U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas - A Cha Cha Family. A small population descended from 17th and 18th century French Huguenot immigrants who originally settled on St. Barts. The Virgin Islands has a number of ethnic groups making up its population. The Cha Chas the tiniest in number (no more than 3000 of the 100,000+ on all 3 islands and 99.9% of them live on St Thomas), they form a distinct ethnic unit apart from other islanders (probably the closest comparison group to them would be the Cajuns of Louisiana). This fact is even noted in the Encyclopedia Brittanica in its coverage of the Virgin Islands (they also referred to them as a clannish, aloof and industrious community). Date: 1937