“Diaspora” means the scattering of people from their ethnic roots, enforced or voluntary. Thus the
Jamaican diaspora refers to
Jamaicans who have left their traditional homelands, the dispersal of such Jamaicans, and the ensuing developments in their culture. Jamaicans can be found in the far corners of the world but the largest pools of Jamaicans exist in the
United States,
United Kingdom,
Canada, other
Caribbean islands, and all across the Caribbean Coast of
Central America.
Details
Over the past several decades, close to a million Jamaicans have
emigrated, especially to the
United States, the
United Kingdom and
Canada. This emigration appears to have been tapering off somewhat in recent years, however the great number of Jamaicans living abroad has become known as the "Jamaican diaspora". Most Jamaican emigrants have followed a path first to the UK. Many who do not remain in the UK move on to other Commonwealth countries such as Canada. Jamaican emigrants also migrate directly to the United States, Canada, other
Caribbean nations,
Central &
South America (mainly in
Panama and
Colombia), and even
Africa (most notably
Egypt and
Ethiopia). There has also been emigration of Jamaicans to
Cuba and to
Nicaragua.
The United Kingdom, and in particular
London, has a strong Jamaican diaspora. An estimated 7% of Londoners are of Jamaican heritage. Many are now at least second-, if not third-...
Read More