Bahamian American
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  .jpeg)       |
| Rick Fox · J. W. Johnson · Lenny Kravitz Sidney Poitier · J. R. Johnson · Sydney Poitier Roxie Roker · Esther Rolle · Kimbo Slice |
| Total population |
|---|
| Bahamian 31,984 Americans [1] 0.01% of the US population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Florida (South Florida), Georgia (Metro Atlanta), Alabama, New York (New York metropolitan area) |
| Languages |
|
English (American English, Bahamian English), Bahamian Creole |
| Religion |
|
Christianity (Anglican/Episcopalian, Baptist, Church of God, Methodist, Roman Catholic), Obeah |
Bahamian Americans are citizens or residents of the United States of Bahamian ancestry. The United States Census of 2000 counted 31,984 people of Bahamian ancestry.
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[edit] Communities
The majority of Bahamian Americans, about 21,000 in total, live in and around Miami, Florida, with the Bahamian community centered in Coconut Grove. There is also a growing Bahamian American population in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, evident from the recent opening of an honorary consulate there.
Although the majority of Bahamian Americans live in the Southern United States, a large population can be found in the New York City area, with the population particularly centered in Harlem. 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.
In the 1920s and 1930s, many Bahamian Americans in Key West, Florida and Riviera Beach, Florida were often referred to as "Conchs," and their communities sometimes referred to as "Conch Towns." In 1939, the WPA conducted a study of Bahamian Americans in Florida entitled "Conch Town."
[edit] US communities with high percentages of people of Bahamian ancestry
The top US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Bahamian ancestry are:[2]
- Bunche Park, Florida 3.80%
- El Portal, Florida 2.20%
- Goulds, Florida 2.00%
- Golden Glades, Florida 1.80%
- Richmond Heights, Florida 1.30%
- West Little River, Florida and North Miami, Florida 1.20%
- Munford, Alabama and North Miami Beach, Florida 1.10%
- Rincon, Georgia 1.00%
[edit] Culture
Like other immigrant groups, 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 about characters like Anansi, and create Bahamian-style art, especially straw weaving and canvas art.
Bahamian foods staples such as conch, peas and rice, Johnny cake, and duffs (especially guava) continue to be made by Bahamian Americans. Bahamian dialect is also spoken by many Bahamian Americans, especially in Florida.
[edit] 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. These organizations provide cultural education services, social opportunities, and genealogical 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.
[edit] Notable Bahamian Americans
- Wendy Coakley-Thompson, writer[3]
- Tee Corinne, artist and gay right activist
- Jimmy Curry, producer and director
- Lenny Kravitz, musician[4]
- Al Roker, meteorologist and television personality[5]
- Roxie Roker, actress[4]
- Esther Rolle, actress[6]
- Myron Rolle, American football player and Rhodes Scholar.
- Joanne Smith, model
- Persia White, actress and singer
- Kimbo Slice, Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
- Rick Fox, actor and professional basketball player
- Johnny Kemp, R & B Singer
- Sidney Poitier, Actor
- Zoe Kravitz, Actress
- James Weldon Johnson, author, composer and educator
- J. Rosamond Johnson, musician, composer and performer
- Myammee/Angela Pitts, reality show: Flava of love 3
- Samari Rolle, Football player
- D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Football player
- Ron Butler, Actor
- Calvin Lockhart, Actor
- Bobby Butler, Former NFL Player
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "US Census Bureau, American FactFinder, Decennial Programs, Census 2000, Data Set Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) – Sample Data, Table: PCT18 ANCESTRY (TOTAL CATEGORIES TALLIED) FOR PEOPLE WITH ONE OR MORE ANCESTRY CATEGORIES REPORTED [109 Universe]". http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_PCT018&-CONTEXT=dt&-tree_id=403&-redoLog=true&-all_geo_types=N&-geo_id=01000US&-search_results=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en&-SubjectID=14595646.
- ^ "Ancestry Map of Bahamian Communities". Epodunk.com. http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Bahamian.html. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ "Wendy Coakley-Thompson, Ph.D." Page One Lit. Accessed July 19, 2007.
- ^ a b "Roxie Roker, actress and more!" African American Registry. Accessed July 19, 2007.
- ^ ["Al Roker's Family Reunion." Food Network, 2000.]
- ^ Porter, Darwin. "Introduction to Little Exuma." Frommers. Accessed July 19, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Bahamian American Association
- Bahamian American Cultural Society
- National Association of the Bahamas
- Office of the Bahamas Consulate General in New York
- Online version (made available for public use by the State Archives of Florida) of a 1939 WPA exhibit on Bahamian Americans of Florida
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