Jamaican Admissions

Source: The Newest New Yorkers (2004)

When racial quotas from the 20’s were lifted and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, America was the place where Jamaicans and other immigrants wanted to be. Jamaican families could trace back their legitimacy for the family preference system. The Hart Celler Act of 1965 repealed the quota system and allowed immigrants to immigrate mainly due to family ties and skills. The family ties part of the Hart Celler Act primarily explains why over 90% of Jamaicans come through family because starting in the late nineteenth century, Jamaicans have been building close-knit communities throughout New York City primarily around the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. Most Jamaicans immigrate to be with their families – the two categories on the graph are “family preferences” and “immediate relatives.” With 93% of Jamaicans immigrating to America because of these family relationships, clearly the Jamaicans had ties here before coming, although there is a small percentage that came for other reasons, including employment, which can also explain some of the economic advantages America offered.