Starting in the mid 1800s, there were two notable waves of immigration from the British West Indies to Belize. The immigrants came mainly from Barbados and Jamaica. Many of the Barbadians who came were public servants-primarily policemen who worked in the Orange Walk and Corozal districts. Most of the Jamaicans went to the Stann Creek Valley where they worked in the production of bananas before they were able to acquire land and work as small farmers in the citrus industry.
The Barbadians who came to Belize contributed much to the country. Many were killed in the line of duty as policemen in the north of the country. Their descendants are now prominent families in the country. The Jamaicans contributed much in the form of agricultural technology in the banana and citrus industries. Jamaicans also contributed to the education of the country’s young as part of their role as teacher trainers.