National Caribbean Heritage Month here in the U.S. begins June 1. When the news was announced that Vice President Kamala Harris would be heading to the Caribbean on June 8 for a meeting in the Bahamas with Caribbean leaders, it struck me that this meeting, one of several that she has already participated in, is a clear example of the cultural and personal ties that exist between some of our prominent political figures and Caribbean nations. For the first time in history, our second-most powerful politician, the vice president, has direct ties—via her father’s family—to Jamaica.

To kick off the celebration, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight her, along with other key Caribbean American figures in the Biden administration and Congress.

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Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.