West Indian American Food

The term “West Indian” has been a source of some confusion for scholars and sociologists who have sought to tease apart this aspect of the American ethnic experience and the cuisine that goes with it. While the term has been used interchangeably with “Caribbean,” separate census identification of Hispanics as a group has largely removed Spanish-speaking Caribbean islanders from being considered “West Indian,” though many culinary similarities exist. French Caribbeans, though small in number, are considered part of the larger West Indian umbrella.