The West Indies are predominantly groups of Islands between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean . They include indepent nations of Bahamas, Puerto Rico etc.
Their ancestry is traced to the Africans , who were relocated through slave trade to the Americas. At the abolition of slave trade in the United States, they were deported from the United States into the Virgin Islands of the Caribbeans.
It is obvious that despite their historical ties to the Americas, they are independent of her, being sovereign independent nations.
They are mainly fishermen and peasant farmers, while tourism, especially by their warm beautiful beaches is their main source of foreign exchange earnings. Major language spoken is American English, but some speaks the corrupted hybrid of English and African languages. The Haitians also speaks Creole.
Wouldn't you rather plan a vacation to the Caribbeans??