The bill calls for all questionnaires "used in the taking of any decennial census of the US population to include a checkbox or other similar option, so that respondents may indicate Caribbean extraction or descent."

It was lobbied for by Felicia Persaud, publisher and founder of Carib ID, and board members Chuck Mohan and Irwine Clare. The objective is to get Caribbean nationals accurately counted under a more sharply defined 'ethnic' category on all census forms. Clarke, who is the daughter of Caribbean immigrants, said that she was especially proud of the legislative move.

"We examined the (current) form and found it to be lacking. Being specific on the census form will allow the federal government to be able to allocate resources to communities of Caribbean nationals and their descendants," she said.

The bill has since been referred to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is headed by Brooklyn Congressman Ed Towns.