Belizean Americans are

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

who are of Belizean ancestry. These ancestors might be from

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

or of its diaspora.

Diaspora

About one out of every three Belizeans now live overseas and outside of Belize; the majority have migrated to

Anglophone Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...

countries, especially the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, where there are some 54,925 Belizeans, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, with around 3,000 Belizeans. Smaller numbers now live in Canada. Kriols and other ethnic groups are emigrating mostly to the United States, but also to the United Kingdom and other developed nations for better opportunities. Based on the latest U.S. Census, Belizeans in the United States are primarily of the Kriol and

Garinagu The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian Cr ...

ethnic groups of African, Native American and European descent, who are considered Black in the United States. In 1990, there were about 10,000 Belizean Americans citizens in the United States.

Notable people

* Avery August (born 1966), doctor and scientist * Andrew Ballen (born 1973), entrepreneur and producer * Pi'erre Bourne (born 1993), producer and rapper *

Zee Edgell Zelma Inez Edgell, better known as Zee Edgell, MBE (21 October 1940 – 20 December 2020), was a Belizean-born American writer who published four novels. She retired as a full, tenured professor of English at Kent State University. Biography Z ...

(1940–2020), author * Max Faget (1921–2004), mechanical engineer * Noel Felix (born 1981), basketball player *

Kareem Ferguson Kareem Ferguson (born in Belize), is an American actor on theater and in films and television. He has also directed one short film ''The Touch'' and produced two others, ''Three Takes'' and ''Talking with the Taxman About Poetry''. Ferguson is a ...

(born 1986), actor * O.T. Genasis (born 1987), rapper * Erik Griffin (born 1988), comedian *

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

(born 1983), singer *

Marion Jones Marion Lois Jones (born October 12, 1975), also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is an American former world champion track and field athlete and former professional basketball player. She won three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 ...

(born 1975), track and field athlete and basketball player * Ernest Lyon (1860–1938), minister, educator and diplomat * Chito Martínez (born 1965), baseball player *

Kenneth Medwood Kenneth Nathaniel Medwood (born December 14, 1987, in Belize City) is a Belizean track and field athlete, specializing in the 400 metres hurdles. He competed in the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics and was his nation's flagbeare ...

(born 1987), track and field athlete *

Nigel Miguel Nigel Patrick Miguel (born April 8, 1963) is a Belizean-American actor, film producer, and technical advisor who is the film commissioner for Belize. He is also a former professional basketball player. A native of Belize, he immigrated to the Un ...

(born 1963), actor *

Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Rakeem Nathan Nuñez-Roches (born 3 July 1993) is a Belizean professional American football nose tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round (217th overall) ...

(born 1993),

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player *

Joe Pacheco Joe Pacheco (born February 19, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist of Puerto Rican and Belizean descent who competes in Bellator's middleweight division. Mixed martial arts career Early career Pacheco started his professional career ...

(born 1985), mixed martial artist *

Milt Palacio Milton Sigmund Palacio (born February 7, 1978) is a Belizean American professional basketball coach and former player. Early life Palacio, a Belizean citizen, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California by Belizean parents. College career P ...

(born 1978), basketball player *

Arlie Petters Arlie Oswald Petters, MBE (born February 8, 1964) is a Belizean-American mathematical physicist, who is the Benjamin Powell Professor of Mathematics and a Professor of Physics and Economics at Duke University. Petters will become the Provost at N ...

(born 1964), physicist *

Verno Phillips Verno Jeremias Phillips (born November 29, 1969) is a Belizean former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He is a three-time junior middleweight world champion, having held the WBO title from 1993 to 1995, and the IBF title twic ...

(born 1969), boxer * Marion Reneau (born 1977), mixed martial artist * Makonnen Sheran (born 1989), rapper *

Shyne Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow, best known by his stage name Shyne; November 8, 1978) is a Belizean rapper and politician.

(born 1978), rapper * Lisa Tucker (born 1989), singer and actress *

Simone Biles Simone Arianne Biles (; born March 14, 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. Her seven Olympic medals tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. Having won 25 World Championship medals, she is the most de ...

(born 1997), artistic gymnast and Olympic gold medalist * Jarrell Miller (born July 15, 1988), professional boxer and former kickboxer *Joey Garcia (born November 2, 1960), author and media personality

References

External links

U.S. Embassy in Belize
*
Belize Culture and Heritage Association (BCHA)
Ethnic groups in Belize Ethnic groups in Central America Ethnic groups in the Caribbean * {{NorthAm-ethno-group-stub

Diaspora

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links