Spanish Americans

Immigration Patterns

Several Spanish populations and settlements in the New World (now Florida, New Mexico, California, [Page 1274]Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana) had ties to Madrid. For example, St. Augustine, Florida, is the oldest continuously occupied city in the continental United States, having been founded by the Spanish in 1585.

Immigration of Spaniards wasn't recorded until 1820. Since then, more than 250,000 Spaniards have come to the United States. Half of these immigrants arrived between 1900 and 1924. Spanish immigration patterns often included indirect immigration, that is, Spanish entering the United States through a third country (mostly Latin American republics). Thus, many were classified in immigration statistics by country of last residence.

In 1924, the U.S. quota system greatly limited the number of Spaniards allowed to enter to 912. This number was further reduced to 131; however, some exceptions were granted to skilled workers. Immigration between 1924 and 1960 was small, except for the refugees fleeing from the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s and those fleeing the Francisco Franco regime. These refugees were intellectuals, activists, and businesspeople. A second wave, bringing more than 100,000, began in the early 1960s and continued through the late 1990s.

Contemporary Community

In recent years, people from Spain have sought permanent residency, refugee status, and completed the naturalization process to become citizens. From 1997 through 2007, about 1,300 Spaniards immigrated to the United States annually. At least a thousand Spanish Americans have become naturalized citizens annually, beginning in 1997.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2,064,053 people of Spanish national origin lived in the United States in 2005. In geographic distribution, the top five states were California, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and New York. In keeping with their regional identifications from Spain, Spanish communities have developed centers, clubs, associations, and organizations in various locations, such as New York (and in particular New York City), New Jersey, and California.

Many Spanish Americans are bilingual, that is, they speak both Spanish and English. However, with a strong value on keeping their culture alive, many speak Spanish at home. According to the 2000 census, 14.2% speak only English at home.

Famous U.S. residents of Spanish descent include Mabel Alvarez, artist and painter; Kate Brown, politician, attorney, and first woman to serve as Oregon's Senate majority leader; Manuel “Mani” Hernandez, former soccer player; and Alfonso Ramon Lopez, former baseball player and manager.