Virgin Islands Americans (stateside)

Virgin Islands Americans
Total population
  • U.S. Virgin Islands origin: 15,014[1]
Languages
English, Virgin Islands Creole
Religion
Predominantly Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Caribbean

Virgin Islands Americans are a group of West Indian Americans born in the U.S. Virgin Islands or British Virgin Islands and those individuals with ancestry from either territory who live in the U.S. states.[2][3][4]

The U.S. Virgin Islands are an unincorporated territory of the United States.[5] Individuals born in the U.S. Virgin Islands on or after January 17, 1917 are U.S. citizens.[6] As a result, U.S. Virgin Islanders do not go through the legal immigration procedures that most other West Indian immigrants would.[7][8] However, the British Virgin Islands are a British Overseas Territory. As a result, British Virgin Islanders are required to go through legal immigration procedures when entering the United States.[7][9]

Demographics

Virgin Islands Americans include those with ancestry from both the U.S Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands. Many of them concentrate in areas with large West Indian communities, such as in New York, Florida, and Georgia.

Population by state

Relative to the population of each state

State/territory 2020 census: U.S. Virgin Islander[10] % (2020) 2020 census: British Virgin Islander[10] % (2020)
Alabama 76 0.09% 2 0.0%
Alaska 13 0.02% n/a n/a
Arizona 76 0.09% 0 0.0%
Arkansas 11 0.02% n/a n/a
California 323 0.38% 28 0.08%
Colorado 107 0.13% 3 0.0%
Connecticut 216 0.25% 10 0.03%
Delaware 46 0.06% 4 0.02%
District of Columbia 39 0.05% 1 0.0%
Florida 3,639 4.18% 155 0.42%
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 1,365 1.57% 49 0.14%
Hawaii 13 0.02% 0 0.0%
Idaho 2 0.0% n/a n/a
Illinois 94 0.11% 2 0.0%
Indiana 41 0.05% 3 0.0%
Iowa 15 0.02% 2 0.0%
Kansas 11 0.02% 0 0.0%
Kentucky 40 0.05% 3 0.0%
Louisiana 83 0.10% 0 0.0%
Maine 13 0.02% 0 0.0%
Maryland 455 0.53% 25 0.07%
Massachusetts 297 0.35% 40 0.11%
Michigan 79 0.10% 3 0.0%
Minnesota 39 0.05% 3 0.0%
Mississippi 8 0.0% 0 0.0%
Missouri 23 0.03% 4 0.0%
Montana 5 0.0% 0 0.0%
Nebraska 6 0.0% n/a n/a
Nevada 55 0.07% n/a n/a
New Hampshire 47 0.06% n/a n/a
New Jersey 403 0.47% 27 0.08%
New Mexico 13 0.02% 2 0.0%
New York 1,281 1.47% 135 0.37%
North Carolina 461 0.53% 13 0.04%
North Dakota 0 0.0% 1 0.0%
Ohio 93 0.11% 4 0.02%
Oklahoma 48 0.06% n/a n/a
Oregon 25 0.03% 2 0.0%
Pennsylvania 439 0.51% 12 0.04%
Puerto Rico 80 0.10% 14 0.04%
Rhode Island 44 0.06% 10 0.03%
South Carolina 86 0.10% 3 0.0%
South Dakota 4 0.0% 3 0.0%
Tennessee 69 0.08% 4 0.02%
Texas 913 1.05% 15 0.05%
Utah 7 0.0% n/a n/a
Vermont 8 0.0% n/a n/a
Virginia 391 0.45% 15 0.05%
Washington 115 0.14% 2 0.0%
West Virginia 6 0.0% 2 0.0%
Wisconsin 22 0.03% 5 0.02%
Wyoming 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
United States 11,745 13.48% 606 1.64%

New York

During the 1920s, 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 Casper Holstein, Hubert Harrison, Ashley Totten and Frank Crosswaith joined other Caribbean migrants to advocate for equal rights in their community. New York City is historically known to be the first stop city for Virgin Islanders, and remains so today. The 2020 census estimated that 1,281 Virgin Islanders resided in New York state.

Florida

According to the 2020 census, Florida has the highest population of Virgin Islanders in any state throughout the country. New York and Georgia rank second and third. Recent data have shown Orange County particularly Metro Orlando (248), Pine Hills (189), Oak Ridge (27), and Apopka (33) to be the most settled region for Virgin Islanders not only in Florida but the entire United States. Other regions with a large Virgin Islander population include Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville. Many 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.

Notable people

Lists of Americans
By U.S. state
By ethnicity
  • Category

Actors

Artists

Athletes

Musicians

  • 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
  • Verse Simmonds, singer, rapper, and producer; born in Puerto Rico, raised on St. Thomas

Political leaders

  • Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884), Secretary of the Treasury, Confederate States of America; born in Christiansted, St. Croix
  • Frank Rudolph Crosswaith (1892–1965), socialist and labor leader; born in Frederiksted, St. Croix
  • Donna Christensen (born 1945), former US House delegate for the U.S. Virgin Islands; born in New Jersey
  • Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), first United States Secretary of the Treasury, an American "Founding Father", economist, and political philosopher; born in Nevis, raised on St. Croix
  • Hubert Henry Harrison (1883–1927), orator, political activist; born in St. Croix
  • Elizabeth Anna Hendrickson (1884–1946), civil rights leader; born in St. Croix
  • Casper Holstein (born 1888), humanitarian; born in St. Croix
  • Roy Innis (born 1934), African-American activist, civil rights leader; born in St. Croix
  • Kenneth Mapp (born 1955), former governor, lieutenant governor and senator of the U.S. Virgin Islands; born in New York City
  • J. Raymond Jones (1899–1991), political leader, humanitarian; born in St. Thomas
  • John de Jongh (born 1957), past governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, former financial executive; born in St. Thomas
  • Neville James, former senator of the U.S. Virgin Islands from St. Croix; born in New York City
  • William Leidesdorff (1810–1848), entrepreneur; born in St. Croix
  • Ruby Margaret Rouss (1921–1988) first black woman to be elected to preside over a state legislature; born in St. Croix
  • Stacey Plaskett (born 1966), current US House delegate for the U.S. Virgin Islands; born in New York City
  • Usie Richards (born 1956), former senator of the U.S. Virgin Islands from St. Croix; born in New York City
  • Terence Todman (born 1926), ambassador; born in the U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Denmark Vesey (1767–1822), slave revolt leader; born on St. Thomas
  • David Levy Yulee (1810–1886), U.S. Senator; born on St. Thomas

Writers and intellectuals

News media personalities

See also

References

  1. ^ "U.S. Census website". Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  2. ^ "Atlanta Hosting USVI Economic Development Summit May 20-22". St. John Source. 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  3. ^ "Centennial timeline". The Virgin Islands Daily News. 2017-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  4. ^ "Green Islands for All? Avoiding Climate Gentrification in the Caribbean | Society of Ethnobiology". ethnobiology.org. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  5. ^ "General Information: Government". Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  6. ^ "8 USC 1406: Persons living in and born in the Virgin Islands". uscode.house.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  7. ^ a b Batalova, Jeanne Batalova Jane Lorenzi and Jeanne (2022-07-06). "Caribbean Immigrants in the United States". migrationpolicy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  8. ^ "Do you need a passport to travel to or from U.S. territories or Freely Associated States? | USAGov". www.usa.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  9. ^ "Virgin Islands, British". travel.state.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
  10. ^ a b "Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census".
  11. ^ Oliver, Myrna (2000-06-29). "Barbara T. Christian; Professor Fostered Black Women Writers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  12. ^ "Breaking out of the box: A Conversation with Cadwell Turnbull". Clarkesworld Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  13. ^ "Local Authors to be Featured at V.I. Literary Festival, April 10-13". St. Thomas Source. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
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