List of Bahamian Americans
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Bahamian Americans are an ethnic group of
Caribbean Americans Caribbean Americans or West Indian Americans are Americans who trace their ancestry to the Caribbean. Caribbean Americans are a multi-ethnic and multi-racial group that trace their ancestry further in time mostly to Africa, as well as Asia, the ...
of Bahamian
ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...
. There are an estimated 56,797 people of Bahamian ancestry living in the US as of 2019.


Bahamian Immigration

Bahamians began visiting the
Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago located off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and e ...
in the 18th century to salvage wrecked ships, fish, catch turtles and log tropical hardwood trees. A Bahamian settlement in the Keys was reported in 1790, but the presence of Bahamians in the Keys was temporary. Early in the 19th century some 30 to 40 Bahamian ships were working in the Keys every year. After 1825, Bahamian wreckers began moving to
Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...
in large numbers. Bahamians were among the first West Indians to immigrate to the mainland US in the late nineteenth century. Many went to Florida to work in agriculture or to Key West to labor in fishing, sponging, and turtling. Two main factors that contributed to increased Bahamian migration were the poor economic climate and opportunities in the Bahamas, as well as the short distance from the Bahamas to Miami. Southern Florida developed Bahamian enclaves in certain cities including Lemon City, Coconut Grove, and Cutler. In 1896, foreign-born blacks comprised 40 percent of the black population of Miami, making Miami the largest foreign-born black city in the US aside from New York. Bahamians in Florida created their own institutions, most notably Episcopal churches. During this time in Florida, black Bahamians faced state-enforced racism. Blacks could not vote, were persecuted by epithets in Miami press, and were not allowed to stay in the hotels that employed them. In 1921, the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
staged a large rally attacking Bahamian immigrants in Miami. Between 1900 and 1920 between ten and twelve thousand Bahamians moved to Florida, mostly to do agricultural labor, often on a seasonal basis. Florida farmers convinced the U.S. Congress to exempt Caribbean and Latin American émigrés from the Emergency Quota Act of 1921. Starting in 1943 Bahamanian workers came to Florida under the British West Indian (BWI) Temporary Labor Program. This program was under the control of private growers from 1947 to 1966. Growers favored Bahamanian workers because they "can be forced to work a regular work program or be deported."


Communities

The majority of Bahamian Americans, about 21,000 in total, live in and around Miami, with the Bahamian community centered in the Coconut Grove neighborhood in Miami. There is also a growing Bahamian American population in the Atlanta and Oklahoma City areas. Although the majority of Bahamian Americans live in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, a large population can be found in the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
area, with the population particularly centered in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
. Bahamian Americans in the New York City area regularly provide cultural education and entertainment, particularly due to the Office of the Bahamas Consulate General in New York being located in the city. White Bahamian Americans in Florida were often referred to as "
Conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...
s," and their communities in Key West and Riviera Beach were sometimes referred to as "Conch Towns." In 1939, the
Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
(WPA) conducted a study of white Bahamian Americans in Riviera Beach, eventually published as ''Conchtown USA.'' Many white Bahamians also settled in Miami, particularly in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, and in Tarpon Springs.


US communities with high percentages of people of Bahamian ancestry

The top US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Bahamian ancestry are: #
Roosevelt Gardens, Florida Roosevelt Gardens is a census-designated place (CDP) in Broward County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,749 at the 2020 census. Geography Roosevelt Gardens is located at (26.141213, -80.180268). According to the United States Censu ...
9.3% # Canal Point, Florida 5.1% # Seminole Manor, Florida 3.6% # Brownsville, Florida 3.3% #
Gladeview, Florida Gladeview is a census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 14,927 at the 2020 census, up from 11,535 in 2010. Gladeview was originally a neighborhood of the city of Miami when it was annexed in 1 ...
3% # Archer, Florida 2.5% #
West Park, Florida West Park, officially the City of West Park, is a municipality in Broward County, Florida, United States. It was created on March 1, 2005. It is located in the southeastern part of the county and consists of the neighborhoods of Carver Ranches, ...
2.1% #
Ives Estates, Florida Ives Estates is a census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The population was 17,586 at the 2000 census. Geography Ives Estates is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of w ...
2% # Westview, Florida 1.5% # Miami Gardens 1.4% #
West Little River, Florida West Little River is a census-designated place (CDP) in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 34,699 at the 2010 census. Most of West Little River was originally a neighborhood of the City of Miami when it was annexed int ...
1.4%


Culture

Bahamian Americans have retained much of their cultural heritage. Bahamian Americans listen to and perform Junkanoo and rake-and-scrape music, engage in the classic art of West Indian
storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural pre ...
about characters like Anansi, and create Bahamian-style art, especially straw weaving and
canvas Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
art. Bahamian foods staples such as
conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...
,
peas and rice Rice and peas (or peas and rice) is a traditional food within the West Indian Caribbean islands. The 'peas' are traditionally pigeon peas, but more often substituted with kidney beans, and the dish is frequently served with curry goat. In 1961, ...
,
Johnny cake Johnnycake, also known as journey cake, johnny bread, hoecake, shawnee cake or spider cornbread, is a cornmeal flatbread, a type of batter bread. An early American staple food, it is prepared on the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to Jamaica. ...
, and desserts including duff (food)s (especially
guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
) continue to be made by Bahamian Americans. Bahamian dialect is also spoken by many Bahamian Americans, especially in Florida.


Education

As of 2010, Bahamian Americans were the most educated West Indian Americans in the USA. 39.1% of the Bahamian American population of 25 years and over held college degrees. There were 22,763 Bahamian Americans 25 years and older in the country according to the 2010 census. 9.9% held associate degrees, 17.5% held bachelor's degrees, and 11.7% held graduate or professional degrees. 29.2% held bachelor's degrees or higher. In New York State, 46.7% of Bahamian Americans 25 years and older held degrees. 18.5% held Graduate or Professional degrees, 20.6% held bachelor's degrees, with 7.6% holding associate degrees. In Georgia 51.1% of Bahamian Americans 25 years and older held college degrees. 18.6% held Graduate or Professional degrees, 25.1% held bachelor's degrees, with 7.4% holding associate degrees. In Florida 32% of Bahamian Americans 25 years and older held college degrees. 7.8% held Graduate or Professional degrees, 12.6% held bachelor's degrees, with 11.6% holding associate degrees.


Economy

In 2010 census the average Bahamian American family household earned $61,070 annually, with the average household earning about $57,000. The median income for family household was $46,196 and the median for household was $42,000. 35 percent of working Bahamian Americans had occupations in Business, science, and arts, 27 percent had positions in sales and office occupations, 24 percent had occupation in service related jobs, 6 percent held jobs in natural resources, construction and maintenance, and 8% in production, transportation, and material moving. About 20% of the Bahamian American population were living in poverty in 2010.


Organizations

Both the Bahamian American Cultural Society and the Bahamian American Association Inc., the largest Bahamian American organizations in the United States, are located in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. These organizations provide
cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
education services, social opportunities, and
genealogical Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...
records to Bahamian Americans and those interested in Bahamian and Bahamian American culture. The National Association of the Bahamas, located in Miami, offers primarily social opportunities for the local Bahamian American community. The Council for Concerned Bahamians Abroad is a foundation which represents the interests and concerns of Bahamians, and Friends of the Bahamas domiciled outside the Bahamas. Its primary role is to serve as a voice for the economic and family interests of its constituents, and to monitor, analyze, and report on issues and policies that affect these interests. It also operates "Bring It Home Initiatives" (BIHI), projects designed to assist in the development of the Bahamas in seven areas, Education, Business & Industry, Investments & Financial Services, Health & Social Development, Community Development & Sports, Arts & Entertainment, and Tourism.


Notable Bahamian-Americans

*
Wendy Coakley-Thompson Wendy Coakley-Thompson (nee, Wendy Cecille Thompson; born December 27, 1966), is a mainstream fiction author. Coakley-Thompson's work is part of emerging millennial contemporary African-American literature. Coakley-Thompson's fiction addresses ...
, writer * Tee Corinne, artist and gay rights activist *
Denzel Curry Denzel Rae Don Curry (born February 16, 1995) is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Carol City, Florida, Curry started rapping while in the sixth grade and began working on his first mixtape in 2011. Influenced by underground Flor ...
, rapper * Rick Fox, basketball player * Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson, mixed martial artist * Donald R. Hopkins, public-health physician, MacArthur Fellow * J. Rosamond Johnson, musician, composer and performer * James Weldon Johnson, author, composer and educator1880 U.S. Census, population schedule, Election Dist. No. 7, Duval County, Florida, Enumeration District D31, Sheet 23, dwelling 251, household 286, James Johnson household; National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 156; digital image, http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 31 Dec 2007) *
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Roc ...
, musician * Zoë Kravitz, actress *
Shakara Ledard Shakara Ledard (born February 21, 1979) is a The Bahamas, Bahamian-born model and actress based in New York City. Biography Ledard was born in Nassau, The Bahamas on February 21, 1979, to Dennis Ledard, a businessman from Normandy, France, and Ma ...
, model * Alano Miller, actor *
Tahj Mowry Tahj Dayton Mowry (; born May 17, 1986) is an American actor. He is the brother of identical twin actresses Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry and is known for his role on the show ''Smart Guy'' as the main character TJ on The WB, though the show gained ...
, actor * Tamera Mowry, actress, television host, model, author, businesswoman, singer * Tia Mowry, actress, model, author, businesswoman, vocalist *
Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...
, actor *
Brandon Russell Brandon Clint Russell is a Bahamian American Neo-Nazi leader and the founder of the Atomwaffen Division. Creation of Atomwaffen Russell, who went by the handle " Odin", first appeared on the Iron March on March 22, 2014, at age 18. Iron March wa ...
, Neo-Nazi leader * Al Roker, meteorologist and television personality * Roxie Roker, actress * Esther Rolle, actress *
Ryan Sweeting Ryan Sweeting (born July 14, 1987) is an American former professional tennis player. Personal life Sweeting was born in Nassau, Bahamas. He has been living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and registered as an American to the ATP. In September 2013 ...
, American professional tennis player *
Klay Thompson Klay Alexander Thompson (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A four-time NBA champion with the Warriors, he is a five-time NBA All-Star ...
, NBA basketball player * Mychal Thompson, retired NBA basketball player *
Persia White Persia Jessica White (born October 25, 1972) is a Bahamas-born American actress, singer and musician. White is known for her role as Denise Williams on the short-lived television series ''Breaker High'' and as Lynn Searcy on the UPN/ CW sitcom '' ...
, actress and singer * Frederica Wilson, U.S House of Representatives from Florida's 24th district * Bert Williams, Bahamian born American entertainer *
Michael K. Williams Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame in 2002 through his critically acclaimed role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series ''The Wire''. He has been described as a "singular pre ...
, actor. Mother with Bahamian roots. * Al Horford, NBA player with from Dominican republic with Bahamian roots * Stepin Fetchit, first black person to become a millionaire from acting *
Eric Gordon Eric Ambrose Gordon Jr. (born December 25, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year ...
, NBA player *
M. Athalie Range M. Athalie Range (born ''Mary Athalie Wilkinson''; November 7, 1915 in Key West, Florida – November 14, 2006 in Miami, Florida) was a Bahamian American civil rights activist and politician who was the first African-American to serve on the Miam ...
, first Black American to be elected to the Miami city commission and the first woman to head a Florida state agency. *
W.E.B Du Bois William Edward Burghardt Du Bois ( ; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American-Ghanaian Sociology, sociologist, Socialism, socialist, historian, and Pan-Africanism, Pan-Africanist Civil and political civil rights activist. Bor ...
, grandfather was born in the Bahamas *
Estelle Evans Estelle Rolle Evans (October 1, 1906 – July 20, 1985) was a Bahamian American actress during the 20th century. Some of her most famous appearances were in the movies '' The Quiet One'' (1948), ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), and ''The Lear ...
, Bahamian born American Actress *
Rosanna Carter Rosanna Rolle Carter (September 20, 1918 – December 30, 2016) was a Bahamian American television, stage and film actress, who was born in Nassau, Bahamas, to two Bahamian parents, and the sister of Esther Rolle and Estelle Evans, one of 18 ...
, Bahamian born American Actress *
Walter T. Mosley Walter T. Mosley, III (born September 19, 1967) is an American politician who represented the 57th district of the New York State Assembly. He serves the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, and parts of Crown Heigh ...
, legislator from the New York Assembly *
J. Gary Pretlow James Gary Pretlow (born August 27, 1949) is a member of the New York State Assembly representing the 89th Assembly District. First elected in 1992, Pretlow is a Democrat. Before being elected to the Assembly, he served on the Mount Vernon City ...
, legislator from the New York Assembly *
John Culmer Father John Edwin Culmer (May 22, 1891 – June 18, 1963) was a minister and leader during the civil rights movement, most notable for his work in Miami. Early life Culmer was born on May 22, 1891. He attended Oskaloosa College, where he receiv ...
, civil rights activist


See also

*
List of residents of the Bahamas This is a list of Bahamians, who are identified with The Bahamas through residential, legal, historical, or cultural means, grouped by their area of notability. Business people * Pauline Allen-Dean first woman to become manager of a commer ...
*
Bahamas–United States relations Bahamas – United States relations are bilateral relations between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the United States of America. History The Bahamas and the United States established diplomatic relations in 1973. Historically, they have ...


References


Further reading

* Brennan, Carol. "Bahamian Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014), pp. 211-220
online


External links


Bahamian American Association

Bahamian American Cultural Society

Council For Concerned Bahamians Abroad (CBA)

Friends of The Bahamas

National Association of the Bahamas



Online version (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida) of a 1939 WPA exhibit on Bahamian Americans of Florida
{{Demographics of the United States Caribbean American Bahamian