Virgin Islander American
Encyclopedia
Virgin Islands Americans are persons from the U.S. Virgin Islands or British Virgin Islands
who reside in the continental United States, or continental Americans of Virgin Islands
heritage.
Persons born in the U.S. Virgin Islands are United States citizens, and as a result do not go through the legal immigration procedures a typical West Indies immigrant would. However, due to cultural affinities with the Anglophone Caribbean
, U.S. Virgin Islanders in the U.S. are considered part of the Caribbean American
immigrant community.
It is difficult to determine how many Virgin Islanders reside in the United States. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are 15,014 of U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry residing in the continental United States. However, a count of American residents with "U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry" excludes most U.S. Virgin Islands-born immigrants in the United States. Because of a high incidence of inter-Caribbean migration throughout the 1960s and 1970s, most native-born U.S. Virgin Islanders today are one or two generations removed from other Caribbean islands and would not necessarily define themselves as having "U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry." For example, Tim Duncan
is a St. Croix native with Anguillian
ancestry.
The population of immigrants of British Virgin Islands origin in the United States is also difficult to determine, as they are not specifically counted in the U.S. Census, but grouped with other Caribbean British Overseas Territories as "British West Indies."
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
who reside in the continental United States, or continental Americans of Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
heritage.
Persons born in the U.S. Virgin Islands are United States citizens, and as a result do not go through the legal immigration procedures a typical West Indies immigrant would. However, due to cultural affinities with the Anglophone Caribbean
Anglophone Caribbean
The term Commonwealth Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English-speaking countries of the Caribbean region. Upon a country's full independence from the United Kingdom, Anglophone Caribbean or Commonwealth Caribbean traditionally becomes the preferred sub-regional term as a replacement...
, U.S. Virgin Islanders in the U.S. are considered part of the Caribbean American
American Afro-Caribbean Community
West Indian Americans are Americans with origin in the Dutch-, English-, and French-speaking lands of the Caribbean. Their population of 2,532,380 accounted for 0.83% of the U.S...
immigrant community.
It is difficult to determine how many Virgin Islanders reside in the United States. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are 15,014 of U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry residing in the continental United States. However, a count of American residents with "U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry" excludes most U.S. Virgin Islands-born immigrants in the United States. Because of a high incidence of inter-Caribbean migration throughout the 1960s and 1970s, most native-born U.S. Virgin Islanders today are one or two generations removed from other Caribbean islands and would not necessarily define themselves as having "U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry." For example, Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
is a St. Croix native with Anguillian
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
ancestry.
The population of immigrants of British Virgin Islands origin in the United States is also difficult to determine, as they are not specifically counted in the U.S. Census, but grouped with other Caribbean British Overseas Territories as "British West Indies."
Actors
- Lisa CanningLisa CanningLisa Canning is an American television and radio hostess and correspondent.She is married to Harold Austin and lives in Los Angeles, California.-Career:...
(born 1966), television actress; born on St. Thomas. - Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
(born 1955), actor; born on St. Thomas. - Lawrence Hilton-JacobsLawrence Hilton-JacobsLawrence Hilton-Jacobs is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in a number of films and television programs, including Claudine , Cooley High , Roots , Welcome Back, Kotter , Bangers and Mash , and The Jacksons: An American Dream .Lawrence's name, at least as shown in the credits of Welcome...
(born 1953), actor; born in New York CityNew York CityNew 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... - Jasmin St. ClaireJasmin St. ClaireJasmin St. Claire is a former pornographic actress who is best known for starring in "gang bang" pornographic movies, in which she has sex with large numbers of men continuously. She is also known for her work as a professional wrestling personality, most notably for ECW...
(born 1970), adult film actress; born in Christiansted, St. Croix. - Karrine SteffansKarrine SteffansKarrine Steffans is an American author, most notably of the Vixen series of books. She has worked as an actress and as a hip hop model, having appeared in more than 20 music videos, many by multiplatinum-selling rap artists...
(born 1978), hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music video performer, actress; born on St. Thomas. - Wayne BradyWayne BradyWayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
(born 1972), actor; born in GeorgiaGeorgia (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...
Artists
- Austin Hansen (1910–1996), photographer; born on St. Thomas.
- William ThorntonWilliam ThorntonDr. William Thornton was a British-American physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol, an authentic polymath...
(1759–1828), architect, inventor, painter; born on Jost Van Dyke.
- Christian Lloyd Joseph (born 1972),boxer;born on St.Croix.
- Raja BellRaja BellRaja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
(born 1976), basketball player; born on St. Croix. - Joe ChristopherJoe ChristopherJoseph O'Neal Christopher is a former outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from through . Listed at 5' 10", 175 lbs., he batted and threw right-handed....
(born 1935), the first Virgin Islander to play in Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
; born in Frederiksted, St. Croix. - Midre CummingsMidre CummingsMidre Almeric Cummings is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Cummings played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox , Minnesota Twins , Arizona Diamondbacks , Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Baltimore Orioles .Cummings was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st...
(born 1971), baseball player; born on St. Croix. - Tim DuncanTim DuncanTimothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
(born 1976), professional basketball player (San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
); born in Christiansted, St. Croix. - Emile GriffithEmile GriffithEmile Alphonse Griffith is a former boxer who was the first fighter from the U.S. Virgin Islands ever to become a world champion. He is perhaps best known for his controversial third fight with Benny Paret in 1962 for the welterweight world championship...
(born 1938), boxer; born on St. Thomas. - Elrod HendricksElrod HendricksElrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
(1940–2005), Major League Baseball player and coach; born in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. - Julian JacksonJulian JacksonJulian Jackson is a retired professional boxer and former three-time world champion in the light middleweight and middleweight divisions...
(born 1960), boxer; born on St. Thomas. - Calvin PickeringCalvin PickeringCalvin Elroy Pickering is a former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball between 1998 and 2005 for the Baltimore Orioles , Cincinnati Reds , Boston Red Sox , and Kansas City Royals...
(born 1976), baseball player; born on St. Thomas. - Sugar Ray SealesSugar Ray Seales"Sugar" Ray Seales, was the only American boxer to win a gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics.-Personal:...
(born 1952), 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist (139 lbs.) boxer; born on St. Croix.
Musicians
- Alton AdamsAlton AdamsAlton Augustus Adams, Sr. is remembered primarily as the first black bandmaster in the United States Navy...
(1889–1987), musician, first black bandmaster in the United States Navy; born in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. - Bennie BenjaminBennie BenjaminClaude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss. He was born on November 4, 1907 in Christiansted on the island of St. Croix . At the age of twenty, he moved to New York City. There, he studied the banjo and guitar with Hy Smith...
(1907–1989), composer, songwriter, philanthropist; born in Christiansted, St. Croix. - Jon LucienJon LucienJon Lucien was born on the island of Tortola, the main island of the British Virgin Islands. Born Lucien Harrigan, and raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands by his musician father, Lucien was best known for his song "Rashida", the title track of an album released in 1973, and one of two...
, jazz musician; born on TortolaTortolaTortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. Local tradition recounts that Christopher Columbus named it Tortola, meaning "land of the Turtle Dove". Columbus named the island Santa Ana...
, raised on St. Thomas. - Rock City, a hip hop/songwriting duo of brothers Timothy and Theron ThomasTheron ThomasRock City are an U.S. Virgin Islands R&B singing, rapping, and songwriting duo, consisting of, two brothers, Timothy Thomas and Theron Thomas .-History:...
, born on St. Thomas. - Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
, jazz musician; born in New York, of St. Thomas (mother) and St. Croix (father) descent.
Political Leaders
- Judah P. BenjaminJudah P. BenjaminJudah Philip Benjamin was an American politician and lawyer. Born a British subject in the West Indies, he moved to the United States with his parents and became a citizen. He later became a citizen of the Confederate States of America. After the collapse of the Confederacy, Benjamin moved to...
(1811–1884), Secretary of the Treasury, Confederate States of America; born in Christiansted, St. Croix. - Frank Rudolph CrosswaithFrank Rudolph CrosswaithFrank Rudolph Crosswaith was a longtime socialist politician and activist and trade union organizer in New York City. Crosswaith is best remembered as the founder and chairman of the Negro Labor Committee, which was established on July 20, 1935 by the Negro Labor Conference.-Early years:Frank R....
(1892–1965), socialist and labor leader; born in Frederiksted, St. Croix. - Alexander HamiltonAlexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
(1755–1804), first United States Secretary of the Treasury, an American "Founding Father"Founding Fathers of the United StatesThe Founding Fathers of the United States of America were political leaders and statesmen who participated in the American Revolution by signing the United States Declaration of Independence, taking part in the American Revolutionary War, establishing the United States Constitution, or by some...
, economist, and political philosopher; born on Nevis, raised on St. Croix. - Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927), orator, political activist; born on St. Croix.
- Elizabeth Anna Hendrickson (1884–1946), civil rights leader; born on St. Croix.
- Casper HolsteinCasper HolsteinCasper Holstein was a prominent New York mobster involved in the Harlem "numbers rackets" during the Harlem Renaissance. He, along with his occasional rival Stephanie St. Clair, was responsible for bringing back illegal gambling to the neighborhood after an eight-year absence following the...
(born 1888), humanitarian; born on St. Croix. - Roy InnisRoy InnisRoy Emile Alfredo Innis is an African American civil rights activist. He has been National Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality since his election to the position in 1968....
(born 1934), African-American activist, civil rights leader; born on St. Croix. - J. Raymond JonesJ. Raymond JonesJ. "The Fox" Raymond Jones, African American New York politician. He moved to New York City in 1918. He challenged Tammany Hall leader Carmine DeSapio twice. After a failed campaign seeking support to his candidature in 1958, Jones succeeded in becoming the first black leader of Tammany in 1964...
(1899–1991), political leader, humanitarian; born on St. Thomas. - John de JonghJohn de JonghJohn Percy de Jongh, Jr. is the current Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.-Life and career:de Jongh was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child he attended Sts. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas. After his parents' divorce, he lived with his mother in Detroit, Michigan while his mother did...
(born 1957), current governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, former financial executive; born on St. Thomas. - William LeidesdorffWilliam LeidesdorffWilliam Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. was one of the earliest mixed-race U.S. citizens in California and a highly successful, enterprising businessman. He was a West Indian immigrant of African Cuban, possibly Carib, Danish and Jewish ancestry. William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. became a United...
(1810–1848), entrepreneur; born on St. Croix. - Ruby Margaret Rouss (1921–1988) first black woman to be elected to preside over a state legislature; born on St. Croix.
- Terence TodmanTerence TodmanTerrance Alphonso Todman , is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Chad, Guinea, Costa Rica, Spain, Denmark and Argentina. In 1990, he was awarded the rank of Career Ambassador....
(born 1926), ambassador; born in the U.S. Virgin Islands - Ashley L. Totten (1884–1963), union leader, humanitarian; born in Frederiksted, St. Croix.
- Denmark VeseyDenmark VeseyDenmark Vesey originally Telemaque, was an African American slave brought to the United States from the Caribbean of Coromantee background. After purchasing his freedom, he planned what would have been one of the largest slave rebellions in the United States...
(1767–1822), slave revolt leader; born on St. Thomas. - David Levy YuleeDavid Levy YuleeDavid Levy Yulee, born David Levy was an American politician and attorney from Florida, a territorial delegate to Congress, the first Jewish member of the United States Senate, and a member of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War...
(1810–1886), U.S. Senator; born on St. Thomas.
Writers and Intellectuals
- Barbara ChristianBarbara ChristianBarbara Christian was an author and professor of African-American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley...
(1943–2000), educator, feminist critic; born on St. Thomas. - Gus Edwards, playwright; born on Antigua , raised and education in St. Thomas.
- Geraldo Guirty, journalist, historian; born on St. Thomas.