From the NFRW Armed Services Committee

June is National Caribbean American Heritage Month.  It was established in 2004 to show the contributions of the Caribbean people to the United States. 

Inhabitants from the Caribbean have shaped our culture from arts, sports, business, journalism, government, and the military.  Caribbeans from the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens; many have joined our military throughout the years, as have immigrants from other Caribbean countries.

One of the earliest Caribbean “immigrants” was Alexander Hamilton, a founder of the United States. He was born on the island of Nevis is the British West Isles but grew up on St. Croix, which is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Another famous Caribbean American was General Colin Powell, retired four-star general in the U.S. Army and former Secretary of State. Powell was born of Jamaican immigrants.

The NFRW’s most well-known Caribbean American military person is Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Sears, a native of Jamaica who immigrated to the United States at the age of six.  Prior to going into politics, Lt. Governor Sears was a proud member of the U.S. Marines. She has also contributed to the Armed Forces by serving on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.