Jamaicans.com is the most comprehensive website for everything you wish to know about the island country Jamaica, from its culture to people to food and language. In fact, you can also learn how to speak the Jamaican language and find relevant information to plan your travel to the country. The platform keeps you updated with Jamaican/Caribbean news, announcements, and feature interviews with Jamaicans making an impact in their community and the world. The goal of Jamaicans.com is to showcase Jamaica and its people to generations of Jamaicans, or anyone who is interested to know about the country.
Jamaicans.com was started during a phase when the internet became mainstream going from a private military and education network to being available to the general public. At that time there were only two Jamaican-related websites online, one was a school project and the other a Jamaican high school alumni email directory. In March 1992, while studying at Miami-Dade College, Xavier Murphy started a monthly print newsletter called "Nuff Respect" as an effort to provide cultural information and promote his island home, Jamaica, in South Florida. In 1995, while working for a travel-related electronic marketing company, Xavier recalled doing an internet search and realized that on the new emerging worldwide web, there were not many outlets focused on Jamaica, Jamaican culture, and lifestyle. The lack of Jamaican content on the internet gave Xavier the idea to start the "Unofficial Website of Jamaica" using the content he already had from the print publication "Nuff Respect". For two years, the website operated under the name "Unofficial Website of Jamaica, while attracting thousands of visitors who quickly became loyal followers. After an almost year-long process of the then-tedious task of securing a domain name, Jamaicans.com graced computer screens worldwide.
The Jamaicans.com platform is very unique as it is the only media platform that facilitates a connection between Jamaicans on the island and those living overseas in the Jamaican Diaspora. It not only offers the world's largest database of Jamaican Recipes but also provides the most comprehensive information on Jamaican travel and Jamaican Culture. Jamaicans.com is also the first platform to provide a Jamaican language (Patois) Dictionary online. The platform has evolved over the years to keep up with new technology. They have a content marketing team that not only handles all aspects of content development on the website but also on social media.
The platform recently received accolades in the media for its popular video series "Jamaicans to the World" which surpassed a combined 3 million views on YouTube and Facebook. The series was also named as one of the most binge-able Caribbean video series by Island Origins, an award-winning US-based print magazine. The docuseries explores the personal accounts of Jamaicans who have chosen to live overseas and gives others the benefit to learn from their experiences. The interviews also take into account serious matters, such as racism, perceptions of Jamaicans overseas, and the potential challenges associated with moving to another country with an unfamiliar culture. The expatriate Jamaicans also discuss the cost of living in their new countries and offer tips about the best ways to adjust to an unfamiliar environment.
"I am amazed by the adventurous spirit of many of these Jamaicans who move to another country and make it their new home," said Murphy. "I have learned so much doing this interview docuseries with Jamaicans living abroad", he added.
Thus far, Murphy has spoken with Jamaicans living in 74 different countries: China, Ireland, Ghana, Australia, Zambia, Costa Rica, Norway, Japan to name a few. The future plan of the platform is to continue to tell the stories of Jamaicans living on the island and overseas by doing live shows, docuseries, and increasing video offerings. Murphy plans to continue satisfying the interest of his online fans in how Jamaicans adjust to life beyond the borders of their home country.
Murphy was honored in August 2012 as Community Luminary for Cultural Arts/ Media and Community Development by the Jamaican Consulate. In June 2016, he received the People Profile Innovovator Award. In June 2021, he was named the Jamaica Diaspora Champion in Media. In August 2021, Murphy was honored with a Cultural Icon Outstanding Jamaican American Award from the City of Miami Gardens for his contributions to the community provided through Jamaicans.com.
