Xavier Murphy of Jamaicans dot com: I Am Living Proof Of The American Dream

An Interview With Vicky Colas

Give back — The rewards of giving back to your community are tremendous and many times unseen. Your story will inspire someone.

Is the American Dream still alive? If you speak to many of the immigrants we spoke to, who came to this country with nothing but grit, resilience, and a dream, they will tell you that it certainly is still alive.

As a part of our series about immigrant success stories, I had the pleasure of interviewing Xavier Murphy.

Xavier Murphy founded the Jamaicans.com platform in 1995 and is a pioneer for web-based technology for the Jamaican Diaspora. Xavier is very active in the South Florida community and has served in a leadership capacity for many organizations including President of the South Florida chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals. He is the founding as well as the current president of the Jamaica College Old Boys Association of Florida (JCOBAFL). He was honored in August 2012 as Community Luminary for Cultural Arts/ Media and Community Development by the Jamaican Consulate. He was honored in November 2012 as one of South Florida Most Accomplished Black Community Leaders and Entrepreneurs. In 2016 Mr. Murphy, was named Innovator of the Year at 2016 The People Profile Awards in South Florida. Xavier Receives 2019 Caribbean American Heritage Award. Murphy was honored in 2020 with a Proclamation by the City of Lauderhill commemorating his great work in the Caribbean community. In June 2021 Xavier Murphy was named the Jamaica Diaspora Champion in Media. In August 2021 Xavier was honored with a Cultural Icon Outstanding Jamaican American Award from the City of Miami Garden for his contributions to the community provided through Jamaicans.com.

Mr. Murphy lives in South Florida with his wife Karen and their three daughters.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Jamaica until I graduated from high school. My parents encouraged my brother and I to shoot for the stars. My dad would always say “if you don’t intend to do a good job then do not do it at all”. I went to an all-boys high school, Jamaica College, where I learned to be patient, persistent, and the strength of community.

Was there a particular trigger point that made you emigrate to the US? Can you tell us the story?

I journeyed to the US seeking higher education. University/College in Jamaica is very competitive and there are not a lot of openings. I was an average student who would probably not make the cut to get into one of those schools. After graduation and a discussion with my parents, the US was the best place for me to go to pursue a higher education.

Can you tell us the story of how you came to the USA? What was that experience like?

I came to Miami when I migrated. I have visited before but it is so different from living there. I remember being surprised as I noticed how much food people threw away and how rather than fixing things people would replace them. I had a little culture shock as I realized how different things were from Jamaica.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped make the move more manageable? Can you share a story?

When I first moved to the US I stayed with close family friends from Jamaica who I called Aunt and Uncle for about 6 months. Uncle Sam and Aunt Lorna welcome me into their family like I was their son. They provided guidance that helped me to adjust to a school work life in the US. Their children were my siblings for the time I lived with them and were a bridge for me to understand my generation in the US. I am forever grateful to them both. Uncle Sam has passed and may God Bless his soul.

So how are things going today?

A lot has changed since I arrived in the USA but it’s going great. I live in South Florida which is very multicultural, has a large Jamaican community and is less than 2 hours away from Jamaica. I have a wife and 3 daughters who are the foundation of a lot of what I do. While living in the USA I founded the jamaicans.com platform which has reached more Jamaicans living worldwide than I could have ever dreamed of when I started it over 26 year ago.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

One of the goals of the jamaicans.com platform is to showcase the stories of others. I am thrilled when I see people or organizations we showcased excel and succeed.

You have first hand experience with the US immigration system. If you had the power, which three things would you suggest to improve the system?

It’s been a long time since I have had any experience with the US immigration system so my thoughts on improving it is based on my past experience and feedback I have gotten from others.

1. Provide a status tracker for petitioners.
2. Improve the processing time for petitioners.
3. Implement policies that reunite families.

Can you share “5 keys to achieving the American dream” that others can learn from you? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Be Persistent — Expect disappointments but never give up trying.
2. Be Thankful — Take time be thankful and celebrate wins.
3. Be open-minded — Not because you always did it one way makes it the best way to achieve the goal. Be open to hearing new ideas.
4. Give back — The rewards of giving back to your community are tremendous and many times unseen. Your story will inspire someone.
5. Stay Focused — We live in a world today that distractions are everywhere. It is said that the new superpower is being focused.

We know that the US needs improvement. But are there 3 things that make you optimistic about the US’s future?

1. More minorities and people of color are being brought to the table at the highest levels of decision-making in the U.S.

2. The next generation is smart, open-minded, and vocal. They are ready to change the world.

3. Per the recent census American is becoming more diverse. This trend means more ideas will be brought to the table.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley — I love her straightforward leadership style. Since becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Barbados she has taken some bold actions that has “ruffled” some feathers including leaving the British Commonwealth and removing statues from the country’s colonial past. Real change requires making difficult decisions and she certainly has not shied away from.

What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online?

For readers to learn more about my work please visit jamaicans.com and all the social media platforms we are on.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and providing a platform for immigrants to the USA to do the same.