This research examined the depiction of Black Caribbean identity in American film and how these representations are perceived by Black Caribbean immigrants. Though race is usually the most perceptually available characteristic, cultural heritage plays a prominent role in Black Caribbean identity formation. Undertaking interpretive textual analyses of three films, Bob Marley: One Love (2024), Cool Runnings (1993), and Black Panther (2018), this study examined the surface level cultural markers used to depict Black Caribbean identity, underlying themes about what it means to be Black Caribbean, and more broadly, what it means to be Black. Results indicated that Black Caribbean identity was commonly represented by a few key cultural markers, including accent/language, clothing, location, and religion. Beyond these markers, broader themes stood out, many of which attempted to erase the Black Caribbean voice in exchange for the idea of a unified Black population under a Pan African lens.

Three focus groups were also conducted with Black Caribbean Americans, Black Jamaican Americans, and African Americans of non-Caribbean descent to examine perceptions of Black Caribbean representation in American media. Focus groups revealed that Black Caribbeans observed the absence of their culture from positive portrayals, noting the visibility of negative stereotypes in a manner similar to African Americans. They often saw these effects in their lives, as they experienced discrimination and the pressure to assimilate into American culture. Nevertheless, they retained strong cultural pride, and using media directly from the Black Caribbean, maintained strong connections with their country of origin.

This study revealed the role of the American media as a source through which Black Caribbeans become accustomed to American society and a place where non-Black Caribbeans learn about the culture. It highlights the weight that representation in film and other forms of media can have in shaping the reality of immigrants.