Colombian Americans

History

The first Colombian immigrants in the United States probably arrived in the 1800s and were not concentrated in groups, working hard to assimilate. Like many Latino communities in the United States, however, they were not formally counted as a distinct group until the 1960s. The Colombian American community first made its cohesive presence known after World War I, mostly in the New York City area, particularly in Jackson Heights, Queens. At that time, Jackson Heights was a middle-class community close to Manhattan, and this influx of Colombians into the United States after World War I consisted largely of skilled professional people, such as nurses and other medical personnel, accountants, and office workers. Young people from relatively well-off families also stayed in the United States after attending college.

The number of Colombians migrating to the United States rose only slightly each year until the early 1950s, when the unrest of civil war coupled with a shift into urban areas increased the numbers of Colombian immigrants. By the early 1970s skilled and semiskilled workers made up [Page 544]more of the population of Colombian Americans than did professionals.

Immigration and Social Turmoil

In the late 1970s, more and more Colombians relocated to Miami, probably in the wake of the large influx of Cubans, while the 1980s saw Colombian Americans migrate from urban centers to suburbs. The 1990s once again saw political turmoil erupt in Colombia, and the presence of more guerrillas there once again boosted the number of Colombians in the United States, particularly in California, although the Colombian American populations of New York City and Miami remained the largest in the country.

Many Colombian Americans experienced a language barrier as they lived under conditions that didn't offer many opportunities for gaining proficiency in English. Like other immigrants, Colombian Americans also felt the backlash of anti-immigrant fervor in the period of economic recession during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Popular concerns about drug-related crime also had a profound impact on Colombian Americans during this time, culminating after Manuel de Dios Unanue, editor of El Diario/La Prensa and critic of the Cali drug cartel, was murdered in 1992.

Culture

Colombia's population is very ethnically diverse, with mestizos making up the majority of the population, Afro-Colombians, and the rest consisting of indigenous Colombians and Colombians of European ancestry. In the early years of Colombian migration to the United States, the influx of immigrants consisted mostly of mestizos and those of European ancestry. In more recent waves of immigration, however, all Colombian ethnicities have been represented, so modern Colombian Americans are also from all Colombian ethnic groups.

Colombian Americans have thriving musical and culinary scenes in the United States. Popular Colombian musical styles include salsa and cumbia, and Colombian cuisine has contributed the empanada, sancocho, and arepas to American food culture. Soccer is wildly popular in Colombian American communities, and there are a number of Colombian American soccer stars in the United States, including Juan Agudelo, who plays in New York and also for the national team. Colombian Americans are also well represented in Major League Baseball.

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