History of the Jamaican Diaspora

Jamaicans have been emigrating to countries like Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Close to a million Jamaicans emigrated, mainly to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Jamaican-U.S. migration increased dramatically, primarily of skilled Jamaican nurses. This was influenced by high U.S. labor demand for nurses and medical workers, a shift in emigrant destinations after restrictions from Great Britain's Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962, and the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 favoring higher skilled Jamaicans and other West Indians.

Job opportunities in Britain began with post-war reconstruction and continued with unemployment challenges.

Jamaicans started migrating to the UK due to labor shortages after World War 2. This migration is known as the Windrush Generation, named after the first ship, Empire Windrush, that carried passengers from Jamaica to the UK.

Jamaicans supplied labor, especially during the Panama Canal's construction.