How do we celebrate National Caribbean American Heritage Month?
For us at Island Pops, June is our month! Year round we are committed to sharing our Caribbean-ness with you through traditional and creative ice cream flavors adopted from the Caribbean. If you didn’t know by now, we are a family run business in Brooklyn, proudly from the country of Trinidad and Tobago. This month, the rest of the nation joins us in celebrating and honoring the Caribbean and its invaluable contribution to the US! Caribbean people and our region are known for our warmth and hospitality, scenic landscapes, waters, rain forests and wildlife. We’re also loved for our hype parties, sexy music, spicy, colorful food, melting pot of races and ethnicities, musical accents and vibrant patois, over achieving academics and record-breaking athletics.
National Caribbean American Month became official in 2006 when George W. Bush signed the proclamation. However, it was since 2000 that Dr. Claire Nelson founded the special month-long celebrations by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in 2000. The move to officially declare June as National Caribbean American Month started in 2004 when a legislative bill was passed by Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
How do we celebrate National Caribbean American Heritage Month?
If you ask any Caribbean person, this question might make us laugh, because we are always celebrating our heritage! We keep the names of our pioneers and leaders at the tip of our tongues, always ready to talk about their role and contributions to America and within the region. This month we’re particularly geared to show off! You can find countless events on platforms like CaribbeanAmericanMonth.com, the Prospect Park celebrate Caribbean-American month schedule and the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival tour where almost daily there are shows, concerts, gallery exhibitions, workshops, literary talks and more. And well, you know Caribbean people bring the party, so it’s a month of great vibes and high energy. If you want to learn more about the Caribbean, its culture and its history, you will be spoon fed this month with easy access to information, delicious food and fun festivals. Don’t miss out!
Which countries make up the Caribbean?
To answer this question, I remember as a child in Trinidad being told that any shore that touches the Caribbean sea could be called Caribbean, and that was how we thought of it. However, it is not uncommon to hear the region described as “The Caribbean and Latin America” dividing the anglophone and Spanish-speaking nations. The technical “correct” response is that there are 13 countries in the Caribbean, but that list doesn’t include places like the Virgin Islands or Aruba, places that definitely are considered a part of the shared heritage.
These 13 countries are:
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Haiti
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Jamaica
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
It all gets quite confusing, that’s for sure! You may even hear the term “West Indies” which is often used synonymously with “Caribbean” but excludes some islands, though includes Guyana, a country nestled in South America. Look, however you view it, on a political map or based on cultural closeness, the Caribbean encompasses a wide range of people, colors, backgrounds and histories, and is definitely not limited to the 13 on the official list.
Who are some famous Caribbean people ?
Caribbean people are exceedingly proud of our culture and accomplishments, having excelled in the Arts with renowned writers and poets like C.L.R. James, V.S. Naipaul and Derek Walcott to name a tiny few. When it comes to music, we have dominated the airwaves, creating monumental genres historically with the greats like Bob Marley, Héctor Lavoe, Juan Luis Guerra, Célia Cruz! We created Reggae, Soca, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Kompa and so many more dances and styles of music. Nowadays, we have some of the most popular cross-genre music, something Spotify is calling Island Pop, in which reigns Rihanna, Sean Kingston, Shenseea and super popular artists like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B who also have Caribbean heritage.
In the current political sphere, the US Vice President, Kamala Harris comes from Jamaican parentage, in the company of other influential Caribbean American names. In his 2022 proclamation on the auspicious month, President Biden said he is “honored to celebrate alongside brilliant and dedicated public servants of Caribbean heritage” naming Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice. A political hall of famer we must make note of is Shirley Chisholm who contributed vigorously to social justice through advocacy, activism, and education for the rights of women, the poor and African Americans.
In sport, we celebrate Olympians like Jamaicans Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser (Athletics, Jamaica), Ramón Fonst (Fencing, Cuba), Silvio Cator (Athletics, Haiti), Hasely Crawford (Athletics, Trinidad and Tobago), Donald Quarrie (Athletics, Jamaica), Merlene Ottey (Athletics, Jamaica) and Keshorn Walcott (Athletics, Trinidad and Tobago). Cricketers like Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Brian Lara, and Sir Gary Sobers are all knighted sportsmen. In Baseball, Puerto Rican Roberto Clemente and Alex Rodriguez of Dominican parentage are just two out of countless names of stars.
We could go on and on about the Caribbean and the accomplishments of its people. Right here in Brooklyn, NY, the presence of the Caribbean is tangible, with countless restaurants and spaces that are Caribbean-owned or Caribbean themed. You hear the languages and the accents constantly, and see the faces and the mannerisms we recognize in our people. You can easily find Caribbean grocery stores and markets too, so a pot of traditional foods like pelau and fried plantains is always bubbling somewhere nearby. Our own ice cream shop, Island pops can be found on 680 Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights Brooklyn. We celebrate everyday with ice cream and pops made with ingredients fresh from the islands. Come by for some soursop, sea moss or Guinness cones! If you can’t make it, bring Caribbean heritage month to you with our nationwide delivery.
Have a wonderful month of June, learning and celebrating all things Caribbean!