Venezuelan Americans

Venezuelan American

Mariah Carey · Nick Verreos Carolina Herrera
Regions with significant populations
Florida (Miami, Orlando) · New York City · Texas (Houston, Dallas)
Languages
American English · Venezuelan Spanish · Italian · German · French
Religion
Roman Catholic (predominantly) · Protestant · Jewish
Related ethnic groups
fellow Hispanic and Latino Americans · Italians · Spaniards · Germans · French · Portuguese · Jews

Venezuelan Americans are [[U.S.]. National]]s and residents who trace their heritage, or part of their heritage, to the South American nation of Venezuela.

Venezuelan Americans are one of 20 Hispanic or Latino groups in the U.S. While other U.S. citizens or residents with national origins in any of the Hispanic American countries may be closely related to Spaniards in language and culture, Venezuelan Americans also reflect their diversified culture, which includes influences from Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, Germans, and the French, along with influences from African and indigenous Amerindian elements. Venezuelan Spanish is the group's spoken form of the Spanish language.

History

Until the XX century, not there clear record of the number of Venezuelans who emigrated to United States. If known, however, that between the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, there were many European immigrants in Venezuela, who came to this country, only to then migrate from there to the United States, considering European Immigrants from South America. While it is also known that there were migrations. From 1910 to 1930, emigrate to United States entering the United States over 4,000 South Americans each year. However, there are not many specific figures that indicate the number of Venezuelans who emigrated to this country. In this moments, many Venezuelans settled in the United States for get a better schooling, remaining in the country also after of graduation. They are frequently joined by his relatives. However, since the early 1980s the reasons of the Venezuelan emigration have a change: The most of the Venezuelans emigrate for earn higher salaries. In addition, the economic fluctuations in Venezuela also promoted an important migration of Venezuelan professionals to the United States. In recent years, more Venezuelans opposing the economic and political policies of president Hugo Chávez are migrating to the U.S. (mostly to Florida, but New York City and Houston are other destinations).

Demography

The largest concentration of Venezuelans in the United States is in South Florida, especially the suburbs of Doral and Weston. the others mainly states with Venezuelan American populations are, according the 1990 census, New York, California, Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland. Well also some of the Urban areas more important for the Venezuelan comunity are Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

Ethnic Variety

The Venezuelan American population represented the great Venezuela's ethnic variety. Thus, some 70 percent of the middle-class Venezuelan immigrants are a mixture of European, Amerindian, and African ancestry. The 21 percent are white, the 8 percent are black and only the 1 percent is Amerindian. Most Venezuelan Americans descends of Spanish (mainly), Italians, Portuguese, Germans, and the French.

Study and Employment

The Venezuelan American population is highly educated. Its members have bachelor's, graduate, and professional degrees at nearly double (48.5%) the total national percentage (27%), while only 6% of the group's adults did not complete high school, compared to 15.9% of the total national population. American Venezuelans are not only highly adapted to the English language and achieve great accomplishments in American education, but also tend to consider the teaching and preservation of the Spanish language a priority. Thus, teach the language to their children.

Venezuelan Americans work in a variety of professions. However, most of them are inclined to banking and the petroleum industry. thus, they often have a great expertise in these professions. Venezuelan Americans also work in highlights positions of television, publishing, and radio industries. Also, many Venezuelan Americans become in politicians, working both local politics as in government. In addition, also is growing the number of Venezuelan Americans that work in government service on the federal level. Now, the Venezuelan Americans are involved in all the aspect of the American politics.

Relations with Venezuela

Venezuelan Americans still maintain strong relations with their country of origin, which be seen in business, family, and community life. Venezuelan Americans often report on the social and current events in Venezuela and first-generation immigrants visit there frequently. It is also quite common for Venezuelans to visit their relatives in the United States.

Population distribution

By Venezuelan ancestry

Among U.S. communities in 2000 wherein one thousand or more people indicated their ancestry, those where at least 1% of people claimed Venezuelan ancestry were:

1. Doral, Florida 8.22%
2. Weston, Florida 4.1%
3. Fountainbleau, Florida 3.14%
4. The Hammocks, Florida 3.14%
5. Key Biscayne, Florida 2.36%
6. North Bay Village, Florida 2.15%
7. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 1.96%
8. Miami Beach, Florida 1.79%
9. Virginia Gardens, Florida 1.58%
10. Kendale Lakes, Florida 1.54%
11. Kendall, Florida 1.47%
12. Surfside, Florida 1.41%
13. Richmond West, Florida 1.36%
14. Aventura, Florida 1.31%
15. Country Club, Florida 1.26%
16. Bal Harbour, Florida 1.21%
17. Coral Gables, Florida 1.17%
18. Bay Harbor Islands, Florida 1.15%
19. Miami Lakes, Florida 1.06%
20. Tamiami, Florida 1.06%
21. Miami Springs, Florida 1.01%

By Venezuelan birth

The top 25 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Venezuela are:

1. Doral, Florida 11.1%
2. North Westside, FL 5.0%
3. Fountainbleau, Florida 4.2%
4. Weston, Florida 4.0%
5. The Hammocks, Florida 3.3%
6. Chambers Estates, Florida 2.8%
7. Kendall West, Florida 2.8%
8. The Crossings, Florida 2.7%
9. Three Lakes, Florida 2.7%
10. Key Biscayne, Florida 2.6%
11. Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 2.4%
12. Kendale Lakes-Lindgren Acres, FL 2.2%
13. Virginia Gardens, Florida 2.1%
14. Richmond West, Florida 2.0%
15. Golden Beach, Florida 2.0%
16. Broadview-Pompano Park, Florida 2.0%
17. Ramblewood East, Florida 2.0%
18. Kendale Lakes, Florida 1.9%
19. Kendall, Florida 1.9%
20. St. Regis Park, Kentucky 1.9%
21. Coldstream, Kentucky 1.9%
22. Country Walk, Florida 1.8%
23. Celebration, Florida 1.8%
24. Meadow Woods, Florida 1.8%
25. Country Club, Florida 1.7%

Notable Venezuelan Americans

• Fred Armisen, actor, comedian, musician
• Devendra Banhart, singer-songwriter
• Mariah Carey, singer
• Carolina Herrera, fashion designer
• Génesis Rodríguez, actress
• Luis José Santander, actor
• Sonya Smith, actress
• Wilmer Valderrama, actor