Latvian Americans () are

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

who are of Latvian ancestry. According to the 2019

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, there are 85,723 Americans of full or partial Latvian descent.

History

The first significant wave of Latvian settlers who immigrated to the United States came in 1888 to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. By the end of the century, many of those Latvian immigrants had moved on to settle primarily in other East Coast and Midwest cities, such as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, as well as coastal cities on the West Coast, such as

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, and

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Although most Latvians settled in cities, in most of these (with the exception of the Roxbury district of Boston) they lived dispersed and did not form ethnic neighborhoods. Some immigrants also established themselves in rural areas, but they were few and usually did not form long-lasting communities. The first

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church built by Latvians in the United States was erected in 1906 in

Lincoln County, Wisconsin Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,415. Its county seat is Merrill. The county was created in 1875 and named after President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln County comprise ...

, where an agricultural colony had been established in 1897. A new wave of Latvian immigration began around 1906, after the failure of the

1905 Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, th ...

. Many of these immigrants were political leaders and rank-and-file revolutionaries who could be killed by Russian soldiers if they were discovered, so they emigrated to survive and continue the revolutionary movement in other countries. Most of the Latvian revolutionaries were more politically radical than the earlier immigrants to the United States, which increased social friction within a number of communities. In 1917, many Latvian revolutionaries returned to their homeland to work for the creation of a

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

government. In 1918, when Latvia declared its independence, some nationalists also returned.After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the promise of economic improvements in the newly independent nation, immigration quotas established in 1924 by the United States, and the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

all contributed to reduced emigration from Latvia to the US. From 1920 to 1939, only 4,669 Latvians arrived in the United States. Toward the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, tens of thousands of Latvians fled their country to

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

to escape advancing Soviet troops. Most were held in Displaced Persons camps. About half were eventually repatriated to the then-

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Also known as the Latvian SSR, or Latvia) was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941, and then from 1944 until 1990. The Soviet occupation and annexation of Latvia began between J ...

, but the rest resettled to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and the United States. From 1939 to 1951, 40,000 Latvians immigrated to the United States with the help of the U.S. government and various social service and religious organizations. Although many of these refugees had been professionals in their country, in the United States they often had to take jobs as farmhands, custodians, or builders until they could learn English and find better paying jobs. Most Latvians settled in cities because of economic opportunities, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. They did not settle in ethnic neighborhoods and relied on social events and the press for a sense of community. Within a few years, Latvian organizations created schools, credit unions, choirs, dance groups, theater troupes, publishers and book sellers, churches, veterans' groups (e.g. the ''Daugavas vanagi'', Hawks of the Daugava), and political organizations to help continue their culture and language. Since the annexation of the Baltic states was not recognized by the United States and many other countries, many kept Latvian passports, issued by the Latvian Embassy in Washington D.C., but most acquired American citizenship as well. From 1980 to 1990, 1,006 Latvians arrived in the United States. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991; however, few of the later immigrants or descendants of earlier generations have returned. They have made new lives in the United States.

Demography

According to the 2000 census, a total of 87,564 people of Latvian descent lived in the United States. The larger populations are located in the states of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, and

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Many Latvian Americans (about 9,000) have dual citizenship, which the country made available to emigrants after becoming independent of the Soviet Union. Since the late 20th century, more Latvian Americans have traveled back to Latvia. Others provide financial support and give material to various organizations. Some Latvian Americans have settled there and been elected to the Saeima, or Parliament, in Latvia. The

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

with the largest Latvian-American populations are:

Latvian-born population

Latvian-born population in the US since 2010:

Education

The majority of Latvians immigrants to the United States after World War II were university graduates. Many were academics or belonged to

intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the i ...

Languages and religions

Most Latvian Americans speak only English due to intermarriage. As for religion, although most Latvians Americans are

Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

, there are also

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

communities, represented by the American Latvian Catholic Association, as well as American Latvian Baptists and American

Latvian Jewish The history of the Jews in Latvia dates back to the first Jewish colony established in Piltene in 1571. Jews contributed to Latvia's development until the Northern War (1700–1721), which decimated Latvia's population.R. O. G. Urch. Latvia: ...

communities.

Notable people

Rutanya Alda Rutanya Alda (born Rūta Skrastiņa; October 13, 1942) is a Latvian-American actress. She began her career in the late 1960s, and went on to have supporting parts in ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Rocky II'' (1979), and ''Mommie Dearest'' (1981). ...

(Rūta Skrastiņa, born 1942), actress (''Mommy Dearest'', ''The Deer Hunter'') *

Jessie Andrews Jessie Andrews is an American designer, producer, model, DJ, and former adult film actress, known for her performance in '' Portrait of a Call Girl.'' She has received several Best New Starlet awards. In 2012, Andrews launched her own jewelr ...

(born 1992), pornographic actress, model, and club DJ *

Elya Baskin Ilya Zalmanovich Baskin (, ; born 11 August 1950), known professionally as Elya Baskin, is a Latvian-born Soviet-American character actor. He first gained attention for his role in '' Moscow on the Hudson'' (1984), as Robin Williams' character's b ...

(Ilya Zalmanovich Baskin, born 1950), character actor (''Moscow on the Hudson'', ''Spider-Man 2'', ''Spider-Man 3'') * Aldis Berzins (Aldis Bērziņš, born 1956), member of the

United States men's national volleyball team The United States men's national volleyball team represents the country in international competitions and friendly matches. The team is governed by USA Volleyball, and it has won six Olympic medals, with three of them gold. History As the birt ...

that won the gold medal at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

Gunnar Birkerts Gunnar Birkerts (, January 17, 1925 – August 15, 2017) was a Latvian American architect who, for the most of his career, was based in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan. Some of his notable designs include the Corning Museum of Gla ...

(Gunārs Birkerts, 1925–2017), architect (

Corning Museum of Glass The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning (city), New York, Corning, New York, United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Incorporated, Corning Glass Works and currently has a ...

Marquette Plaza Marquette Plaza is a highrise in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, located at 250 Marquette Avenue. Design Designed by Gunnar Birkerts, it was home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1973 to 1997 (hence, many people re ...

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, the

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. With a $5 million annual budget and approximately 75,000 visitors each year, it is Missouri's first and largest contemporary museum. Founders The core of the museum's per ...

, the

U.S. Embassy The United States has the second largest number of active diplomatic posts of any country in the world after the People's Republic of China, including 272 bilateral posts (embassies and consulates) in 174 countries, as well as 11 permanent miss ...

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

National Library of Latvia The National Library of Latvia (), originally known as the State Library of Latvia, is a national cultural institution under the supervision of the . Its current main building is known as the Castle of Light ().There is also an old library repo ...

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

) *

Sven Birkerts Sven Birkerts (born 21 September 1951) is an American essayist and literary critic. He is best known for his book ''The Gutenberg Elegies'' (1994), which posits a decline in reading due to the overwhelming advances of the Internet and other tec ...

(Svens Birkerts, born 1951), essayist and literary critic *

David P. Boder David Pablo Boder (9 November 1886 – 18 December 1961) was a Latvian-American professor of psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology who traveled in 1946 to Europe to record interviews with Holocaust survivors. During that trip, he coll ...

(born Aron Mendel Michelson, 1886–1961), psychologist known for the first audio recordings of

Holocaust survivors Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universall ...

(''I Did Not Interview the Dead'', 1949) * Aris Brimanis (Āris Brīmanis, born 1972), ice hockey player *

Chase Budinger Chase Andrew Budinger ( ; born May 22, 1988) is an American beach volleyball player and former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 44th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft after playing three years of c ...

(Čeiss Badingers, born 1988), NBA basketball player * Christopher Zarins (born 1943), surgeon, researcher *

Eric Cantor Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Mino ...

(born 1963), Republican Representative of

Virginia's 7th congressional district Virginia's seventh congressional district is a United States congressional district in the U.S. state, Commonwealth of Virginia. The district encompasses a vast swath of Northern Virginia, Northern and Greater Richmond Region, Central Virginia ...

from 2001 to 2014, and Majority Leader from 2011 to 2014, until his historic primary defeat by

Dave Brat David Alan Brat (born July 27, 1964) is an American academic and former politician. A member of the Republican Party, Brat served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district from 2014 to 2019. Brat came to national p ...

. *

Vija Celmins Vija Celmins ( ;Hilarie M. Sheets and Randy Kennedy (September 24, 2015)''New York Times''. ; ; born October 25, 1938) is a Latvian American visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and drawings of natural environments and phenomen ...

(Vija Celmiņš, born 1938), painter; won a Fellow Award in the Visual Arts from United States Artists in 2009 * David Cohen (1917–2020), a member of the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

, a liberator of the

Ohrdruf concentration camp Ohrdruf was a German forced labor and concentration camp located near Ohrdruf, south of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany. It was part of the Buchenwald concentration camp network. Operation Created in November 1944 near the town of Ohrdruf, so ...

, and a schoolteacher * Jacob Davis (Jēkabs Jufess, 1831–1908), tailor, inventor of

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...

* Burkards Dzenis (1879–1966), artist *

Buddy Ebsen Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.; April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom ''The Beverly Hillb ...

(1908–2003), actor and dancer; known for his role as

Jed Clampett ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...

in the popular television series ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...

'' *

Andrievs Ezergailis Andrew Ezergailis (; born 10 December 1930 in Rite Parish, died 22 January 2022 in Ithaca, New York) was a professor of history at Ithaca College, known for his research into the 20th-century history of Latvia, particularly of the 1917 Revolutio ...

(1930–2022), historian of the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

* Paul Grasmanis (Pols Grasmanis, born 1974), former NFL American football player *

Dave Grusin Robert David Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, incl ...

(born 1934), jazz musician; known for his musical score in the movies such as ''

Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by Sydney Pollack from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, D ...

'' and '' Heaven Can Wait'' *

Natalie Gulbis Natalie Anne Gulbis (born January 7, 1983) is an American professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. Golf career Gulbis was born and raised in the Sacramento, California, area. She has Latvian ancestry. Gulbis became intereste ...

(born 1983), LPGA golfer * Moriss Halle (1923–2018), linguist *

Philippe Halsman Philippe Halsman (; ; 2 May 1906 – 25 June 1979) was an American portrait photographer. He was born in Riga in the part of the Russian Empire which later became Latvia, and died in New York City. Life and work Halsman was born in Riga to a Jew ...

(Filips Halsmans, 1906–1979), photographer *

Juris Hartmanis Juris Hartmanis (July 5, 1928 – July 29, 2022) was a Latvian-born American computer scientist and computational theorist who, with Richard E. Stearns, received the 1993 ACM Turing Award "in recognition of their seminal paper which established ...

(1928–2022), computer scientist,

Turing Award The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in the fi ...

winner (1993) *

Rashida Jones Rashida Leah Jones ( ; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is best known for her roles as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Offic ...

(born 1976), actress * Kristaps Keggi (1934–2023), orthopedic surgeon *

Martin Kersels Martin Kersels (born 1960) is an American contemporary artist. Kersels' work is largely installation based, incorporating sculpture, photography and video. Kersels is a professor of sculpture and director of graduate studies at the Yale School of ...

(born 1960), artist, professor of sculpture and director of graduate studies at the Yale School of Art *

Mike Knuble Michael Rudolf Knuble ( , ; born July 4, 1972) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his 16 NHL seasons, he played for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rang ...

(Maiks Knuble, born 1972), NHL ice hockey player *

Mārtiņš Krūmiņš Mārtiņš Krūmiņš (March 2, 1900 – 1992) was a Latvian-American Impressionist painter. He left Latvia after World War II and came to the United States in 1950. "Mārtiņš Krūmiņš ... belongs to those artists of his generation, who amid ...

(1900–1992), Impressionist painter * Edward Leedskalnin (Edvards Liedskalniņš, 1887–1951), amateur sculptor;, builder of Coral Castle in Florida; claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids *

Ari Leff Ari Staprans Leff (born August 8, 1994), known professionally as Lauv (), is an American musician best known for his breakout hit "I Like Me Better"; included on his compilation album ''I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist)'', which was releas ...

(Ari Steprenss Līfs, born 1994), singer, songwriter and record producer *

DJ Lethal Leor Dimant (, , ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pain and Limp Bizkit. Early life Leor Dimant was born to a Latvian- ...

(Leors Dimants, born 1972), DJ for rap-rock band

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...

, of Jewish descent *

Martins Licis Martins Licis (, ; born September 28, 1990) is an American professional strongman, notable for winning the 2019 World's Strongest Man, the 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, and the 2021 Rogue Invitational strongman championships. He's the fourth s ...

(born 1990), professional strongman *

Peggy Lipton Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes i ...

(1946–2019), actress * Juris Luzins (Juris Luziņš, born 1947), 1971 US National Championship winner in the men's 800-meter run *

Cynthia Lynn Cynthia Lynn (born Zinta Valda Ziemelis; April 2, 1937 – March 10, 2014) was an American actress. Early life Lynn was born in Riga, Latvia, as Zinta Valda Ziemelis. At age eight, she and her mother, Alisa, fled the country prior to World War ...

(Zinta Valda Ziemelis, 1937–2014), actress * Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978), artist * J. George Mikelsons (born 1938), airline executive *

Nils Muižnieks Nils Muižnieks (born 31 January 1964 in the United States) is a Latvian-American human rights activist and political scientist. He had served as the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights between 2012 and 2018, succeeding Thomas ...

(born 1964),

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...

and

political scientist Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

*Peters Munters, musician with the bands Over it and

Runner Runner ''Runner Runner'' is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by Brad Furman, written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and starring Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie. The film was released in the United ...

Fred Norris Eric Fred Norris (born Fred Leo Nukis, July 9, 1955) is an American radio personality and the longest-tenured staff member of ''The Howard Stern Show'', aside from Stern himself. He first met Howard Stern while working at WCCC-FM, a radio stat ...

(Fred Leo Nukis, born 1955), ''Howard Stern'' show personality *

Lucia Peka Lucia Peka (, March 30, 1912 – August 13, 1991) was a Latvian-American artist. Born in the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire, she became part of the diaspora of artists who fled Latvia during World War II, and eventually settled ...

(Lūcija Pēka, 1912–1991), artist, painter of "Flowers", "Riga", and "The Well" * Brita Petersons (Brita Pētersone, born 1979), model * Andrejs Plakans, historian (1940–2024) * Gundaris Pone (1932–1994), composer and conductor *

Eugene Revitch Dr. Eugene Revitch, M.D. (August 6, 1909– September 14, 1996) was a Latvian professor and psychiatrist known for his work on the psychiatric aspects of criminal behavior. He was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Med ...

(1909–1996), psychiatrist *

Lolita Ritmanis Lolita Ritmanis (born November 1, 1962) is a Latvian-American composer, known for her film and television scores, including her work on the animated series '' Batman Beyond''. Early life Born on November 1, 1962, in Portland, Oregon, Ritmanis ...

(born 1962), orchestrator, composer *

Laila Robins Laila Robins (born March 14, 1959) is an American stage, film and television actress. She has appeared in films including '' Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), '' An Innocent Man'' (1989), '' Live Nude Girls'' (1995), ''True Crime'' (1999), ...

(Laila Robiņa, born 1959), stage, film and television actress *

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, comedian, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1 ...

(born 1961), musician, performance artist *

Mark Rothko Mark Rothko ( ; Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz until 1940; September 25, 1903February 25, 1970) was an American abstract art, abstract painter. He is best known for his color field paintings that depicted irregular and painterly rectangular reg ...

(Markus Rotkovičs, 1903–1970), painter *

Raimonds Staprans Raimonds Staprans (; born 1926) is an artist and playwright in both the United States and his native Latvia. He is known for his paintings of still-lifes and landscapes and for his plays set in Latvia. Staprans was born in 1926 in Riga, Latvia. ...

(Raimonds Staprāns, born 1926), Latvian/American painter and playwright (''The Freezing'', 1979; ''Four Days in June'', 1989) *

Harold Snepsts Harold John Snepsts (, born October 24, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1975 and 1991, including two stints with the Vancouver Canucks. Snepsts featured in the ...

(Haralds Šnepsts, born 1954), NHL ice hockey player *

Esther Sans Takeuchi Esther Sans Takeuchi (born Esther Sans, ) is a materials scientist and chemical engineer, working on energy storage systems and power sources for biomedical devices. She is also a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University and a chief sci ...

(Estere Sāns-Takeuči, born 1953), Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources at University of Buffalo; recipient of the

National Medal of Technology and Innovation The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the president of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...

, 2009 * Eva Saulitis (1963–2016), marine biologist and poet * Andrew Smith (born 1992), American-Latvian basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Peter Tillers (Pēteris Tillers, 1943–2015), legal scholar *

Juris Upatnieks Juris Upatnieks (born 7 May 1936 in Riga) is a Latvian-American physicist and inventor, and pioneer in the field of holography. Life Upatnieks fled the Latvia with his parents at the close of World War II, seeking asylum in Germany. In 1951 ...

(born 1936), physicist; co-inventor of three-dimensional

holography Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...

; created the first working

hologram Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interf ...

in 1962 *

Max Weinreich Max Weinreich ( ''Maks Vaynraych''; , ''Meyer Lazarevich Vaynraykh''; 22 April 1894 – 29 January 1969) was a Russian- American-Jewish linguist, specializing in sociolinguistics and Yiddish, and the father of the linguist Uriel Weinreich, who ...

(Makss Veinreihs, 1893–1969), linguist *

Tati Westbrook Tatiana Aleksandra Westbrook (born Tania Aleksandra Krievins; February 14, 1982), best known under her vlogger name Tati, is an American YouTuber and make-up artist, makeup artist. Career YouTube Westbrook, a former Image consulting, image ...

(born 1982), YouTuber, makeup artist and Internet personality * DeAndre Yedlin (born 1993), soccer player for the Seattle Sounders and the United States National Soccer team * Markus Zusevics (Markuss Zuševics, born 1989), NFL football player

References

External links

American Latvian AssociationAmerican Latvian Youth AssociationČikāgas latviešu vēsture - Chicago Latvian HistoryDaugavas Vanagi ASVDienvidkalifornijas Latviešu Informācijas BiļetensEmbassy of Latvia to the United States of AmericaKalifornijas Latviešu Uzņēmēju Biznesa Saiets "KLUBS"LaiksLatvian Center "Gaŗezers"Latvian Cultural Association TILTSLatvian Ev. Luth. Church of New York & CommunityLatvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaLatvians OnlineLatvian Relief Fund of AmericaLatvieši AmerikāPasaules Brīvo Latviešu ApvienībaThe Philadelphia Society of Free LettsUnion of Latvian Baptists in America
{{Authority control European diaspora in the United States

History

Demography

Latvian-born population

Education

Languages and religions

Notable people

See also

References

Further reading

External links