What it is, and why June
In 2005, Dr. Claire A. Nelson founded the Institute of Caribbean Studies’ annual Caribbean American Heritage Month campaign. The following year, Congress passed H.Con.Res. 71, officially designating June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month — a federal recognition of the role Caribbean Americans have played in the country since the founding (Alexander Hamilton, born in Nevis, is the textbook example).
In NYC, June is bookended by Haitian Flag Day on May 18 at the start and West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day at the close of the cultural year. Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 14 anchors the month itself. Cultural programming runs at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Public Library, Caribbean Cultural Center, and dozens of community organizations — most of it free.
It’s also the month when Caribbean-owned restaurants, bookstores, bakeries, and cultural spaces push their heritage forward — a great excuse to eat somewhere you’ve been meaning to try.
Four weeks, four moves
If you’re Trini, get Haitian. If you’re Jamaican, hit a Guyanese roti shop on Liberty Ave. The whole point of the month is the entire diaspora — not one island.
Sunday June 14, Fifth Avenue. The largest Puerto Rican Day Parade in the country. Pair it with a meal in East Harlem or the South Bronx.
Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, and the Caribbean Cultural Center all run Heritage Month lectures, readings, and family programs. Mostly free.
Groceries, bookstores, barbers, cultural spaces, legal and accounting services. Every dollar that stays in the community is the whole point.
Mark your calendar
The month’s anchor events — bookended by Haitian Flag Day and Labor Day Weekend.
Brooklyn’s Haitian community lights up Crown Heights and Flatbush. The unofficial start of Caribbean cultural season.
See where to celebrate →
Sunday June 14, Fifth Ave from 44th to 86th. Biggest Puerto Rican Day Parade in the country — the centerpiece of June in NYC.
Event details →
The cultural year closes on Eastern Parkway. Plan ahead — J’ouvert at 4am Monday, Parade Monday morning.
See the full guide →
Hosting a Heritage Month event? Submit it → — we’ll add it here.
Caribbean NYC, course by course
A starter kit for the month: one anchor spot per major cuisine.
Or browse all 11 Caribbean NYC guides by occasion →
One email. One Caribbean NYC pick a week.
Every Thursday in June, a hand-picked Heritage Month event, restaurant, or shop — from a Brooklyn-based Caribbean directory built by a Caribbean American.
Hosting a Heritage Month event?
Cultural programs, pop-ups, lectures, film screenings, community dinners — we want to list them all. Free.