Caribbean-American Heritage Month 2027

About Caribbean-American Heritage Month

Caribbean-American Heritage Month highlights the many communities in the United States with family ties to the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana and other nations of the region. It looks at their part in American government, business, music, food, sport and the arts, and at the long-standing links between the United States and its Caribbean neighbors.

The month began with a concurrent resolution, H.Con.Res. 71, introduced in February 2005 by Representative Barbara Lee of California. It expressed the sense of Congress that a Caribbean-American Heritage Month should be established. The House agreed to it by voice vote on June 27, 2005, and the Senate agreed by unanimous consent on February 14, 2006. As a concurrent resolution, it did not become law; it asked for recognition rather than creating a legal designation.

President George W. Bush issued the first proclamation on June 5, 2006, naming June 2006 Caribbean-American Heritage Month and calling the nation stronger for the talent and values of Caribbean Americans. Federal Register records show a proclamation every June from 2006 through 2024; later proclamations, starting in 2009, used the name National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. No proclamation for the month appears in the Federal Register for 2025 or 2026, though community groups such as the Institute of Caribbean Studies continue to mark the month.

The Institute of Caribbean Studies, a nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1993, runs a National Caribbean American Heritage Month program alongside its policy and education work. Events across the country include festivals, concerts, film screenings and panel discussions.

Sources: Congress.gov: H.Con.Res.71 (109th Congress), Caribbean-American Heritage Month, Federal Register: Proclamation 8028, Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2006, Federal Register: National Caribbean American Heritage Month, 2024, Institute of Caribbean Studies. How we check dates.

How to mark Caribbean-American Heritage Month

• Cook a dish from a Caribbean country you haven't explored, such as Haitian soup joumou, Trinidadian doubles or Jamaican ackee and saltfish, using a recipe from a cook from that country.
• Listen to music rooted in the region, from calypso and soca to reggae, kompa, merengue and son, and read about the artists behind it.
• Read a novel or poetry collection by a Caribbean-American writer and discuss it with a friend or book group.
• Attend a local Caribbean festival, film screening or community event, or support a Caribbean-owned restaurant or business near you.
• Learn about the history of a Caribbean nation, including its independence and its ties to the United States.

Caribbean-American Heritage Month dates