elize became part of the British Empire in 1862, deepening the influence of English — which had already been present, especially on the Caribbean coast for at least the previous 100-200 years. Today English is the official language, but the English-based Belizean Creole is the principal language of daily life. As in other Caribbean societies, many people have command of a whole spectrum of registers depending on the occasion. Belizeans in New York live primarily in Brooklyn, with a concentration in eastern Crown Heights and the surrounding neighborhoods, and many in the community are Garifuna, a group with roots in both Africa and the Caribbean that is also working to preserve its own distinctive native language.