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Stateside Virgin Islands Americans

(Redirected from Virgin Islander American)

Stateside Virgin Islanders are West Indian Americans who hold US citizenship and who have migrated from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the continental United States and Hawaii, and their descendants.

Virgin Islands Americans
Total population
  • U.S. Virgin Islands origin: 15,014[1]
Regions with significant populations
South Florida, Orlando, Atlanta, New York City, Houston
Languages
English, Virgin Islands Creole
Religion
Predominantly Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Caribbean Americans

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. Virgin Islanders in the U.S. are considered part of the Caribbean American community.

It is difficult to determine how many Virgin Islanders reside in the United States proper. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are 15,014 people of U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry residing in the continental United States and Hawaii. However, a count of American residents with "U.S. Virgin Islands ancestry" excludes most U.S. Virgin Islands-born migrants in the United States proper. Because of a high incidence of inter-Caribbean migration throughout the 1960s and 1970s, most native-born 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.

Demographics edit

Virgin Island Americans includes Americans with ancestry from both the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, together numbering about 25,000. A majority of Virgin Islands Americans are of black Afro-Caribbean descent, many of whom descend from enslaved Africans brought to the islands by Europeans in the colonial era. A large portion descends from black or mixed race migrants who came from other parts of the Caribbean including Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and many smaller countries in the Lesser Antilles.

Many Virgin Islands Americans concentrate in areas with a large overall Caribbean population, including areas like New York, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Population by state edit

Relative to the population of each state edit

State/Territory 2020 census[2] % (2020) 2010 census % (2010)
  Alabama 76 N/A
  Alaska 13 N/A
  Arizona 76 N/A
  Arkansas 11 N/A
  California 323 N/A 131 0.1%
  Colorado 107 N/A
  Connecticut 216 N/A
  Delaware 46 N/A
  District of Columbia 39 N/A
  Florida 3,639 N/A 505 0.5%
  Georgia 1,365 N/A
  Hawaii 13 N/A
  Idaho 2 N/A
  Illinois 94 N/A
  Indiana 41 N/A
  Iowa 15 N/A
  Kansas 11 N/A
  Kentucky 40 N/A
  Louisiana 83 N/A
  Maine 13 N/A
  Maryland 455 N/A
  Massachusetts 297 N/A
  Michigan 79 N/A
  Minnesota 39 N/A
  Mississippi 8 N/A
  Missouri 23 N/A
  Montana 5 N/A
  Nebraska 6 N/A
  Nevada 55 N/A
  New Hampshire 47 N/A
  New Jersey 403 N/A
  New Mexico 13 N/A
  New York 1,281 N/A 250 0.2%
  North Carolina 461 N/A
  North Dakota 0 0.0%
  Ohio 93 N/A
  Oklahoma 48 N/A
  Oregon 25 N/A
  Pennsylvania 439 N/A
  Puerto Rico 80 N/A 109 0.1%
  Rhode Island 44 N/A
  South Carolina 86 N/A
  South Dakota 4 N/A
  Tennessee 69 N/A
  Texas 913 N/A 140 0.1%
  Utah 7 N/A
  Vermont 8 N/A
  Virginia 391 N/A
  Washington 115 N/A
  West Virginia 6 N/A
  Wisconsin 22 N/A
  Wyoming 0 0.0%
  United States 11,670 N/A 2,491 2.4%

US communities with Virgin Islands populations (2020 census) edit

  1. New York City, NY - 935
  2. Orlando, FL - 248
  3. Jacksonville, FL - 132
  4. Houston, TX - 116
  5. Boston, MA - 93
  6. Tampa, FL - 86
  7. Atlanta, GA - 82
  8. Miramar, FL - 78
  9. Philadelphia, PA - 73
  10. Charlotte, NC - 73
  11. Baytown, TX - 68
  12. Poinciana, FL - 65
  13. Los Angeles, CA - 64
  14. Sunrise, FL - 59
  15. Miami Gardens, FL - 58
  16. Killeen, TX - 56
  17. Raleigh, NC - 56
  18. Virginia Beach, VA - 52
  19. Durham, NC - 52
  20. Port St. Lucie, FL - 48
  21. Pembroke Pines, FL - 47
  22. Baltimore, MD - 41
  23. Coral Springs, FL - 40
  24. Hollywood, FL - 40
  25. North Lauderdale, FL - 39
  26. Kissimmee, FL - 37
  27. South Fulton, GA - 38
  28. Austin, TX - 34
  29. Hartford, CT - 33
  30. Apopka, FL - 33
  31. St. Cloud, FL - 33
  32. Worcester, MA - 32
  33. Miami, FL - 30
  34. Altamonte Springs, FL - 30
  35. Meadow Woods, FL - 29
  36. Norfolk, VA - 28
  37. San Diego, CA - 28
  38. Missouri City, TX - 27
  39. New Haven, CT - 27
  40. Pompano Beach, FL - 26
  41. Sandy Springs, GA - 26
  42. Buenaventura Lakes, FL - 26
  43. Daytona Beach, FL - 25
  44. Providence, RI - 24
  45. Union City, GA - 24
  46. Reading, PA - 23
  47. Homestead, FL - 23
  48. Marietta, GA - 22
  49. Atascocita, TX - 22
  50. Loganville, GA - 22
  51. Allentown, PA - 22

New York edit

During the 1920’s, a large influx of Virgin Islanders migrated to New York City in search of jobs and economic opportunities. In 1925, the population of native islanders in the city was 8,000 alone. However, while living in Harlem, Virgin Islanders encountered deeper racial tensions than what was felt on the islands. This led to the Harlem Renaissance in which four men including Casper Holstein, Hubert Harrison. Ashley Totten and Frank Crosswaith joined other Caribbean migrants to advocate for equal rights in their community. Besides that, New York City is historically known to be the first stop city for Virgin Islanders and remains throughout today. It is also the birthplace of recent elected officials in USVI such as former Governor Kenneth Mapp and Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett who are both descendants of Crucian parents. The 2020 census estimates 1,281 Virgin Islanders reside in New York state.

Florida edit

According to the 2020 census, Florida has the highest population of Virgin Islanders in any state throughout the country. While New York and Georgia ranks second and third in line. Recent data have shown Orange County particularly Metro Orlando (248), Pine Hills (189), Oak Ridge (27), Apopka (33), to be the most settled region for Virgin Islanders not only in Florida but the entire United States. Other regions include Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville which also shares a large amount of Virgin Islanders. Historically, high school students from the Virgin Islands have attended Bethune–Cookman University in Daytona Beach and many carnival troupes take part in the Orlando Carnival activities each May.

Georgia edit

Notable people edit

Actors edit

Artists edit

Athletes edit

  • Christian Lloyd Joseph born 1972, Professional Boxer and former I.B.C Intercontinental Middleweight Champion
  • Raja Bell (born 1976), basketball player; born on St. Croix
  • Tombi Bell (born 1979), basketball player, who last played for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA; born on St. Croix
  • Joe Christopher (born 1935), the first Virgin Islander to play in Major League Baseball; born in Frederiksted, St. Croix
  • Midre Cummings (born 1971), baseball player; born on St. Croix
  • Tim Duncan (born 1976), professional basketball player (San Antonio Spurs); born in Christiansted, St. Croix
  • Emile Griffith (1938–2013), boxer; born on St. Thomas
  • Elrod Hendricks (1940–2005), Major League Baseball player and coach; born in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Julian Jackson (born 1960), boxer; born on St. Thomas
  • Calvin Pickering (born 1976), baseball player; born on St. Thomas
  • Sugar Ray Seales (born 1952), 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist (139 lbs.) boxer; born on St. Croix.

Musicians edit

  • Alton Adams (1889–1987), musician, first black bandmaster in the United States Navy; born in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  • Bennie Benjamin (1907–1989), composer, songwriter, philanthropist; born in Christiansted, St. Croix
  • Jon Lucien, jazz musician; born on Tortola, raised on St. Thomas
  • Rock City, a musical duo of composed brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas, born on St. Thomas
  • Sonny Rollins, jazz musician; born in New York, of St. Thomas (mother) and St. Croix (father) descent

Political leaders edit

Writers and intellectuals edit

News Media Personalities edit


See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  2. ^ "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census".
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