Panamanian Americans () are Americans of Panamanian descent. Panamanian Americans are the second smallest Central American ethnic group in the United States as of 2010.
Panamanian immigration to the United States is intertwined with the complex diplomatic relationship between the two nations, which formally began in 1903 following Panama's separation from Colombia. Early migration patterns were significantly influenced by the construction and operation of the Panama Canal.
The Panamanian-American population in the United States grew significantly from 100,000 in 2000 to 240,000 in 2021, representing a 134% increase over two decades. Many Panamanian-Americans reside near army-based cities. Panamanian Americans are primarily concentrated in five states including Florida, New York, California, Texas, and Georgia.
History Before the 20th century Panamanians settled in the United States before the 19th century, however they were not required to be recorded in immigration records. U.S. Immigration officials did not differentiate between Latin American immigrants at the time. Early migration patterns show just 44 Panamanians recorded in the United States in the 1830s.
1900s—present Immigration gradually increased, reaching over 1,000 annual arrivals by the early 1900s, though these numbers declined following World War I.
The 1940 Census recorded 7,000 Americans of Central American descent, with several hundred likely being Panamanian or of Colombian heritage from areas that later formed the Republic of Panama. After World War II, immigration from Panama to the United States increased significantly, with the Census Bureau noting in 1960 that Panamanians were among the largest Central American groups in the nation.
From 1962 onward, domestic service remained a significant occupation among Panamanian immigrants, comprising 15–28% of employed newcomers. The 1968 immigration preference system, which prioritized family reunification, facilitated increased immigration of homemakers and children. By 1970, Central Americans in the U.S. had grown to 174,000, with Panamanians emerging as one of the largest Central American immigrant groups. Substantial Panamanian immigration occurred after the 1965 Immigration Act, which paradoxically imposed a 120,000-person limit on Western Hemisphere admissions.
Approximately twice as many women as men immigrated to the United States, with many women finding employment in housekeeping, service industries, or as low-level white-collar workers, while sending remittances back to their families. As of 2013, about 20% of Panamanian migrants were employed in the domestic sector. Foreign-born Panamanian-American adults show a higher marriage rate of 46%, while their U.S.-born counterparts have a lower rate of 37%.
By 1990, the Panamanian-American population had reached approximately 86,000 people.
Panamanian Americans were the second smallest Central American ethnic group in the United States as of the 2010 Census. The Panamanian-American population in the United States grew significantly from 100,000 in 2000 to 240,000 in 2021, representing a 134% increase over two decades. As of 2021, Panamanian Americans are primarily concentrated in five states including Florida (17%), New York (17%), California (10%), Texas (9%), and Georgia (8%).
As of 2021, the median annual personal earnings for Panamanian Americans aged 16 and above reached $36,000. For full-time workers, Panamanian Americans reported median earnings of $50,000. Foreign-born Panamanian Americans represent 36% of their community, with most having established long-term residence and citizenship in the United States. Panamanian Americans hold bachelor's degrees at nearly double the rate of the general Hispanic American population, and U.S.-born Panamanians show especially high rates of college completion. In the same year, 118,301 Panamanian Americans were born in the United States (including Zonians), while 61,824 gained citizenship through naturalization, and 21,827 remained non-citizens. The 2022 US Census Bureau demographic data reported that over half of Panamanian Americans identified with a single race, while 42.7% reported multiracial heritage.
Migration to New York City A mass migration of Afro-Caribbean Panamanians to New York City began in the 1940s due to Panama's 1941 Constitution. Immigration patterns show that over 10,000 non-US citizens departed from Panama for the United States between 1946 and 1949. This constitution denationalized individuals with foreign-born parents from "prohibited races," which significantly impacted the Afro-Caribbean Panamanian community.
Though Harlem was the initial home for many Panamanian immigrants, the expansion of subway lines connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn in the late 1930s led more Afro-Caribbean Panamanians to settle in Brooklyn during the 1940s. Brooklyn's residential patterns were characterized by racial segregation, with North and Central Brooklyn areas designated for non-white residents. These residential restrictions reflected similar segregation practices implemented in both the Canal Zone and Panama. These communities maintained Panamanian cultural traditions while integrating into New York City culture. Many participated in both Spanish and English-speaking social spheres, where they formed connections with broader Black diaspora communities throughout the borough.
Las Servidoras was a scholarship-granting organization founded by Afro-Panamanian women in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1950s. On April 20, 1963, on the tenth anniversary of the organization's founding, all of its members became lifelong NAACP members. The organization Las Servidoras promoted a broader concept of Panamanian identity (ser panameño) that included communities living outside Panama's borders, expanding the traditional nation-based definition of citizenship.
A 1952 Amsterdam News article documented the cultural practices of Brooklyn's Afro-Caribbean Panamanian community through its coverage of a birthday celebration. The event featured traditional elements such as tamborito dances and folkloric attire, illustrating how the community preserved Panamanian customs in their new urban setting.
By 1970, New York was home to 17,000 Panamanians of mostly Mestizo, Black, and Indigenous descent.
Panamanian Americans made significant contributions to the development of reggaeton music, particularly through their work in New York during the late 1980s and early 1990s. While the initial reggae en Español movement originated in Panama, the Panamanian-American music scene in New York played a crucial role in transforming it into early reggaeton through the incorporation of urban American music styles. This fusion occurred primarily through production work in New York studios, where Panamanian-American producers and artists combined Caribbean rhythms with elements of hip-hop and house music, creating a distinctive sound that would later influence reggaeton's development in Puerto Rico and other regions.
Florida From 1904, the Panama Canal Zone fostered a distinct American community known as "Zonians", who enjoyed U.S.-style amenities and infrastructure. The Zone maintained a rigid social system dividing white "gold roll" workers from West Indian "silver roll" laborers, who faced discrimination and hazardous work conditions. After the Zone's closure in 1979, former residents continued their community connections through yearly gatherings in Tampa, Florida.
The Panamanian American Chamber of Commerce was established in Miami during the 1990s to support Panamanian exiles who fled to South Florida during the Noriega dictatorship.
As of 2010, there were 17,301 Panamanians living in Florida, with Miami hosting 13,529 and Tampa with 3,772. This is due to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Georgia The Panamanian-American dance troupe named Orgullo Panameño from Hinesville, Georgia performed at the Fiesta Latina festival on River Street in Savannah, Georgia in 2013. They performed dressed in polleras and diablicos sucios.
California In 1970, there were a little less than 600 Panamanian Americans in San Francisco, California.
Language As of 2021, Panamanian Americans demonstrate higher rates of English language proficiency compared to the broader Hispanic population in the United States. Among Panamanian-Americans aged 5 and older, 87% either exclusively use English at home or speak it "very well," while this figure stands at 72% for the general Hispanic population. Similarly, adult Panamanians show elevated levels of English proficiency at 85%, exceeding the 67% rate observed among the overall Hispanic adult population.
Notable figures Musicians
Billy Cobham, born in 1944, is a Panamanian-American drummer, composer, and bandleader who played a pivotal role in developing jazz fusion music. His 1973 debut solo album "Spectrum" became a landmark recording in the genre, blending rock instrumentation with jazz complexity. Cobham is known for his drumming technique, including the use of two drumsticks in each hand, and has collaborated with notable artists including Miles Davis, John McLaughlin in the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Carlos Santana, and the Grateful Dead.
Rubén Blades was born in Panamá, and moved to New York City in 1974. He is a songwriter, actor, lawyer, and politician, best known for being a salsa singer and composer. Pedro Navaja As a songwriter, Blades brought the lyrical sophistication of Central American nueva canción and Cuban nueva trova as well as experimental tempos and politically inspired Son Cubano salsa to his music, creating "thinking persons' (salsa) dance music". Blades has written dozens of hit songs, including "Pedro Navaja" and "El Cantante". He has received 21 Grammy Award nominations, winning twelve of them, along with twelve Latin Grammy Awards.
Nancy Ames is a Panamanian-American folk singer and songwriter known for her guitar performances and Spanish-language songs. She is the granddaughter of a Panamanian president, Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro. She gained attention in the 1960s for her musical performances incorporating romantic Latin American themes.
Jeff Buckley was an American singer-songwriter born to Mary Guibert, a classically trained pianist and daughter of Panamanian American Zonian immigrants to Anaheim, California, and Tim Buckley, a folk singer.
Singer and rapper Aloe Blacc is Panamanian-American.
Making Movies is a Kansas City-based band formed by two sets of brothers; Panamanian-American siblings Enrique Chi (guitar) and Diego Chi (bass), alongside Mexican-American brothers Andres Chaurand (drums) and Juan-Carlos Chaurand (percussion/keyboards). The band's personal experiences inform their work. Due to changes in U.S. immigration law, Enrique and Diego Chi held different citizenship statuses despite being born to the same American citizen father. They have collaborated with the Panamanian singer, actor and activist Rubén Blades.
Los Rakas are a Panamanian-American hip-hop duo.
Pop Smoke, born Bashar Jackson, was an influential American rapper of Panamanian and Jamaican descent who emerged from Brooklyn's drill rap scene. His stage name combined two childhood nicknames: "Papa," given by his Panamanian grandmother, and "Smoke," bestowed by friends. Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, in a middle-class duplex, he represented a significant breakthrough in New York's hip-hop landscape. His musical career, though brief, was marked by rapid success. His signature style featured a distinctive gravel-voiced delivery reminiscent of 1990s New York rap. His debut album "Meet the Woo" (2019) established him in the hip-hop community, leading to collaborations with prominent artists including Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, and Quavo. His second album achieved notable commercial success, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. Pop Smoke's life was tragically cut short at age 20 during a home invasion in Los Angeles in February 2020.