- Trinidadian Americans
Infobox Ethnic group
group = flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago Trinidadian American flagicon|USAKareem Abdul Jabbar Foxy Brown (rapper)
poptime = Trinidadian 164,778 Americans cite web |url=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|title=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] 0.1% of the US population
popplace =New York ,Maryland ,Florida ,New Jersey ,Massachusetts ,California
langs =American English ,Trinidadian English , Bhojpuri
rels =Christian ,Hindu ,Muslim ,Rastafari
related =Indo-Trinidadian s,Afro-Trinidadian s,Trinidadian Canadian s,Trinidadian British Trinidadian Americans are Americans of Trinidadian and Tobagonian heritage or immigrants born in
Trinidad and Tobago who achieve United States citizenship. The largest proportion of Trinidadians live inNew York City and in other places such asMaryland ,Florida ,New Jersey , andMassachusetts . There are 164,778 Trinidadian Americans living in the U.S.The First Wave of Trinidadians in America
Trinidadian and Tobagonian immigration to the United States, which dates back to the seventeenth century, was spasmodic and is best studied in relation to the major waves of Caribbean immigration. The first documented account of black immigration to the United States from the Caribbean dates back to 1619, when a small group of voluntary indentured workers arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, on a Dutch frigate. The immigrants worked as free people until 1629 when a Portuguese vessel arrived with the first shipload of blacks captured off the west coast of Africa. In the 1640s Virginia and other states began instituting laws that took away the freedom of blacks and redefined them as chattel, or personal property. Trinidad, like many other islands in the British West Indies, served as a clearinghouse for slaves en route to North America. The region also acted as a "seasoning camp" where newly arrived blacks were "broken-in" psychologically and physically to a life of slavery, as well as a place where they acquired biological resistance to deadly European diseases.
The Second Wave
From 1966 to 1970, 23,367 Trinidadian and Tobagonian immigrants, primarily from the educated elite and rural poor classes, legally migrated to the United States. From 1971 to 1975, the figure climbed to 33,278. It dropped to 28,498 from 1976 to 1980, and only half that amount between 1981 and 1984, when the Reagan administration began placing greater restrictions on U.S. immigration policy. Less than 2,300 Trinidadian and Tobagonian immigrants arrived in 1984 and that number scarcely increased during President Reagan's second term of office. A few European-Trinidadians migrated during the latter half of the twentieth century, primarily because they were losing their grip on political power in the Republic with the rise of nationalism and independence. The majority of those immigrants came to the United States because Britain had restricted immigration from the Commonwealth islands to the British Isles. A larger number migrated in the late 1980s when oil prices fell, sending the Republic into a deep recession. Trinidadians and Tobagonians are now the second largest group of English-speaking West Indian immigrants in the United States.
US communities with high percentages of people of Trinidadian and Tobagonian ancestry
The top US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Trinidadian-Tobagonian ancestry are: [cite web |url=http://www.epodunk.com/ancestry/Trinidadian-Tobagonian.html |title=Ancestry Map of Trinidadian & Tobagonian Communities |publisher=Epodunk.com |accessdate=2008-08-04]
#
Lakeview, New York andNaranja, Florida 2.70%
#South Floral Park, New York 2.50%
#Mount Rainier, Maryland 2.30%
#Orange, New Jersey andBlue Hills, Connecticut 2.20%
#Brooklyn, New York 2.10%
#Chillum, Maryland 2.00%
#Roosevelt, New York 1.90%
#Landover Hills, Maryland andCheverly, Maryland 1.60%
#Langley Park, Maryland 1.50%
#Riverdale Park, Maryland 1.40%
#North Amityville, New York ,Surfside, Florida , andGordon Heights, New York 1.30%
#Neptune City, New Jersey ,Wheatley Heights, New York andMiramar, Florida 1.20%
#Cottage City, Maryland ,Hempstead, New York ,North Valley Stream, New York ,Uniondale, New York ,North Lauderdale, Florida ,Harrington Park, New Jersey andBeltsville, Maryland 1.10%
#Bloomfield, Connecticut andCentral Islip, New York 1.00%U.S. communities with the most residents born in Trinidad & Tobago
Top 101 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Trinidad & Tobago are: [cite web |url=http://www.city-data.com/top2/h138.html |title=Top 101 cities with the most residents born in Trinidad and Tobago (population 500+) |publisher=city-data.com |accessdate=2008-08-04]
#
McIntyre, GA 3.8%
# Lakeview, NY 3.0%
# South Floral Park, NY 2.7%
#Palmetto Estates, FL 2.6%
#Chula Vista, FL 2.4%
# Orange, NJ 2.4%
#Boulevard Gardens, FL 2.3%
#Gun Club Estates, FL 2.2%
# Naranja, FL 2.2%
# Mount Rainier, MD 2.1%
# Brooklyn, NY 2.1%
# Cheverly, MD 2.1%
#Kendall Green, FL 2.0%
#Orlovista, FL 2.0%
# Blue Hills, CT 2.0%
#West Perrine, FL 1.9%
#Springdale, MD 1.9%
# Chillum, MD 1.9%
#Canal Point, FL 1.8%
#Millbourne, PA 1.8%
# North Lauderdale, FL 1.8%
# Roosevelt, NY 1.7%
#Bonnie Lock-Woodsetter North, FL 1.7%
# Landover Hills, MD 1.7%
#Ramblewood East, FL 1.7%
#Pine Lake, GA 1.6%
#Loch Lomond, FL 1.6%
# Harrington Park, NJ 1.6%
#Country Walk, FL 1.5%
#Royal Palm Estates, FL 1.5%
#Sky Lake, FL 1.5%
# Riverdale Park, MD 1.5%
# Beltsville, MD 1.4%
#Norland, FL 1.4%
# Miramar, FL 1.4%
# Langley Park, MD 1.4%
#Brentwood, MD 1.3%
# Cottage City, MD 1.3%
# North Amityville, NY 1.3%
#Mount Vernon, GA 1.3%
# Neptune City, NJ 1.3%
#Elmont, NY 1.3%
# Wheatley Heights, NY 1.3%
#East Orange, NJ 1.2%
# East Farmington, NY 1.2%
#Kent Narrows, MD 1.2%
#Sunrise, FL 1.2%
#Queens, NY 1.2%
#East Riverdale, MD 1.2%
# Uniondale, NY 1.1%
#Fairland, MD 1.1%
#New York, NY 1.1%
#Ravenswood Estates, FL 1.1%
#Irvington, NJ 1.1%
#Lake Forest, FL 1.1%
#West Marion, NC 1.1%
#Chuluota, FL 1.1%
#Berry Hill, TN 1.1%
#Fairmount Heights, MD 1.1%
#Scotch Plains, NJ 1.0%
#Takoma Park, MD 1.0%
#Edmonston, MD 1.0%
#Englewood, NJ 1.0%
# Hempstead, NY 1.0%
#Broadview-Pompano Park, FL 1.0%
#Port St. Lucie-River Park, FL 1.0%
#Poinciana, FL 1.0%
# Inwood, NY 1.0%
#South Laurel, MD 1.0%
#Minneola, FL 1.0%
#Polkville, NC 1.0%
#Cutler Ridge, FL 0.9%
#Chester, NY 0.9%
#Bloomfield, CT 0.9%
#Margate, FL 0.9%
#Amelia, LA 0.9%
#Paxton, FL 0.9%
#Mitchellville, MD 0.9%
#Scott Lake, FL 0.9%
# New Cassel, NY 0.9%
#South Miami Heights, FL 0.9%
# Terryville, NY 0.9%
# North Valley Stream, NY 0.9%
#Lochearn, MD 0.9%
#Mangonia Park, FL 0.8%
#Biscayne Park, FL 0.8%
#Lauderhill, FL 0.8%
#Plantation, FL 0.8%
#Tamarac, FL 0.8%
#Utopia, FL 0.8%
#Glenarden, MD 0.8%
#Haledon, NJ 0.8%
# Mechanicstown, NY 0.8%
#Mount Arlington, NJ 0.8%
#Adelphi, MD 0.8%
#Conover, NC 0.8%
#Andover, FL 0.8%
#Bay Harbor Islands, FL 0.8%
#Islandia, NY 0.8%
#Maplewood, NJ 0.8%
#Melrose Park, FL 0.8%Assimalation
Trinidadian and Tobagonian immigrants generally select one of two options: they either make a quick livelihood in the United States before returning home, or they join American society permanently, usually immersing themselves in black culture and working for the betterment of African American and Caribbean American communities. Many of the early Trinidadians and Tobagonians aged 35 and older did return to their native land. Later immigrants often chose the second option and increasingly became part of the distinctly Caribbean community in New York City and Florida.
Notable Trinidadian Americans
Entertainment
*
Errol John , An internationally acclaimed actor and playwright who produced the well-known Moon On A Rainbow Shawl.
*Foxy Brown (rapper)
*Denise Plummer
*The Mad Stuntman , rapper
*Guru (rapper) ports
*
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
*Gabrielle Reece
*Lesley Stewart References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.