The United States purchased more than fifty islands from Denmark for $25 million in 1917. Today these constitute the territory of the US Virgin Islands (as distinct from British holdings), whose 101,800 citizens are US citizens, although they do not vote in presidential elections. The three main islands—St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John—offer safe American centers for Caribbean resort life, which is the backbone of the local economy Despite this successful modern incorporation, tensions of race have become apparent in both local development (and the role of the predominantly Afro-Caribbean population) and in treatment of Caribbean migrants.