Barbadians

Barbadians or Bajans (pronounced /ˈbeɪdʒən(z)/ BAY-jənz) are people who are identified with the country of Barbados, by being citizens or their descendants in the Barbadian diaspora. The connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Barbadians, several (or all) of those connections exist and are collectively the source of their identity. Barbadians are a multi-ethnic and multicultural society of various ethnic, religious and national origins; therefore Barbadians do not necessarily equate their ethnicity with their Barbadian nationality.

"Bajans" redirects here. For other uses, see Bajan.
Not to be confused with Barbarian.

Barbadians
Flag of Barbados
Regions with significant populations
 Barbados 284,589 (2014)[1]
 United States65,653 (2013)[2]
 Canada37,780 (2016)[3]
 United Kingdom18,762 (2011)[4]
 Trinidad and Tobago1,147[5]
 Jamaica1,000[6]
Languages
Bajan Creole, English
Religion
Predominantly Protestant, also Islam, Judaism, Rastafarianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Baha’i[7]
Related ethnic groups
Other Caribbean peoples (especially Afro-Caribbeans), Americo-Liberians

History

The earliest inhabitants of Barbados were indigenous Kalinago (Caribs) and Arawaks from South America. Between 1536 and 1550, Spanish raiders regularly seized large numbers of indigenous Taino and Kalinago from Barbados to be used as slave labour on regional plantations. This prompted the Kalinago to flee the island for other Caribbean destinations such as Dominica and St Vincent. The first European settlement on Barbados were English colonists. Africans were brought to Barbados during the slave trade.[8]

Ethnic groups

Most Barbadians are of African or mixed-race descent. They are descendants of enslaved people brought from West Africa. Mixed-race Barbadians are descendants of Europeans, Africans, and other ethnic groups. White Barbadians are mainly of British and Irish descent. There is also a small population of Syrians, Lebanese, Jewish, Indian and Chinese people in the country.[9][10] Scotland deported Roma to Barbados in the seventeenth century.[11] Barbados has a small Asian population who are mainly Indians. The Asians were brought to Barbados as indentured laborers in the late 19th century. Barbados's Indian population also come from Guyana. Indians have influenced Barbadian cuisine, music, and culture. Barbados is also home to expatriates from other countries who mainly from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.[12]

Culture

Barbadian culture is influenced by African, European, and Indigenous traditions. Barbados is famous for its music, with genres such as calypso, soca, and reggae being the most popular in the country. Rihanna is one of the most well-known Barbadian musicians. Barbadian cuisine is a fusion of African, European, indigenous and Caribbean influences. Some of Barbados most popular dishes are cou-cou and flying fish. Barbados's rum industry is a significant contributor to Barbadian culture and history.[13]

Diaspora

Many Barbadians now live overseas and outside of Barbados; the majority have migrated to Anglophone countries, including around 65,000 in the United States, 37,780 in Canada, some 19,000 in the United Kingdom, and some 500–1,000 Barbadians in Liberia. In addition to Anglophone countries other groups of Barbadians have moved to Latin countries including Brazil, Cuba[14] and Panama.[15][16]

List of notable Barbadians
Main article: List of Barbadian people

See also

References
  1. "The World Factbook: Barbados". cia.gov. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  2. Results   American Fact Finder (US Census Bureau)
  3. Statistics Canada. "Census Profile, 2016 Census". Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  4. "Country-of-birth database". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Archived from the original on 17 June 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  5. Barbados - International emigrant stock
  6. "Immigrant and Emigrant Populations by Country of Origin and Destination".
  7. "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Barbados".
  8. World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Barbados
  9. "Barbados - Climate | Britannica".
  10. "What is the Ethnic Composition of the Population of Barbados?". 8 July 2019.
  11. The A to Z of the Gypsies (Romanies). p. 238.
  12. Introduction to Barbados.
  13. Introduction to Barbados.
  14. Bajan Descendants Living In Cuba Show Off Their Art
  15. "Chamberlain, M.: Migration and Post-Colonialism: the Commonwealth Caribbean, 2008". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  16. ‘LONG LOST’ BAJANS IN PANAMA – LOOKING FOR FAMILY IN BARBADOS, CAN YOU HELP?
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