The
Caribbean is often branded as heaven on earth for vacationers - a fun
exotic destination for visitors. This kind of view conveniently
disregards several things. Mostly it is its disproportionate
vulnerability to the results of climate change with all of the
extreme weather that has been hitting the region for some time. The
financial prospects of its people are not so shiny either. Searching
for a better life is perhaps the most common reason why people from
the Caribbean move to America. And they do it a lot. According to a
World Bank report from 2015, almost seventy percent of the Caribbean
diaspora has settled in the USA. Even with more
and more anti-immigration policies
trying to dissuade people from doing it, it is still a common
occurrence. However, even though they are geographically close and
moving to the US is pretty popular, these two areas are not
particularly similar. So, if you’ve decided to go down the route of
moving from the Caribbean to the USA – what’s to know?

Where to move?

According to
migrationpolicy.org, the majority of Caribbean immigrants moving to
America between 2013 and 2017 settled either in Florida or in the
state of New York. Jamaican citizens particularly favor New York,
though they are otherwise pretty evenly spread out. As for cities,
the most popular ones for Caribbean immigrants are New York City and
the metropolitan area of Miami. There are several reasons for this.
The main is the fact that both of these cities are already melting
pots. They are already very ethnically diverse, while the same cannot
be said for most other places in the country. Moving from the
Caribbean to the USA historically often meant moving to New York or
Miami.

Miami is particularly welcoming to immigrants from the Caribbean. According to the 2008 Census, almost sixty percent of the Miami County spoke Spanish. Half of those people stated that they do not speak English very well. Though immigrants from the Caribbean are likely to speak English well, eliminating the language barrier can give a considerable push to potential immigrants. But keep in mind that you will need the right help if you decide to take this step. Hiring affordable movers like miamimoversforless.com can help ease your transition to Miami.

If you are moving
from the Caribbean to the USA and are more interested in a smaller
town, why not opt for settling
down in Davie, FL with some assistance?
Davie is a town in Broward County with a fifth of its residents being
Spanish speakers. Broward County, on the whole, is one of Florida’s
counties with a large population of immigrants from the Caribbean.

How do you move
to the US legally?

There are several
avenues for moving from the Caribbean to the USA legally. According
to migrationpolicy.org, however, Caribbean immigrants are more likely
to gain citizenship by becoming naturalized citizens. In order to
become a naturalized citizen, you must be at least 18 years old and
you have to have been lawfully admitted into the US for permanent
residence. The highest naturalization rates in the past have been
achieved by immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. Two
additional ways of obtaining
a green card
are either through the family reunification channels or gaining a
green card as a refugee or asylum-seeker.

Moving from the Caribbean to the USA – what’s to know?

In many ways, moving
from the Caribbean to the USA is the same as moving anywhere else.
You need to look out for the same things and work tirelessly at
organizing your move as best as you can. However, there are certain
cultural and practical inconsistencies you may want to pay attention
to.

Weather

If you are coming
from the Caribbean, you are probably used to having only two seasons
– the dry and the wet season. The USA, however, has a much more
varied climate. So depending on where you’re moving, you may need
to modify the clothes you bring with you as well as your expectations
of what everyday life is going to be like. New York is a popular spot
for Caribbean immigrants. However, it has four seasons and its
winters can really blindside someone who favors being warm for most
of the year. This is perhaps part of the reason why immigrants from
the Caribbean often choose Florida – its climate is much closer to
what they’re used to.

Understand
and appreciate other cultures

While this is not a
rule, sometimes coming from a small nation in the Caribbean can mean
no exposure to a variety of different experiences you will probably
come across in the US. This is particularly true of metropolitan
areas. Some of the most surprising events can be witnessing the
freedom certain communities enjoy in the US as opposed to what you
have experienced back home. Furthermore, with these places being such
vibrant melting pots, you are likely to meet people from different
backgrounds and walks of life. Try to approach everyone with an open
mind and heart. You will learn more and be more life-savvy. Not only
that but your life will be richer simply through experiencing and
appreciating those differences.

Culture
shock

Beware of culture
shock.
No matter how much you may want your move and how much you are
excited about it, culture shock will find you. Its four stages are:

• 
  The honeymoon stage
  when everything seems perfect, fun and exciting.
  
• The
  frustration stage is possibly the most difficult one. It pretty much
  represents the fatigue with everything that is new to you. Those are
  usually things that used to tickle you to no end only the day
  before.
  
• During
  the adjustment stage, you start feeling more comfortable and used to
  the novelty.
  
• Acceptance
  – the final stage.
  

Everyone
experiences culture shock. However, finding your own way to navigate
it is part of moving from the Caribbean to the USA. Make sure you
don’t isolate yourself and try to stay positive even through your
darkest periods.