Bolivian Americans
Independence day 7-4-2013 Bolivian American Parade
Raquel Welch – Kori Udovicki – Jaime Escalante
Bolivian American is a compound term that applies to American citizens of Bolivian origin. Racially, Bolivian Americans are identified as Indigenous, European (mostly Spanish, German, or Croatian), Afro Bolivian, or a combination of any or all three races in varying degrees of admixture. Furthermore, there are Bolivian Americans of Japanese descent, albeit, in small numbers.
History
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 1960’s). Most of these immigrants consisted of middle- to upper-middle income occupational professionals or political dissidents, and identify with Bolivia’s White or Criollo (mixed White) society.
The second notable phase of Bolivian immigration (between 1980 and 1988) was a result of Bolivia’s fiscal policies in the 1970’s which gave way to the hyperinflation throughout most of the 1980’s. Most of these immigrants consisted of lower-income Mestizo and Indigenous Bolivians obtaining work posts as service and manual laborers.
Many Bolivians who emigrated to the United States came as tourists. However, it remained indefinitely in the country, setting them to 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 obtained U.S. citizenship. In this period about 457 were naturalized each year.
