Jamaican diaspora

“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.

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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-...
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