View source for Guatemalan Americans

{{short description|Americans of Guatemalan birth or descent}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| image  = [[File:Flag of Guatemala.svg|130px]] [[File:Flag of the United States.svg|130px]]
| pop= '''1,878,599''' (2022)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B03001:+Hispanic+or+Latino+Origin+by+Specific+Origin|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> <br /> 0.56% of the U.S. population (2022)<ref name=ACS-B03001-2018>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=B03001%3A%20HISPANIC%20OR%20LATINO%20ORIGIN%20BY%20SPECIFIC%20ORIGIN&g=&lastDisplayedRow=30&table=B03001&tid=ACSDT1Y2018.B03001&hidePreview=true|title=B03001 HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY SPECIFIC ORIGIN - United States - 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates|date=July 1, 2018 |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 25, 2019}}</ref>
| popplace = [[Southern California]] (especially in [[Los Angeles]]), [[Miami]], [[Houston]], [[San Francisco Bay Area]], [[New York City]], [[North Jersey]], [[Boston]], [[Chicago]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], [[Dallas]], [[Atlanta]], [[Las Vegas Valley]], [[Inland Empire]], [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
| langs    = [[American English]], [[Guatemalan Spanish]], [[Mayan languages]]
| rels     =  [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[Evangelical Christianity]], [[Maya religion|Indigenous beliefs]]
| related  = [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic Americans]], [[Guatemalans]], [[Spanish Americans]], [[Mexican Americans]], [[Honduran Americans]], [[Salvadoran Americans]]
}}
{{Hispanic and Latino Americans|state=collapsed}}
'''Guatemalan Americans''' ({{langx|es|'''guatemalteco-americanos'''|links=no}}, {{lang|es|'''norteamericanos de origen guatemalteco'''}} or {{lang|es|'''estadounidenses de origen guatemalteco'''}}) are [[Americans]] of full or partial [[Guatemalan people|Guatemalan]] descent. The Guatemalan American population at the 2010 Census was 1,044,209. Guatemalans are the sixth largest Hispanic group in the United States and the second largest Central American population after [[Salvadoran Americans|Salvadorans]]. Half of the Guatemalan population is situated in two parts of the country, the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and [[Southern California]].

The states with the largest Guatemalan population are [[California]] (29%), [[Florida]] (8%) and [[Texas]] (7%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/us-hispanics-facts-on-guatemalan-origin-latinos/|title=Facts on Hispanics of Guatemalan origin in the United States, 2021|first1=Mohamad|last1=Moslimani|first2=Luis|last2=Noe-Bustamante|first3=Sono|last3=Shah}}</ref>
==History of Guatemalans in the United States==
{{main|History of Guatemalan migrants in the United States}}

[[Guatemalan immigration to the United States|Guatemalans have migrated to the U.S.]] since the 1930s and 1940s. Along with other Central Americans they first arrived by way of Mexico and settled in urban areas like [[Los Angeles]], [[Chicago]], [[New Orleans]], [[Houston]], [[New York City]], [[Oakland]], [[San Francisco]], [[Maryland]], [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Northern Virginia]].

The largest influx of Guatemalans into the United States, however, started occurring in the 1970s and 1980s, peaking in the 1990s due to the [[Guatemalan Civil War]]. Tens of thousands of Guatemalan [[refugee]]s moved into the United States via Mexico;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/central-americans-and-asylum-policy-reagan-era|title=Article: Central Americans and Asylum Policy in th.. &#124; migrationpolicy.org}}</ref> these refugees were both documented and undocumented. The Guatemalan Civil War ended in 1996. After [[September 11, 2001]], new laws were enacted in Mexico limiting immigration visas and introduced other measures on the southern Mexican border through ''Plan Sur'', a binational treaty with the Guatemalan government. There were 430,000 undocumented Guatemalans by 2008. 71% of Guatemalan immigrants are undocumented.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Massey|first1=Douglas S.|last2=Pren|first2=Karen A.|date=2012|title=Unintended Consequences of US Immigration Policy: Explaining the Post-1965 Surge from Latin America|jstor=41857355|journal=Population and Development Review|volume=38|issue=1|pages=1–29|doi=10.1111/j.1728-4457.2012.00470.x|pmid=22833862|pmc=3407978}}</ref>

== Immigration ==
During the 1950s, there were 45,000 documented immigrants from Central America. In the 1960s, this number more than doubled to 100,000. In the decade after, it increased to 134,000. 26,000 of these immigrants were Guatemalan.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Seeking Global Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angeles|last1=Hamilton|first1=Nora|last2=Chinchilla|first2=Nora|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2001|location=Philadelphia}}{{pn|date=November 2022}}</ref> Following the 1950s, Guatemala had been full of unrest with military dictatorships, civil wars, and a thirty-six year long guerrilla war. Those wars produced over 200,000 deaths, as well as the displacement of nearly one million [[refugee]]s. In 1996, the Guatemalan government signed a peace accord. This ended the war; however, the war did not end for many Guatemalans who had to live alongside those who inflicted violence throughout their country.

During the [[Cold War]], many Guatemalans immigrated to the United States due to the lack of stability from [[US intervention in Latin America|U.S. intervention]]. Consequently, many Guatemalans received [[Temporary protected status|Temporary Protected Status]] during that time period. These same Guatemalans lost that status once the war ended.<ref name=":0" />

Migration from Central America had always been below 50,000. However, in 1970, the census had counted 113,913 Central American immigrants. 17,536 of those immigrants were of Guatemalan descent. This was a dramatic increase from the 5,381 count from the decade prior.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Foxen|first1=Patricia|last2=Rodman|first2=Debra H.|title=Guatemalans in New England: Transnational Communities through Time and Space|date=2012|jstor=24781903|journal=Practicing Anthropology|volume=34|issue=1|pages=17–21|doi=10.17730/praa.34.1.3680361120172836}}</ref> The 1970s was when the United States experienced a high increase of Guatemalans. According to the 1970 census, there were 17,356 Guatemalans. This is a stark increase considering that there were only 5,381 Guatemalans when the 1960 census was taken.<ref name=":4" /> Immigration to the United States from Guatemala truly increased in 1977 with a total of 3,599. This was an 82% increase since the year prior.<ref name=":4" /> For the most part, this was due to the lack of stability within Guatemala's agricultural economy. For many Guatemalans, the [[Economy of Guatemala|agricultural economy]] was the job market for the disadvantaged. This market was not enough to sustain Guatemalans at the time - the unemployment rate was 25% and the poverty rate was at 84%<ref name=":4" /> In the 1970s, Guatemala experienced a culmination of factors that decreased their ability to uplift themselves from poverty. The infant mortality rate between 1970–1973 in Guatemala was around 82%.<ref name=":4" /> These circumstances included an increasing unemployment rate, as well as decreasing wages and opportunities in the rural sector. In 1976, they experienced an earthquake that left many homeless. These factors combined with the general violence caused many Guatemalans to look toward internal, intraregional, and international migration throughout the 1970s and 1980s. When fleeing conflict, many Guatemalans sought refuge in [[Guatemala–Mexico relations|Mexico]]. For many, Mexico was just another transit point within their journeys. In 1982, Mexico experienced an economic crisis, which had made it difficult for many Guatemalans to sustain themselves. This helps explain the increase of Guatemalans entering the United States throughout the 1980s.<ref name=":2" /> Many indigenous Guatemalan workers in Mexico were recruited to work with companies within the United States. Many of these workers were already workers in Central American assembly plants. Therefore, the skills were transferable to plants in the United States. As a result, many moved to Los Angeles during the 1970s.<ref name=":2" /> Unemployment increased from 25% in the 1970s to over 40% in the 1980s. Rural poverty was at 84% and urban poverty was at 47%. This was difficult for many impoverished Guatemalans, because many were reliant on the [[agricultural economy]] as their source of employment.{{sfn|Jonas|Rodríguez|2015|p={{pn|date=November 2022}}}}

During the 1980s, many revolutionary/guerrilla groups merged together to become the [[Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca]] (URNG); the Guatemalan government responded with military action, which included the [[Guatemalan genocide|genocide]] of 150,000 civilians during 1981 to 1983. Ultimately, this formed a ripple effect, which led to displacement and migration to both Mexico and the United States for many Guatemalans and [[Mayas]].{{sfn|Jonas|Rodríguez|2015|p={{pn|date=November 2022}}}} Mass migration from Guatemala occurred during the 1980s; as a result, changing the relationship with the United States. During this time, Guatemala was experiencing high levels of poverty along with social and political unrest.{{sfn|Jonas|Rodríguez|2015|p={{pn|date=November 2022}}}} Guatemalans sought refuge during the 1980s due to civil war and economic devastation. However, at the time, they were not granted asylum. Despite, this female asylum-seekers have been able to receive asylum since then. [[Femicide in guatemala|Femicide]] has become more prevalent in Guatemala. In this manner, many United States courts have been granting [[Asylum in the United States|asylum]] due to the increase in femicide in Guatemala.

The [[Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986|Immigration Reform and Control Act]] (IRCA) was passed in the United States in 1986. Following IRCA, most documented Guatemalan Americans were able to receive legal admission through the petitioning of family members already in the United States. Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) disadvantaged incoming Guatemalan immigrants, because it allowed for documentation to those who entered prior to 1982; however, Guatemalan immigration largely took place after 1982.[[File:Norma Torres 118th congress.jpeg|thumb|250x250px|[[Norma Torres]], member of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].]]In 1997, immigration was further limited for Guatemalans through the [[Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act|Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act]]. This act allowed Central American asylum-seekers to be documented in the United States but called for deportation for those undocumented. At the time, many of those people were Guatemalan Americans.<ref name=":0" /> Deportation of undocumented immigrants have consequences of socioeconomic mobility within Guatemala. Households in Guatemala that receive money from Guatemalans in the United States are able to pull themselves into a better economic standing. By contrast, households which lose that money experience downward mobility.{{sfn|Jonas|Rodríguez|2015|p={{pn|date=November 2022}}}}

=== Literature in the U.S. ===
According to Rodriguez, the main themes of Central American literature in the United States are: war, violence, criminality, solidarity, migration, ethnicity, and the construction of identity.<ref name="Rodriguez2012">{{cite book |doi=10.4324/9780203097199-48 |last1=Rodríguez |first1=Ana Patricia |chapter=Literatures of Central Americans in the United States |title=The Routledge Companion to Latino/A Literature |year=2012 |pages=445–453 |isbn=978-0-203-09719-9 |s2cid=246937395 }}</ref> [[Maya Chinchilla]] is a Guatemalan poet of mixed U.S., German and Guatemalan heritages. In her poem "Central Americanamerican" she "diffracts the construction of Central American identity beyond a geographic notion and along the multiple coordinates of migrations, generations, heritages, languages, ethnicities, races, sexualities, cultures, and discourses magnified in the Central American diasporas."<ref name="Rodriguez2012" /> Novels like ''The Tattooed Soldier'' by [[Héctor Tobar]] display the cultural significance of Central American identity within U.S. multiculturalism.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Interrogative Justice in Héctor Tobar's The Tattooed Soldier|last=Vázquez|first=Eric|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|year=2018|pages=129–152}}</ref>

== Culture ==

=== Guatemalan Mayas and Hispanics ===
[[File:Rep. Delia Ramirez official portrait, 118th Congress.jpg|thumb|[[Delia Ramirez]], US representative from Illinios' 3rd congressional district, first Latino to represent Illinois in Congress]]
Guatemalan Americans are a very culturally diverse group of people, including around 23 distinct ethnic groups, whose languages are different, although they maintain unique cultural traditions. The groups are, on the whole, [[Mayan people|Maya]]. The [[Ladino people|Ladino]] are a different group that speak the [[Spanish language]] and have [[Spanish culture]]. So, Guatemalan Americans are a multicultural community. This reason is why the assimilation processes, traditional beliefs, and customs vary differently between groups. Most Ladino Guatemalans living in the United States come from Jutiapa, Guatemala City, and Chiquimula. The majority of Ladinos from Jutiapa and Chiquimula live in the northeast, in states such as New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Immigrant Maya American communities have preserved their ethnic customs. The Guatemalans of European descent (mostly of Spanish ancestry) often mixed with other U.S. Hispanic groups. However, it is unknown the degree to which the transmission of cultural traditions between Guatemalans immigrants and their descendants occurs due to a lack of research.[[File:Luis E. Arreaga official portrait.jpg|thumb|[[Luis E. Arreaga]], former ambassador to Guatemala and [[Iceland]]]]Some traditions have remained in most neighborhoods of Guatemalan immigrants, especially in [[Los Angeles]], [[Houston]] and southern [[Florida]], where Guatemalan traditions are being both transformed and lost due to American acculturation. Some Guatemalan traditions are the celebration of [[Quinceañera]]s, the formation of soccer leagues, and the Organization de las Fiestas de la Patronal (Organization of Patronal Parties).<ref name="everyculture">{{cite web|url=http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Du-Ha/Guatemalan-Americans.html|title=Guatemalan Americans - History, Immigration to the united states, Settlement patterns|website=www.everyculture.com|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref>

There are over one million Maya Natives in the United States- largely from both Mexico and Guatemala. Despite this, the United States fails to recognize Maya Natives as refugees from Guatemala despite the political and social conditions that produce the need for immigration.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last=Davis|first=Shelton H.|title=Supporting Maya Home Town Associations in the United States|date=2012|jstor=24781909|journal=Practicing Anthropology|volume=34|issue=1|pages=45–48|doi=10.17730/praa.34.1.p087vl55p041388g}}</ref> Mayas are at the bottom of the social stratum in Guatemala. This can be accounted by racism within Guatemalan society, along with the vulnerability that is produced during migration to the United States through Mexico.{{sfn|Jonas|Rodríguez|2015|p={{pn|date=November 2022}}}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Maya Indian Organizations in the United States<ref name=":12" />
|-
! Organization
! Location
|-
| [https://fau.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/cornmaya Corn Maya Organization]
| Jupiter, Florida
|-
| [http://www.guatemalanmaya.org/ Guatemalan Maya Center]
| Lake Worth Beach, Florida
|-
| [http://www.actaonline.org/bhc/mayan-language-and-cultural-center Summer Language Program]{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
| Los Angeles, California
|-
| [http://www.actaonline.org/content/maya-vision Maya Vision]
| Los Angeles, California
|}

=== Religion ===
Due largely to influences such as Spanish colonization and U.S. business involvement in Central America, the Indigenous religions of Guatemala have mixed to create a hybrid spirituality and emergent "spiritual forms, practices, and communities as these intersect with other aspects of Hispanic/a identity, such as ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality."<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Routledge Companion to Latino/a Literature|last=Delgadillo|first=Theresa|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2012|isbn=978-0415666060|pages=249–250}}</ref>

== Socioeconomic mobility ==
Compared to the U.S. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] population and U.S. population in total, Guatemalans are found to have significantly lower levels of [[Educational_attainment_in_the_United_States|educational attainment]] across the population. They are less likely than U.S. born citizens to earn a [[bachelor's degree]], with only 9% of Guatemalans age 25 or older having received one in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/09/15/hispanics-of-guatemalan-origin-in-the-united-states-2013/|title=Hispanics of Guatemalan Origin in the United States|last=Gustavo|first=López|website=Pew Research Center's Hispanic Trends Project|date=15 September 2015}}</ref>  Despite this, studies demonstrate that Guatemalan Americans have one of the highest levels of participation within the work force. 31% of those Guatemalan Americans work within the [[Service Sector|service sector]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|title=Constructing the Los Angeles Area Latino Mosaic: A Demographic Portrait of Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angeles|publisher=Tomas River Policy Institute and NALEO Educational Fund|year=1997|location=Claremont, CA}}</ref> 

== Demographics ==
[[File:Pili Tobar at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Pili Tobar]] serves as [[White House Communications Director|White House Deputy Communications Director]] in the [[Biden administration]].]]
Half of the Guatemalan population is situated in two parts of the country, the [[Northern California|Northeast]] and [[Southern California]].  A combined population of 267,335 resides in [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]], [[Orange County, California|Orange]], [[Riverside County, California|Riverside]], [[San Bernardino County, California|San Bernardino]], and [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]] counties. There is also a Guatemalan community in [[Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCyVDwAAQBAJ&q=ethiopians+in+las+vegas|title=More Peoples of Las Vegas: One City, Many Faces|isbn=9780874178180 |last1=Simich |first1=Jerry L. |last2=Wright |first2=Thomas C. |date=15 March 2010 |publisher=University of Nevada Press }}</ref>

The [[Northeast megalopolis]], extending from [[Northern Virginia]] to north of [[Boston]], is home to a population of 257,729 Guatemalans.  Cities such as [[Langley Park, Maryland|Langley Park]], [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]], [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] and [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn]] have significant concentrations of Guatemalans along the corridor.

=== Distribution by state ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! State/Territory !! Guatemalan Population<br> 2020 census<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/detailed-race-ethnicities-2020-census.html|title=Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census|website=Census.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=408:4018&d=DEC+Detailed+Demographic+and+Housing+Characteristics+File+A|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>!! Percent 2020 !! 2010 census<ref>{{cite web |title=QT-P10 - Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_QTP10&prodType=table |access-date=5 May 2014 }} {{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> !! Percent 2010
|-
| {{flag|Alabama}} || 26,614 || 0.5% || 15,282 || 0.3%
|-
| {{flag|Alaska}} || 724 || 0.1% || 508 ||0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Arizona}} || 22,713 || 0.3% || 13,426 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Arkansas}} || 9,428 || 0.3% || 4,533 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|California}} || 454,917 || 1.1% || 332,737 || 0.9%
|-
| {{flag|Colorado}} || 14,362 || 0.2% || 7,488 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Connecticut}} || 26,660 || 0.7% || 16,715 || 0.5%
|-
| {{flag|Delaware}} || 10,449 || 1.0% || 5,202 || 0.6%
|-
| {{flag|District of Columbia}} || 3,743 || 0.5% || 2,635 || 0.4%
|-
| {{flag|Florida}} || 138,818 || 0.6% || 83,882 || 0.4%
|-
| {{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)}} [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] || 59,625 || 0.5% || 36,874 || 0.4%
|-
| {{flag|Hawaii}} || 1,191 || 0.0% || 565 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Idaho}} || 2,529 || 0.2% || 1,168 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Illinois}} || 48,681 || 0.4% || 35,321 || 0.3%
|-
| {{flag|Indiana}} || 14,937 || 0.2% || 5,933 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Iowa}} || 10,708 || 0.3% || 4,917 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Kansas}} || 11,496 || 0.3% || 5,538 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Kentucky}} || 12,514 || 0.2% || 5,231 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Louisiana}} || 12,270 || 0.2% || 6,660 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Maine}} || 783 || 0.0% || 457 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Maryland}} || 63,972 || 1.0% || 34,491 || 0.6%
|-
| {{flag|Massachusetts}} || 53,437 || 0.7% || 32,812 || 0.5%
|-
| {{flag|Michigan}} || 12,994 || 0.1% || 8,428 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Minnesota}} || 13,058 || 0.2% || 6,754 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Mississippi}} || 5,807 || 0.2% || 2,978 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Missouri}} || 11,079 || 0.1% || 6,610 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Montana}} || 401 || 0.0% || 200 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Nebraska}} || 18,548 || 0.9% || 8,616 || 0.5%
|-
| {{flag|Nevada}} || 19,787 || 0.5% || 13,407 || 0.5%
|-
| {{flag|New Hampshire}} || 1,242 || 0.1% || 743 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|New Jersey}} || 79,638 || 0.8% || 48,869 || 0.6%
|-
| {{flag|New Mexico}} || 3,859 || 0.2% || 2,386 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|New York}} || 109,766 || 0.5% || 73,806 || 0.4%
|-
| {{flag|North Carolina}} || 35,349 || 0.3% || 20,206 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|North Dakota}} || 460 || 0.0% || 134 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Ohio}} || 20,084 || 0.1% || 8,680 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Oklahoma}} || 15,660 || 0.3% || 7,960 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Oregon}} || 14,809 ||0.3% || 7,703 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Pennsylvania}} || 23,280 || 0.2% || 11,462 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Rhode Island}} || 28,062 || 2.5% || 18,852 || 1.8%
|-
| {{flag|South Carolina}} || 14,999 || 0.2% || 8,883 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|South Dakota}} || 3,737 || 0.3% || 1,620 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Tennessee}} || 36,767 || 0.5% || 14,323 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Texas}} || 108,548 || 0.3% || 66,244 || 0.3%
|-
| {{flag|Utah}} || 11,651 || 0.3% || 6,877 || 0.2%
|-
| {{flag|Vermont}} || 309 || 0.0% || 215 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Virginia}} || 56,076 || 0.6% || 33,556 || 0.4%
|-
| {{flag|Washington}} || 20,340 || 0.2% || 9,520 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|West Virginia}} || 842 || 0.0% || 347 || 0.0%
|-
| {{flag|Wisconsin}} || 5,015 || 0.1% || 3,037 || 0.1%
|-
| {{flag|Wyoming}} || 683 || 0.1% || 418 || 0.1%
|-
| '''Total U.S. Guatemalan Population''' || 1,669,557 || 0.4% || 1,044,209 || 0.3%
|}

=== Cities (metro areas) with the largest Guatemalan populations ===
The largest population of Guatemalans are situated in the following areas (Source: 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimate):<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2020.B03001?q=B03001:+Hispanic+or+Latino+Origin+by+Specific+Origin&g=310XX00US36420|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

# [[Los Angeles metropolitan area|Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA]] - 286,250
# [[New York metropolitan area|New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA MSA]] - 125,231
# [[Washington metropolitan area|Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA]] - 81,530
# [[Miami metropolitan area|Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA]] - 66,829
# [[Greater Houston|Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA]] - 56,993
# [[San Francisco Bay Area|San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA]] - 51,626
# [[Inland Empire|Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA]] - 42,457
# [[Chicago metropolitan area|Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA]] - 38,872
# [[Greater Boston|Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA]] - 36,709
# [[Atlanta metropolitan area|Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA]] - 35,917
# [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA]] - 27,950
# [[Providence metropolitan area|Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA MSA]] - 27,588
# [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA]] - 17,575
# [[Phoenix metropolitan area|Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ MSA]] - 16,892
# [[San Diego County, California|San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA MSA]] - 13,572
# [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA]] - 13,563
# [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA]] - 15,457
# [[Greater Bridgeport|Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA]] - 15,417
# [[Baltimore metropolitan area|Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA]] - 10,401
# [[Cincinnati metropolitan area|Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA]] - 9,147

=== U.S. communities with largest population of people of Guatemalan ancestry ===
The top 25 U.S. communities with the highest populations of Guatemalans (Source: Census 2020) <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=4018:408&g=160XX00US3240000&d=DEC+Detailed+Demographic+and+Housing+Characteristics+File+A|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

# [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, CA]] – 157,676
# [[New York City|New York City, NY]] – 42,499
# [[Houston|Houston, TX]] – 33,210
# [[Chicago|Chicago, IL]] – 20,885
# [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence, RI]] – 15,332
# [[Oakland, California|Oakland, CA]] – 13,492
# [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton, NJ]] – 13,323
# [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix, AZ]] – 11,181
# [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn, MA]] – 10,615
# [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford, CT]] – 10,221
# [[San Rafael, California|San Rafael, CA]] – 8,876
# [[San Francisco|San Francisco, CA]] – 7,870
# [[Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City, OK]] – 7,842
# [[Langley Park, Maryland|Langley Park, MD]] – 7,546
# [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida|Lake Worth Beach, FL]] – 7,317
# [[Plainfield, New Jersey|Plainfield, NJ]] – 6,958
# [[Dallas|Dallas, TX]] – 6,641
# [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach, CA]] – 6,522
# [[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach, FL]] – 5,542
# [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale, CA]] – 5,509
# [[Las Vegas|Las Vegas, NV]] – 5,134
# [[Boston|Boston, MA]] – 4,871
# [[Hawthorne, California|Hawthorne, CA]] – 4,681
# [[Miami|Miami, FL]] – 4,545
# [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood, CA]] – 4,172

=== U.S. communities with high percentages of people of Guatemalan ancestry ===
The top 25 U.S. communities with the highest percentages of Guatemalans as a percentage (Source: Census 2010):
# [[Marydel, Maryland]] - 42.55%
# [[Brewster, New York]] - 38.16%
# [[Indiantown, Florida]] – 37.15%
# [[Templeville, Maryland]] – 31.88%
# [[Georgetown, Delaware]] – 31.86%
# [[Chamblee, Georgia]] – 30.89%
# [[Henderson, Maryland]] – 29.45%
# [[Langley Park, Maryland]] – 26.81%
# [[Ellijay, Georgia]] – 19.39%
# [[Lake Worth Beach, Florida]] – 18.66%
# [[Collinsville, Alabama]] – 18.51%
# [[East Ellijay, Georgia]] – 18.31%
# [[Mount Kisco, New York]] – 16.38%
# [[Fairview, Bergen County, New Jersey|Fairview, New Jersey]] – 15.84%
# [[Schuyler, Nebraska]] – 13.99%
# [[Saluda, South Carolina]] – 13.74%
# [[Central Falls, Rhode Island]] – 13.28%
# [[Greenport, Suffolk County, New York|Greenport, New York]] – 13.06%
# [[Carthage, Missouri]] – 12.80%
# [[Tice, Florida]] – 12.70%
# [[Stuart, Florida]] – 12.62%
# [[Stacy Street, Florida]] – 12.59%
# [[Modest Town, Virginia]] – 11.41%
# [[Trion, Georgia]] – 10.84%
# [[Monterey, Tennessee]] – 10.77%

==Notable people==
[[File:Oscar_Isaac.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[Oscar Isaac]] performing at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, February 2015.]]
{{Americans}}
* [[Luis E. Arreaga]] – American diplomat and United States Ambassador in Guatemala and [[Iceland]].
* [[Luis von Ahn]] – Entrepreneur and an associate professor in the Computer Science Department at [[Carnegie Mellon University]].
* [[Joseph Baena]] – American actor, bodybuilder, fitness model and real estate agent. Son of Hollywood actor, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. Of Guatemalan descent from his mother's side.
* [[Aston Matthews]] – American hip hop artist from Los Angeles, California.
* [[Luis Beza]] – American trumpet player for [[Third-Wave Ska|third-wave ska]] band [[Suburban Legends]].
* [[David Campos]] – Guatemalan-American attorney and member of the [[San Francisco Board of Supervisors]] representing [[San Francisco Board of Supervisors#District 9|District 9]].
*[[René Corado]] – Guatemalan-American ornithologist and writer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/08/10/626511601/from-a-million-eggs-putting-together-clues-about-sciences-past-and-future|title=From A Million Eggs, Putting Together Clues About Science's Past And Future|last=Patel|first=Samir S.|date=2018-08-10|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2020-01-13}}</ref>
* [[David Estrada (boxer)|David Estrada]] – of Guatemalan descent.
* [[Francisco Goldman]] – American novelist, journalist, and Allen K. Smith Professor of Literature and Creative Writing. He is son of a [[Guatemala]]n Catholic mother and [[American Jews|Jewish-American]] father.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/feb/02/featuresreviews.guardianreview12 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Maya | last=Jaggi |author-link=Maya Jaggi| title=A life in writing: Francisco Goldman | date=February 2, 2008}}</ref>
* [[José Antonio Gutiérrez]] – [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine]] [[Lance corporal|Lance Corporal]]. First US Marine to be killed in action in the [[Iraq War]]. 
* [[Ted Hendricks]] – Guatemalan born, former [[American football]] [[linebacker]] who logged 15 seasons for the [[Baltimore Colts]] (1969–73), the [[Green Bay Packers]] (1974) and the [[Oakland Raiders|Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders]] (1975–83) in the [[National Football League]].
* [[Oscar Isaac]] – Guatemalan born American raised<ref>Madeleine Marr: [http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/16/1631836/miami-actor-oscar-isaac-rule-robin.html Miami actor Oscar Isaac rule 'Robin Hood']. ''[[The Miami Herald]]'', May 16, 2010, retrieved April 16, 2011</ref>  actor and singer.
* [[Ed Lopez]] – American Republican Party activist and National Vice Chairman of the [[Republican Liberty Caucus]]. He is of Guatemalan descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://providencephoenix.com/archive/features/98/06/25/LOPEZ.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415014508/http://www.providencephoenix.com/archive/features/98/06/25/LOPEZ.html|title=Language of Lopez|archivedate=April 15, 2012|website=providencephoenix.com}}</ref>
* [[Manny Marroquin]] – Grammy winning mixing engineer. Guatemalan born, his family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the [[Guatemalan Civil War]].<ref>Daley, Dan. "Manny Marroquin". Sound on Sound. May 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2007</ref>
* [[Benito Martinez (actor)|Benito Martinez]] – American actor most known for his role as police captain (later city councilman) [[David Aceveda]] in the television series ''[[The Shield]].''
* [[Luisa Moreno]] – Social Activist and participant in the United States [[Labour movement|labor movement]].
* [[Delia Ramirez]] – American politician born to Guatemalan immigrant parents.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ramirez.house.gov/about | title=About | date=January 3, 2023 }}</ref>
* [[Rubio Rubin]] – American soccer player of Guatemalan and Mexican descent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americansoccernow.com/articles/for-rubio-rubin-it-s-all-about-the-red-white-amp-blue |title= For Rubio Rubin, It's All About the Red, White & Blue
 |publisher= Brian Sciaretta |access-date= 28 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/25/getting-to-know-us-u17-mnt-forward-rubio-rubin |title= Getting to Know: U.S. U-17 MNT Forward Rubio Rubin
 |publisher= ussoccer.com |access-date= 28 January 2015}}</ref>
* [[AraabMuzik]] – American [[hip hop music|hip hop]] record producer of Dominican and Guatemalan descent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS15102 |title=AraabMUZIK |publisher=Schedule.sxsw.com |access-date=2011-08-27| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110721194950/http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS15102| archive-date= 21 July 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>
* [[KC Porter]] – American record producer, singer-songwriter, musician.
* [[Bridget Powers]] – American hardcore pornographic actress.
* [[Tony Revolori]] – Guatemalan American actor ([[Spider-Man: Homecoming]] and [[Spider-Man: Far From Home]]).
* [[Pam Rodriguez]] – American [[glamour model]] of Guatemalan and Puerto Rican descent.<ref>{{cite news| title=Pam Rodriguez interview| date=2008-06-11| url=http://www.oyemag.com/index.php/pam-rodriguez/| work=Open Your Eyes Magazine| access-date=2009-12-24| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224132450/http://www.oyemag.com/index.php/pam-rodriguez/| archive-date=2009-12-24}}</ref>
*[[Devorah Rose]] – Guatemalan/[[Venezuela]]n American socialite.
*[[Juana Samayoa]] – Guatemalan-American actress and television presenter.
* [[Gadi Schwartz]] – NBC News correspondent<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/bio/gadi-schwartz/|title=GADI SCHWARTZ|date=11 July 2016|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref> 
* [[Willie Sims (footballer)|Willie Sims]] – Guatemalan born, American raised soccer player.
* [[Ryan Spilborghs]] – American professional [[baseball]] [[outfielder]] in the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] organization.
* [[Héctor Tobar]] – Los Angeles author and journalist.
* [[Norma Torres]] – Politician. She is Guatemalan born but American raised.
* David Unger – Guatemalan-American author and translator.
* [[Daphne Zuniga]] – American actress (''[[Melrose Place]]'', ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'' and ''[[Spaceballs]]''). Her father was originally from [[Guatemala]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB36D741709F3BE&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | work=Chicago Sun-Times | title=Daphne Zuniga displays snob appeal in 'Spaceballs' | date=June 28, 1987}}</ref>
* [[Anthony Gonzalez (actor)|Anthony Gonzalez]] – American actor.
* [[Ricky Duran]] – Guatemalan-American recording artist. Runner-up of season 17 of the American talent competition The Voice.

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Guatemala|Hispanic and Latino Americans}}
*[[Guatemala–United States relations]]
*[[History of Central Americans in Los Angeles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |doi=10.7560/760608 |title=Guatemala-U.S. Migration |year=2015 |last1=Jonas |first1=Susanne |last2=Rodríguez |first2=Nestor |isbn=978-0-292-76315-9 }}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Ashabranner |first=Brent |title=Children of the Maya: A Guatemalan Indian Odyssey |publisher=Dodd, Mead |year=1986 |isbn=978-0396087861 |url=https://archive.org/details/childrenofmayagu00asha |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Burns |first=Allan F. |title=Maya in Exile: Guatemalans in Florida |publisher=Temple University Press |year=1993 |isbn=978-1-4399-0381-0 |jstor=j.ctt14btbnb}}
* {{Cite book |last=Calvert |first=Peter |title=Guatemala: A Nation in Turmoil |publisher=Westview Press |year=1985 |isbn=9780865315723}}
* {{Cite book |title=Seeking Community in a Global City: Guatemalans and Salvadorans in Los Angeles |publisher=Temple University Press |year=2001 |isbn=9781566398671 |editor-last=Chinchilla |editor-first=Norma S. |editor-last2=Hamilton |editor-first2=Nora |url=https://archive.org/details/seekingcommunity0000hami |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hagan |first=Jacqueline Maria |title=Deciding to Be Legal: A Maya Community in Houston |publisher=Temple University Press |year=1994 |isbn=9781566392563}}
* {{Cite book |last=Hong |first=Maria |title=Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America |date=2014 |volume=2 |pages=275–291 |chapter=Guatemalan Americans |id={{Gale|CX3273300083}}}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/mayadiaspora00jame/ |title=Maya Diaspora: Guatemalan Roots, New American Lives |publisher=Temple University Press |year=2000 |isbn=9781566397940 |editor-last=Loucky |editor-first=James |editor-last2=Moors |editor-first2=Marilyn |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Matthew J. |last2=Moran-Taylor |first2=Michelle J. |last3=Rodman Ruiz |first3=Debra |date=January 2006 |title=Land, ethnic, and gender change: Transnational migration and its effects on Guatemalan lives and landscapes |journal=Geoforum |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=41–61 |doi=10.1016/j.geoforum.2004.12.002}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Tamar Diana |date=September 2004 |title=Under Stress: Guatemalan and Salvadoran Migrations |journal=Latin American Perspectives |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=165–171 |doi=10.1177/0094582X04268414 |s2cid=144906643}}

{{Hispanics/Latinos}}
{{Demographics of the United States}}

[[Category:Guatemalan diaspora in the United States| ]]
[[Category:American people of Guatemalan descent| ]]