Bolivian Americans

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Bolivian American
)

Bolivian Americans
Boliviano-Americano
Total population
116,646 (2018)[1]
0.04% of the U.S. population (2018)[1]
Regions with significant populations
  • Washington Metropolitan Area
  • Miami-Dade County
  • Los Angeles
  • Queens, NY
  • Providence, RI
Languages
Religion
Predominantly
Latinos, Paraguayan Americans, Argentine Americans, Peruvian Americans, Brazilian Americans, Quechua Alliance
Part of a series on
Hispanic and
Latino Americans
National origin groups
History
Americans by ancestry
Political movements
Organizations
Culture
Languages
Ethnic groups
Lists

Bolivian Americans or Bolivia-Americans (

Bolivian
descent.

Bolivian Americans are usually those of Indigenous, Mestizo, or Spanish background but also occasionally having African, German, Croatian, Lebanese and/or Japanese heritage.

Bolivians compose the third smallest Latin American group in the United States, with a 2010 Census population of 99,210. The highest concentration resides in the

Miami-Dade County, and the cities of Los Angeles and Providence, Rhode Island
. In relative terms, a large number of Bolivian-born medical doctors reside in the Chicago metropolitan area.

History

Westlake Theatre building, side wall mural of Jaime Escalante and Edward James Olmos.

Small numbers of Bolivians have been immigrating into the United States since at least the

California Gold Rush in the mid-nineteenth century. In the first half of the twentieth century, some upper-class Bolivians came to the United States seeking to further their and their children's academic education or artistic training, including, for example, the father of Raquel Welch, an aeronautical engineering student at the University of Illinois in the 1930s, and the father of violin child prodigy Jaime Laredo
, who moved to San Francisco in the 1940s.

Large-scale Bolivian immigration into the United States occurred in two significant phases. The first phase occurred during and subsequent to the 1952 National Revolution (between 1952 and the latter 1960s). Most of these immigrants consisted of middle- to upper-middle income occupational professionals or political dissidents, belonging mainly to Bolivia's European descendant community.

Jose Toribio Medina Prize and served as president of the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials
.

The second notable phase of Bolivian immigration (between 1980 and 1988) was a result of Bolivia's fiscal policies in the 1970s which gave way to the hyperinflation throughout most of the 1980s. Most of these immigrants consisted of lower-income Mestizo (European/Amerindian mix) and Indigenous Bolivians obtaining work posts as service and manual laborers. Most of the Bolivian American population is of Quechua descent, with the majority of them hailing from the Valle Alto region of Cochabamba, from towns like Tarata, Arbieto, Cliza, Punata, and Tolata, with most of them living in the D.C. area.[10] They have also organized themselves into institutions. For example, in Chicago, the group Renacer Boliviano, the core of which hails from La Paz and Oruro, began as a caporales folk dance troupe, expanded into hosting Bolivian carnaval dinner dances in the winter and 6 de agosto barbecues in the summer, and finally has become a charitable organization that raises funds for charities in Bolivia[11] and in northern Virginia, the Arlington Bolivian Soccer League Inc is a 501(c)3 not for profit[12] that has provided funding for erecting in the Tarata town square an equestrian statue of war of independence hero Esteban Arze.

Another way that Bolivian immigrants to the United States maintain community is through annual reunions of graduates of Bolivian high schools, such as the American Institute ("Amerinst"),

Juan Lechin Oquendo as well as Bolivian Americans Jorge Berindoague, Michael Jusbasche, Nelly Sfeir Gonzalez, and Daisy Urquiola Wende. In addition, Chilean writer Isabel Allende is also an alumna of Amerinst. Notable alumni of Colegio La Salle include President Jorge Quiroga, neuroscientist Mohammed Mostajo-Radji, and Nobel laureate in literature Mario Vargas Llosa
.

In terms of cultural impact, Bolivian Americans have expanded the menu of foods available to mainstream Americans. There are Bolivian restaurants in New York City, northern Virginia, San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other major metropolitan centers. The Bolivian

saltena has a growing following in the United States. Bolivian foods such as quinoa and cherimoya are sold in many grocery stores across the country. One of the first to grow cherimoya commercially in the United States was Samuel Grossberger, a Bolivian immigrant medical doctor from Cochabamba who settled in California in the 1960s. In terms of music, Bolivian flute and panpipe melodies are well known to those who appreciate world music. The Bolivian folk group Los Kjarkas performs to sold-out audiences in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami. Their song "Llorando se fue" became known as the lambada song and was a global number one hit. In terms of fashion, Bolivian Americans, in particular the designer Daisy Wende in the 1970s, popularized the poncho as part of a stylish woman's wardrobe (previously, it had been considered male clothing). In terms of fine art, the Bolivian medical doctor and amateur painter Ruben German Plaza assembled and exhibited in the 1990s an extensive collection of prize-winning watercolors by Ohio artists (the "Plaza Collection"). Donna Huanca, born in Chicago, Illinois and resident of Berlin, Germany, is a painter, sculptor and performance artist who has shown her work internationally, including at Exhibition 211. Carolina Zumaran-Jones is a Maryland-based fine art photographer. Bolivian Americans have also left their mark on Hollywood. Jaime Mendoza-Nava composed musical soundtracks for a number of Hollywood films. Raquel Welch and Pato Hoffmann
have had starring roles in Hollywood films and Jose Luis Penaranda, Reynaldo Pacheco and Ryan Emilio Molina have had supporting roles. Doris Casap is an independent film producer. Rommel Villa is a director of short films. In journalism, Natalia Girard is a UNIVISION news anchor for the Miami metropolitan area.

Many Bolivians who emigrated to the United States came as tourists. However, many remained of indefinite way in the country, setting with family and friends. This made it difficult to know the number of Bolivians living in the United States. Between 1984 and 1993, only 4,574 Bolivians got U.S. citizenship. In this period about 457 were naturalized each year.[14]

Demographics

Actress and singer Raquel Welch.

Bolivians have settled throughout the United States, mainly in

Fulbright Scholarship,[15] the Marshall Scholarship[16] and the Rhodes Scholarship[17]
Many Bolivian American women, both those born in Bolivia as well as those born in the United States, have had noteworthy success in NCAA women's tennis.
NCAA
Division I varsity women's tennis programs.

Areas

A Bolivian restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia

The largest populations of Bolivians are situated in the following areas (Source: Census 2010):

  1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA
    – 37,607
  2. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA MSA
    – 9,749
  3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA
    – 7,068
  4. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA
    – 6,697
  5. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA
    – 2,359
  6. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA
    – 2,099
  7. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA
    – 2,078
  8. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA MSA
    – 1,970
  9. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA
    – 1,223
  10. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA
    – 1,170
  11. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA
    – 1,114
  12. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA
    – 898
  13. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA
    – 808
  14. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA
    – 744
  15. Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA
    – 710
  16. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA
    – 647
  17. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA
    – 558
  18. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA
    – 524
  19. Salt Lake City, UT MSA
    – 519
  20. Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ MSA
    – 502

Immigrants by County 2015-2019[2]

Total immigrant population from Bolivia in the U.S.: 78,900

Top Counties:

1) Fairfax County, VA ---------------------------- 13,000

2) Miami-Dade County, FL --------------------- 4,000

3) Los Angeles County, CA -------------------- 3,600

4) Arlington County, VA -------------------------- 3,600

5) Montgomery County, MD ------------------- 3,500

6) Prince William County, VA ------------------ 3,300

7) Queens Borough, NY -------------------------- 1,800

8) Orange County, CA ----------------------------- 1,800

9) Loudoun County, VA --------------------------- 1,800

10) Providence County, RI ---------------------- 1,700

11) Harris County, TX ----------------------------- 1,600

12) Collier County, FL ----------------------------- 1,500

13) Broward County, FL -------------------------- 1,400

14) Alexandria City, VA --------------------------- 1,300

15) Cook County, IL -------------------------------- 1,100

Notable people

Lists of Americans
By US state
By ethnicity or nationality
  • Juan Fernando Bastos – Bolivian born, American portrait artist
  • Jorge Berindoague – Bolivian born, Chevron executive, former Minister of Hydrocarbons of Bolivia
  • Javier Calderon
    – Bolivian born, classical guitarist and University professor
  • F. Xavier Castellanos
    – pediatric neuroscientist and medical doctor (Born Spain of Bolivian parents)
  • Brightstar Corporation
    (Born Brazil of Bolivian parents)
  • Liliana Colanzi – Professor of comparative literature, fiction writer known for environmentalist science fiction
  • Elysia Crampton – musician of Bolivian Aymara descent
  • Windsor del Llano – soccer player
  • Ana-Maria Diez de Medina – Bolivian national tennis champion in five divisions, NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, Carolina Conference Player of the Year[20]
  • Jaime Escalante – high school AP calculus teacher, educator
  • U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
  • Natalia Girard – journalist, television news anchor for UNIVISION Miami metropolitan area
  • Walter Gonzalez Gonzalez – civil and structural engineer, first Bolivian Fulbright scholar to the United States, former president of the Society of Bolivian Engineers
  • Rodrigo Hasbun
    – professor of Latin American literature, short story writer, novelist
  • Pato Hoffmann – movie and TV actor, advocate for American Indians
  • Donna Huanca – born in Chicago, Illinois resident of Berlin, Germany, painter, sculptor, performance artist who was featured at Exhibition 211
  • Michael Jusbasche – Bolivian-born, petroleum engineer, founder and CEO of ALTIVIA industrial chemicals company
  • Markita del Carpio Landry – chemical engineer, university professor, researcher on nano materials for brain imaging and agriculture (Bolivian mother, French-Canadian father)
  • Jaime Laredo – Grammy Award-winning musician, violinist, conductor, Queen Elisabeth Competition first prize in violin
  • U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
  • Jaime Mendoza-Nava – composer of Hollywood sound tracks and symphony conductor
  • Ben Mikaelsen – writer of children's literature
  • Mohammed Mostajo-Radji – Bolivian born, neuroscientist, science educator, diplomat
  • Cecilia Muñoz – public servant
  • Latin Grammy
    nominee
  • Milenka Peña – journalist, TV personality
  • NBA
    (mother Bolivian)
  • Vicente Sarmiento – economist, lawyer, politician
  • Nelly Sfeir de Gonzalez – Bolivian-born, women's suffragist, lawyer, academic librarian, bibliographer, journal editor[21][22][23][5]
  • Carlos Scott – retired Bolivian-American soccer midfielder
  • James T. Slater – singer-songwriter[24]
  • Leo Spitzer – Bolivian-born son of Austrian Jewish refugees, college professor, historian, author
  • Chris Syler – singer-songwriter
  • Alberto Torrico – member of the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board
  • Student Academy Award
  • Raquel Welch – Golden Globe-winning actress, author (father Bolivian)
  • Martin Amini – comedian (mother Bolivian)[25]
  • Carolina Zumaran-Jones – born in Argentina of Bolivian parents, former Director of the Global Leadership Institute at the Eleanor Roosevelt Center, fine art photographer

See also

References

  1. ^
    U.S. Census Bureau
    . July 1, 2018. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Immigrant Population by State and County". migrationpolicy.org. February 4, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  3. ^ The American Latino: Psychodynamic Perspectives on Culture and Mental Health Issues.
  4. ^ Jaldin, Marcelo (November 13, 2022). "Premio Walter Gonzalez: la Excelencia Académica de Ingenieria Civil" [Walter Gonzalez Prize: Academic Excellence in Civil Engineering]. La Razon (in Spanish). LaPaz, Bolivia. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "In Memoriam: Nelly Sfeir Gonzalez". February 5, 2021.
  6. ^ "Nelly Sfeir Gonzalez". Champaign-Urbana News Gazette. December 12, 2020.
  7. ^ "History & Mission". bolivia-us.org. Bolivian American Chamber of Commerce. 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Cavero, Raleigh. "Our Latino Heritage: Why Chicago Became Home to Many Bolivian Doctors". Latino Reports. NBC News.
  9. ^ https://bsj.pitt.edu/Journal History
  10. ^ Only the Bridge Matters Now
  11. ^ "Renacer Boliviano". Archived from the original on September 26, 2023.
  12. ^ Wax, Emily. "For Area Bolivians, Cherishing the Past, Looking to the Future". local news. The Washington Post.
  13. ^ <!—Not Stated—> (2022). "Asociación de Ex-Alumnos Amerinst USA (AEA-USA)". examerinst-usa.com. AEA-USA. Retrieved October 4, 2023.[dead link]
  14. ^ a b Bolivian Americans by Tim Eigo
  15. ^ "Natasha Gonzalez named Fulbright Scholar". gocrimson.com. Harvard University Women's Tennis. April 29, 2020.
  16. ^ Ryan, Paul (October 8, 2018). "Tennis is a Synonym for Friendship". USTA Texas. Austin. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  17. ^ "Men's Tennis' Xavier Gonzalez Named Rhodes Scholar". gocrimson.com. Harvard University Men's Tennis. November 20, 2017.
  18. ^ "HPU Athletics Honors 2018 Hall of Fame Class". High Point University Athletics. April 21, 2018.
  19. ^ "Natasha Gonzalez Awarded ITA Northeast's Arthur Ashe Award". gocrimson.com. Harvard University Women's Tennis. May 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2023. Gonzalez, the 2019-20 team co-captain, has also been named to the Spring 2020 Academic All-Ivy team
  20. ^ "HPU Athletics Honors 2018 Hall of Fame Class". High Point University Athletics. April 21, 2018.
  21. ^ "Nelly Sfeir Gonzalez". Champaign-Urbana News Gazette. December 12, 2020.
  22. ^ "Gonzalez, Nelly S. 1930". encyclopedia.com. on line: on line encyclopedia. 2004. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  23. doi:10.5195/bsj.2022.259
    . Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Durango: Songwriters Expo Archived 2010-12-24 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ^ "Bolivian-Iranian Comedian Martin Amini Provides the Kind of Relief We Need Right Now".

Further reading

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bolivian_Americans&oldid=1218022582"