Many young Jamaican immigrants are succeeding in the United
States precisely because they remain strongly tied to Jamaican culture, said
University of Illinois professor Gail M. Ferguson.
“Although many of these youths have forged a unique
tricultural identity that draws from their Jamaican culture, African-American
culture, and mainstream European American culture, the important factor in
their academic and behavioral success is retaining strong ties to their
Jamaican background,” she said.