Average Black Jamaican ancestry with outlier at 52% African which makes up 5 to 6% of the population.

Context: My grandma passed the day before my 20th birthday last month. Going back to Jamaica and seeing that side of my family again after 5 years just reminded me of how much I have been missing growing up in the states. I am ever grateful to my parents for making me American, but I can't help but feel saddened by the sea that separates me from my roots.

[watch the TikTok tagged for reference] ^

As a person who was born in Hartford CT but my father was born and raised in Jamaica I definitely understood this TikTok. I do understand experiences are different actually growing up in Jamaica VS America but I don’t think it makes me any less of a Jamaican. I also got a dual citizenship a few years ago so technically I’m really a citizen of both country’s Mind you I went every summer to see other family members etc an All I ever had growing up was dishes from our culture, the music, the patois, etc I could go on. But sometimes I feel like I struggle with my identity especially when people ask me what my ethnicity is & for some reason my “Jamaican card is declined” just because I went to school in America?!

My main reasoning for posting this is just get some opinions from anyone who’s in the same boat as me or anyone who was born and raised in Jamaica.

Both my parents have Jamaican heritage as there mothers and fathers was born there but they wasn’t. I also was not born in Jamaica so what should I identify as?

My grandma said I’m not Jamaican but American.

Hey everyone my name is Mike Appelt I’m 43 from Canada I’m looking for Biological Father who is a Jamaican and was deported from Canada to Jamaica in the early 1980s the only information I have is his name being Alvin Jackson I’ve Met my biological mother who’s name is Jenny Webb I was born Michael David Jackson on August 23 1980 I really don’t know how to look for him or if he is even alive I don’t want anything from him but just to know my heritage I was going to try Ancestry or 23 and me but those only work if the other party has also registered so here I am people of Reddit let’s help the little boy still inside me fun his Dad Alvin (or Alyvin ) Jackson

hi! hope this post is okay to make. im quarter Jamaican, mostly white, but ive kind of missed the chance to be involved in the culture of what i feel is a big part of me due to my mum unfortunately trying to have me and my siblings not "act black" and stuff due to unfortunate prejudice she went through.

while i understand and empathise with why, i do feel like a part of who i am was kinda kept from me and i wanted to ask how and if its appropriate for me to get involved now.

for context im pretty "white-passing" (idk if thats the right term) so i take that into account when thinking about this stuff.

ive been learning how to cook and had the idea to maybe look up some Jamaican dishes i could learn? also considered learning patois but thought maybe I shouldn't since i didn't grow up with it? (i think my granddad spoke to our uncle and aunts in patois but he didn't around our mum and us). i believe but i know cultural appropriation is a thing and i dont wanna add to that ofc but idk where the line is genuinely.

but yeah. guess i just wanted the opinions on others about what might be appropriate or a good way for me learn about part of my family's culture

thank you for reading and any help offered 🙏🏼

So unuh really ah disown e yute dem weh bawn a Farrin. Quick fi talk bout dem nuh no JA, Dem is American, Canadian etc. but tek in dis fuckry??? an quick fi bring dem same people ya inna fi we place an a talk bout dem is Jamaican. This is a DISGRACE.

Yow unuh hear me loud and clear!!!! If your mother and father is Jamaican and you just happened not to be born here on the island… YOU ARE A JAMAICAN. Get your citizenship and your passport. If your father is Jamaican and your mother isn’t same rules apply. If your mother is and your father isn’t same rules apply.

Do not come back on here or go anywhere looking for validation from us on this topic again. And stop listening to the bag ah hediot dem weh a hate pon unuh or ah try mek yuh feel less then can yuh neva bawn a yawd. They are the same people who are condoning this bullshit. Be proud of who you are, learn and understand fi we culture, come back and visit, pass down our culture to your offsprings.

When you identify yourself identify as a Jamaican, fuck this colour shit… “I AM JAMAICAN”. When since colour become a race? Fuck do unuh. If you’re born in America, UK, Canada… YOU ARE JAMAICAN. And to e big man dem, start act like mon, fuck do unuh. Right is right wrong is wrong stop gwan like some likkle punk. We need leaders!! Not a bag ah hediot weh a condone dem fuckey ya.

Take pride in the land, learn some skills, learn some leadership skills, read some self improvement books and represent yourself and us world wide. If you’re in your 20s start a business of some sort, learn these skills!!

Anybody who says your not Jamaican because you werent born here please do not pay them any mind I beg you.

Love to all my people world wide! Same way the Indian and the Chinese, and the Italians dem band together and take over likkle by likkle a suh we fi start move.

I JA! NPT

My family is from JA, but most of us now reside in the US, UK, or CA. I’m in the US and I’m looking to try to find one of my relatives that lives in St. Elizabeth. We usually communicate regularly via Facebook or WhatsApp, however none of our family members have heard from this person in a couple months( which is very unusual). So we are all a bit worried. Our closest family member currently lives in MoBay, but is unable to travel to St. Elizabeth to look for him. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I should start looking. Are there a local phone numbers or websites that I can try?

Let me know, thanks!

(Pic for visibility)

Okay so from I was young I was really in love with being Jamaican through my parents although I was born in New York. Still to this day I always thank my mom for being Jamaican. However, my mom always told me I was American not Jamaican. Which is genuinely used to hurt my feelings although it is true, lol. So in New York, we flat out identify with our parents Caribbean place of birth. I decided to go to a HBCU (historically black college and university) for undergrad to learn more about black American culture, since I am a black American. It was a great experience but no social gathering there quite compared to a social gathering in Jamaica, energetically. Alright anyways, it’s like I don’t identify with being American although I’ve spent more time here than Jamaica? The resistance from some Jamaicans to make me feel like I’m not Jamaican just feels sooooo discouraging to my spirit. When I’m actually in Jamaica I feel more at home than when I’m in America. All in all, I know I’m technically a Yankee but I identify with Jamaican culture more. Does any other first gen feel this way? How do you deal with it?

This woman wants to know her Jamaican father Antonio Cook who was deported between 2001-2003 from USA. She was born in 2000 and her mom passed away in 2008. Her mom was known as Prunice and actual name was Rachel Crawford. Her mom and dad met in the 90s in New York. (xPost from FB group 'Pinkwall')

For the longest time I’ve always heard my great grandmother practiced poco and was the priest of the church which is still on our family land. I’ve always wanted to understand more about it and the religion despite many negative connotation surrounding it, and why she practiced it (I’m completely open minded and want to learn more about my family history).

Is there anywhere I should start reading, looking etc?

My grand parents from both maternal and paternal are Jamaican born my parents were born in America so does that make me Jamaican American or half ??

No shade or no hate. Just understanding and open discussion.

After reading recent post, and if you scroll through here there are a lot of these post! The latest one being posted a few hours ago, a lot of people want to claim half Jamaican or quarter or whatever. People, live life. There is a clock ticking we all can’t see, try to enjoy this thing called life. I know that knowing your roots is very important but in the process enjoy life.

Further more why and when were we taught to classify where we were born as who we are? This is why many people are confused. Study history, it will tell you that your bloodline determines who you are. Our ancestors who were strong and brave and that were pregnant at sea and during travel, their offsprings were identified by their seed line not by where they were at in the world.

Your environment can change how you think, how you interact, your opportunities and how you see things and many more. DNA is what you are identified as, follow the seed, follow the bloodline.

Peace and love to everyone trying to figure this thing out called life, you also don’t need to take my words as gold. Google and history books can help you out tremendously.

if you have people that love you and vice versa kick it with them, enjoy life. Peace and love

Ok so im adopted, 1/2 Jamaican on my bio mothers side (she was born in Jamaica and moved to Cambodia where her family were from) and I have started trying to get in touch with family. She is ethnically Khmer but grew up in Jamaica like her parents did. My bio dad is half Nigerian and while speaking to his family they said it wasn’t possible as I myself have no connection as both of my biological parents passed away before I was 5. I don’t know any family on her side other than my Granny who I have visited several times before she passed away as well. I’ve been arguing with friends and family over whether or not i can class myself as half Jamaican or just leaving it as Mixed. I will say most of the discourse comes from my adopted family (who are so british they never left the UK) saying that because my mum was ethnically SEA and not black that it doesn’t mean she was Jamaican, and my bio dad’s family saying that even though im 1/4 Nigerian I don’t count as mixed as I don’t look mixed to them.

I want to connect to my late mum as much as possible as I only have her bracelet to remember her by and I want to honour her memory by trying to learn Patois and Khmer (both aren’t going too great) and trying to reconnect with the culture she grew up in.

I’m Jamaican-British and I’ve spent all of my life incredibly white-washed. We’re talking desperately looking up methods to lighten my skin, straightening my hair every single day; dyeing it blonde, following ‘white’ makeup tutorials.

Part of that comes from the fact I didn’t really interact much with the Jamaican half of my family. They all live IN Jamaica, so I haven’t met any other than my immediate family.

Its taken a lot of unwinding and even therapy to accept me deeply rooted self hatred and personal racism, and only recently have I started to be happy with who I am. I’ve shaved off all my hair to let it all grow back in curly as it naturally is, I embrace my skin rather than hiding it etc.

I really want to get more in touch with my roots. I know next to nothing about Jamaica, as I’ve never had a figure to help me and understand this culture.

The last ‘truly jamaican’ family member I had I could see died not too long ago, with the last remaining family members of that side of the family all having about as much cultural knowledge as I do.

What can / should I do to get more in touch with my Jamaican roots and culture? I want to be able to explain where I’m from with pride and certainty.

Thanks! Much love 🫶

I’m actually educating myself about Jamaica and I’m very fascinated by your country. I really thought Jamaica was only blacks (dark skin black), but I notice that a lot of Jamaicans are actually mixed. Can you please share about your own mix?

I am a 24F and I recently discovered through ancestry/23 and Me that I have Jamaican heritage and want to explore it but in exploring it I feel like an outsider. I grew up in Florida for a good chunk of my life in a diverse/Caribbean neighborhood and got to experience some things , how do I authentically explore my Caribbean roots?

Hi Jamaica Fam. I am American born with a Jamaican father and white mother (24f). Growing up, my dad didn’t connect me very heavily with Jamaican culture. I was raised on the US west coast, apart from most of his family who reside on the east coast. Though my dad passed down his culture to me through mostly food, health habits, and some media such as some movies and music (I grew up watching dance hall Queen etc), I still feel very disconnected from my culture.

As I got older, I started longing more for my culture and began to ask him questions. I would ask him what area of Jamaica he is from, what things are like in Jamaica, etc. Whenever I try to explore this with him he says “just Google it” or “you can find most of this information on the internet”. That was very hurtful to me because I want to connect with him when it comes to us both being Jamaican, but he’s so resistant to it.

Last year I finally decided enough was enough. I moved across the country to NYC so I could grow a relationship with my Jamaican side of the family. In edition to getting more time with my grandmother, maybe this family could introduce me more to Jamaican culture.

Now that I’ve moved here, I have found that I’m not getting much cultural influence from this side of the family either. It’s been hard to form relationships since my entire extended family is hyper religious (I was raised a pretty obscure form of Christianity). I am no longer religious and it has been hard to connect with my family since this religion rules their entire lives.

I’m starting to see that I need to take it into my own hands. I’ve committed to going to Jamaica by the end of this year, despite my dads disapproval. I’m confused and upset that he didn’t raise me with his culture. Why am I having to go out of my way to learn about something he should have taught me from birth?

So my question is… how can I connect with Jamaica culture on my own? Now that I live in NYC I celebrated my first Jouvert and attended the Labor Day carnival. It felt so good because it felt like I belonged and I could feel how Jamaica is still a part of me even if my dad disn’t raise me with it. I’m visiting Jamaica for my bday this year. Beyond that, I plan to start reading about our history from books and videos and even asking people my age. Culture is important to me and I want to pass it down to my children.

TL;DR Biracial Yankee needs to know how to connect to her culture despite Dad’s disapproval.

I’m half Jamaican and half British, for years I’ve wanted to get more in touch with my Jamaican roots and embrace the traditions ,i am very interested in folklore and traditional clothing etc to embrace the culture etc , how do I begin? ( my dad is Jamaican but he is very old and unfortunately never taught me much about my heritage)

I am an adopted 18 year old that lives in Usa. And I’m jamaican but I didn’t really know anything about Jamaica all though I did go there only once ! But mans want to learn the patwa and Jamaican culture anything helps!

Recently I've been working hard to create a family tree for the Jamaican side of my family. I have ancestors from mainly these two areas:

Browns Town, St Ann (Standfast) - Wilson and Jacobs Family

Duhaney Pen, St Thomas - Job and Rickards Family

May have ties to Trelawny.

Anybody that can help or are familiar with these family names or towns??

I’m biracial, and have no history or knowledge of my Afro-Caribbean heritage because I’m from an adopted family.

My genealogy is Jamaica, Ghana, Nigeria.

I want to know respectful ways to learn and appreciate this side of my family.

Any one know a place to start? Books? Resources?

Thanks in Advance.

My name last name is Myers.

My ancestors emigrated to Costa Rica from Jamaica maybe 200 years ago.

In essence my question is how did my ancestors get the last name Myers? I've been looking into it as much as I can online but only ever get results about Europeans in Jamaica and never people of African descent?

If anyone has any info on this or knows a good place to look any help would be greatly appreciated.