Immigration to Venezuela

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Immigration to Venezuela historically has been significant. Because of the Venezuelan geographical location as a gateway to South America, this nation has been the plot for many newcomers, even taking place before Columbus' discovery in 1498 when many aboriginal inhabitants came and left Venezuela. After the Spanish colonization of the Americas brought European colonists and African slaves, immigration to Venezuela was significant particularly in the period after World War II, with large numbers of immigrants from Asia and Europe, particularly southern Europe. In addition, Venezuela shares a 1000-mile border with Colombia and has long had substantial numbers of Colombian residents. Since the 1980s, the Colombian conflict has seen largescale Colombian immigration, with Venezuela the number one destination for displaced Colombians.[citation needed]

Immigration under Spanish rule

European immigration in Venezuela began in 1500 with the Spanish colonization of

Cumana, the oldest Spanish city still in existence in Mainland America. Many Spaniards began their explorations searching for gold, while others Spaniards established themselves as leaders of the native social organizations, teaching natives the Christian faith and the ways of their civilization. Catholic priests would provide education for Native Americans that otherwise was unavailable. Within 100 years after the first Spanish settlement, nearly 95 percent of all Native Americans in Venezuela had died.[1]
The majority of the deaths of Native Americans were the cause of diseases such as measles and smallpox, which were spread by European settlers.

Out of all

mixed-race population which are the majority of people in Venezuela today.[citation needed
] Starting in the early 1500s, except the authorization of german settlers in Venezuela from 1527 to 1548, Spain discouraged non-Spaniard immigration to its colonies to prevent other European countries from asserting claims over the colony. Meanwhile, nearly 200,000 Africans were forcibly brought to supply labor to the agriculture and mining economy. (see Afro-Venezuelans)

Nineteenth-century immigration

After independence in 1821, a lack of economic attractions and successive civil wars provided few incentives for immigration as

Venezuela Crisis of 1902–1903
, German traders dominated Venezuela's import/export sector and informal banking system.

Caribbean immigration

Because of the Venezuelan geographical location as a gateway to South America, this nation has been the plot for many newcomers, even taking place before Columbus' discovery when many aboriginal inhabitants came and left Venezuela. During the later centuries African-descendants from the Caribbean islands entered Venezuela as immigrants. Among them Trinidadians, Cubans, Dominicans, Haitians, Dutch Antilleans, Martiniquens, Grenadians; in summary people from all the Caribbean nations.[2] To summarize Antillian blacks [3] coming even from British, Dutch and French Guianas.

Haitians in Venezuela

The Haitian immigration has been neither valued nor documented unlike the European immigration.[4] However, they have left their legacy in the nation. In 1806, Francisco de Miranda design the first Venezuelan flag in Jacmel (South of Haiti). On December 24, 1815 the general Simon Bolivar first set foot on Haitian soil. The liberator in 1816 with 400 men all of them Haitians fought for the freedom cause reach Venezuela.

The immigration of Haitians can be organized into three phases. The first from the beginning of the 1960s to the beginning of the dictatorship of the

boom" of the Venezuelan economy a greater flow of Haitian nationals entering Venezuela (from the Netherlands Antilles). In mid-1980 the last group enter directly from Haiti, settling down first in Caracas (Carapita, Antímano, San Martin, Catia and La Vega) to exercise duties as ice cream vendors,[5] street vendors, and so on.[6] They are as well in Valencia and Barquisimeto (San Juan and El Tostao).[7]
Many of them trilingual, they speak French, Haitian Creole and Spanish of Venezuela.

Guyanese in Venezuela

Illegally coming from the Esequibo.[8][9][neutrality is disputed]

Other Antilleans in Venezuela

Many women from West Indian Caribbean came to Venezuela to work at the wealthy American expats who worked at oil fields across Venezuela. Most of them settle in Cabimas, Maracaibo, Socorro among other towns. They were hired because most of those expats refused to learn or speak in Spanish and rejected to hire Venezuela ladies as servants. In this group several English-speaking Trininadian and Grenadian maids came to Venezuela.[10]

Post-war European immigration

After

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Mendoza succeeded, despite fierce opposition within the cabinet, in ensuring that Venezuela would aid European refugees and displaced people who could not or would not return to their homes after World War II and chose to emigrate to Venezuela. He assumed responsibility for the legal protection and resettlement of tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Venezuela. International Refugee Organization officials consider Mendoza to have directed the most successful refugee program in the post-war period. Immigration reached a peak while he was minister and would later decline with a new government.[11][12]

Spanish immigration

Basque immigration

Portuguese immigration

Italian immigration

Czech immigration

German immigration

Hungarian immigration

Corsican immigration

Croatian immigration

Serbian immigration

Slovene immigration

Greek immigration

Polish immigration

Scandinavian immigration

Russian immigration

Ukrainian immigration

Romanian immigration

Swiss immigration

Arab immigration

Lebanese immigration

Syrian immigration

Asian immigration

Chinese immigration

Japanese immigration

Korean immigration

Indians immigration

North Americans in Venezuela

Mexicans in Venezuela

[10]

Canadians in Venezuela

[13]

Americans in Venezuela

Since late of the nineteenth century people from United States of America started to come to Venezuela. They were temporary immigrants. Evangelical missionaries, as well as preachers of other protestant groups, as well as oil engineers who came to work in Western Venezuela.[10][14][15][16]

References

  1. ^ "Historia de Colombia y sus oligarquías (1498–2017). Capítulo I: Los hombres y los dioses" [Colombian history and its oligarchies (1498–2017). Chapter I: men and gods] (PDF). National Library of Colombia (in Spanish).
  2. . Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  3. . Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  4. ^ Aporrea (27 March 2016). "(VIDEOS) Encapuchados asesinan en su casa de Valles del Tuy al activista haitiano-venezolano Fritz Saint Louis". aporrea.org. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  5. ^ "Haitians in Venezuela: Ice cream, human trafficking and the shantytowns of Caracas". alterpresse.org. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  6. ^ "Ice cream sales a lifeline for Haitians in Caracas | Reuters". reuters.com. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  7. ^ "Haitian Colonial Memory in Venezuelan Politics — NURJ". thenurj.com. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  8. ^ "Thousands of Guyanese living in Venezuela's border areas – Stabroek News". stabroeknews.com. 11 March 2007. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  9. ^ http://s1.stabroeknews.com/images/2013/11/20131124Flight1.jpg[bare URL image file]
  10. ^ . Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  11. ^ [The Refugee experience: Ukrainian displaced persons after World War II, Pages 30–36]
  12. ^ "Opinión y análisis – Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa". Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
  13. ISSN 0042-3432
    . Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  14. ^ "EBV – Edwin Branch Historical". cclausen.net. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  15. . Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  16. ^ https://www.yachana.org/research/peloso.pdf[bare URL PDF]