...
- R&B singer and model
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans
- Anantanand RambachanAnantanand RambachanAnantanand Rambachan is a Trinidadian Hindu-American scholar with a specific focus on interreligous dialogue. He is the Chair and Professor of Religion, Philosophy and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College, Minnesota, USA. He has been teaching at St. Olaf since 1985. Rambachan is a Hindu and is the...
- Hindu Religious scholar - Lakshmi SinghLakshmi Singh-Background:Singh's father is Indo-Trinidadian. Her mother is Puerto Rican.-Career:Singh graduated from Syracuse University in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and Latin American studies...
- NPR's national midday newscaster - Mervyn M. DymallyMervyn M. DymallyMervyn Malcolm Dymally is a California Democratic politician of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian heritage. He served in the California State Assembly and the California State Senate , as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of California , and in the U.S. House of Representatives...
- California Democratic politician - Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
- Rapper and singer-songwriter - Taj AnwarTaj AnwarTaj Anwar is a model, community organizer, philanthropist, political motivator, promoter and a social commentator. She has worked with the FTP Movement, Mothers of Black/Brown Babies, and Crew Love...
- Model - Tatyana AliTatyana AliTatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...
- Actress and R&B singer - Siddiq Wahab - Socialite and drag queen
- Saeed Wahab - Socialite and drag queen, also sister of Siddiq
See also
- British Indo-Caribbean communityBritish Indo-Caribbean communityThe British Indo-Caribbean community consists of residents of the United Kingdom who are of Caribbean origin and whose ancestors were indigenous to India...
- Indian American people
- Indo-Caribbean people
- DesiDesiDesi or Deshi refers to the people, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and, increasingly, to the people, cultures, and products of their diaspora. Desi countries include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh...
- Tamil diasporaTamil diasporaThe Tamil diaspora is a demographic group of Tamil people of Indian or Sri Lankan origin who have settled in other parts of the world. Significant Tamil diaspora populations can be found in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Middle East, Réunion, South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Fiji, Guyana,...