Peruvian Americans are Americans of

Peruvian Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 ...

descent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, , 720,626 U.S. residents identify themselves as being of Peruvian origin. Peruvian Americans are one of the smaller yet culturally unique subgroups of

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...

, making up about 1.1% of the entire Hispanic population in the United States, according to current studies. Approximately 62% of Peruvian Americans were born in Peru, with a growing population of Peruvian Americans being born in the United States. Peruvian Americans immigrated to the United States in four major waves. Small but significant waves of immigration occurred in San Francisco during the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

(along with Chilean miners beginning in 1848) and the

Metro Detroit Metro Detroit is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and over 200 municipalities in the Southeast Michigan, surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the officia ...

area in the 1950s. According to historical reports, several Peruvian immigrants in California during the Gold Rush become active in local groups, helping to establish the first Latin American cultural preservation initiatives in the United States. Another wave of immigration occurred again early in the twentieth century, due largely to the burgeoning textile industry in New York and

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. In the 1950s, there were a reported approximate 100 Peruvian families that resided in Paterson, New Jersey. Factors that influenced Peruvian emigration was the decrease in employment, political persecution, public insecurity and violence, economic uncertainty, theft, and impunity. Beginning in the 1970s another wave of Peruvians arrived in the United States, most of whom were fleeing Peru's militaristic government under the dictatorships of

Juan Velasco Alvarado Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado (June 16, 1910 – December 24, 1977) was a Peruvian Army general, general who served as the President of Peru after a successful 1968 Peruvian coup d'état, coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency ...

and Francisco Morales Bermúdez, both of which were marked by coups and socio-economic instability. The 1980s and 1990s saw the most significant influx of Peruvians to U.S. shores, this time in response to the hyperinflation crisis that plagued the Peruvian economy, internal unrest in Peru by terrorist groups, and an authoritarian government headed by Peruvian President

Alberto Fujimori Alberto Kenji Fujimori Fujimori (26 July 1938 – 11 September 2024) was a Peruvian politician, professor, and engineer who served as the 54th president of Peru from 1990 to 2000.* * * * * * * Born in Lima, Fujimori was the country's fir ...

. Immigrants often come from urban areas of Peru, especially

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, and the majority settle in the

New York City metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

—particularly in Paterson and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality, Peruvian Americans are also clustered in the metropolitan areas of Miami; Los Angeles; Houston, Texas; Washington, D.C.; and Virginia. Recently, Peru has enjoyed economic growth and political stability since the start of the millennia. As a result, there has been a decline in the amount of Peruvian immigration to the United States unto 2019 under economic pretenses and instead for education. By 2021, more Peruvian students were attending American colleges, especially those pursuing business and engineering degrees.

Settlement in the United States

The states with the largest number of Peruvian Americans are Florida, California, New Jersey, and New York. Texas and Virginia are also home to significant communities of people of Peruvian descent. Little is known about the earliest Peruvian immigrants who came to the United States during the California gold rush. Later Peruvian immigrants began arriving in the early twentieth century to work in textile mills in Paterson, New Jersey, which is now home to one of the largest Peruvian communities in the United States. Paterson has a significant number of businesses run by Peruvian Americans, as well as social and political organizations, and remains a destination for Peruvian immigrants of all social classes.

Immigration

Undocumented Peruvian Americans make up less than 1% of the total undocumented immigrant population in the United States according to 2015 report from the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries. Its missions involv ...

. In Fiscal Year 2019, 10,049 Peruvians immigrated to the United States.

Lifestyle and culture

The most famous and first aspect of Peruvian culture that deals with the United States is the book, "The Incas's Florida" La Florida del Inca written at the end of sixteenth century by the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Garcilaso's book details the travels of the explorer

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

who had participated in the Forty-Years War between the Incas and the Spanish (1531–1571) and who later came to the lands that would become part of the United States and that the Spanish called "Florida." The most popular dishes of Peruvian food in the U.S. include

ceviche Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche () is a cold dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings. Different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary cultures of various Latin American countries along the Pacific O ...

(raw fish "cooked" in lime juice), ''papa a la huancaína'', and ''anticuchos y tamales''. Peruvian cuisine is often recognized for being one of the most diverse and appreciated of the world's cuisines, with influences including Native American, European, and African. Since there is a sizable Chinese and Japanese minority in Peru, an Asian influence has also been deeply incorporated in Peruvian cuisine. There are '' Chifas'', or Asian-style Peruvian restaurants that serve typical Chinese or Japanese food with a Peruvian culinary influence.

Inca Kola Inca Kola (also known as "Golden Kola" in international advertising) is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The soda has a sweet, fruity flavor that somewhat resembles its main ingredient, A ...

, a soda that originated in Peru, is sold in many heavily concentrated Latin American areas. The extended family commonly serves an economic function, too, with some new immigrants temporarily living with extended family already established in the United States, and in expensive urban centers, such arrangements sometimes are permanent.

Socioeconomic status

Nearly half of Peruvians have resided in the United States for over 20 years, with 46% of foreign-born Peruvians reported to have lived in the United States for 20 years or more. Despite being a relatively recent ethnic group, the

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

for Peruvians meets the average American household income and 44% of Peruvians born in the United States over the age of 25 have college degrees, exceeding the U.S. national average of 24%. Around 90% of Peruvians lived above the poverty rate in 2017, with a poverty rate of 10% compared to the United States national average of 12.3% that same year.

Activism

The Peruvian American Coalition in

Passaic, New Jersey Passaic ( or ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was List of municipalities in New Jersey, the state's 16th-most-populous ...

functions as an activist organization on behalf of the overall welfare of Peruvian Americans.

Demographics

Peruvians have settled throughout the United States, migrating particularly to Northern New Jersey and the

New York City Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...

, the

Miami metropolitan area The Miami metropolitan area is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida. It is the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the lar ...

, the

Washington Metropolitan Area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

, and the

Los Angeles metropolitan area Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the east, ...

. Notably, a rapidly growing number of Peruvian Americans, about 10,000 in 2018, have established an increasingly prominent community in Paterson, New Jersey, which is considered by many to be the capital of the Peruvian

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

in the United States, partially owing to the presence of the Peruvian Consulate. Market Street, the

Little Lima Little Lima is a Peruvian enclave in Downtown Paterson, New Jersey, United States, and the largest Peruvian enclave outside of South America, home to approximately 10,000 Peruvian immigrants, by U.S. Census Bureau estimates. New Jersey's Peruv ...

downtown Paterson Downtown Paterson is the main commercial district of Paterson, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The area is the oldest part of the city, along the banks of the Passaic River and its Great Falls. It is roughly bounded by Inters ...

, is the largest Peruvian American enclave and is lined with Peruvian-owned restaurants, bakeries, delicatessens, bodegas, travel agencies, and other businesses. The Peruvian American community has expanded into Paterson's neighboring areas of Fair Lawn, Elmwood Park, Clifton, and

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality, The 10 states with the largest Peruvian population were (Source: Census 2017): #

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 ...

– 100,965 (0.5% of state population) #

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 ...

– 91,511 (0.2% of state population) #

– 75,869 (0.9% of state population) #

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 * ...

– 66,318 (0.3% of state population) #

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

– 29,096 (0.4% of state population) #

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

– 22,605 (0.1% of state population) #

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

– 18,229 (0.3% of state population) #

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

– 16,424 (0.5% of state population) #

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

– 10,570 (0.1% of state population) #

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 ...

– 10,213 (0.2% of state population) The U.S. state with the smallest Peruvian population (as of 2010) was

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

with 78 Peruvians (less than 0.1% of state population).

Metro Areas

The top 5 U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest Peruvian population were: # New Jersey-New York Greater Area – 182,672 #

Miami Metropolitan Area The Miami metropolitan area is a coastal metropolitan area in southeastern Florida. It is the sixth-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States, and the lar ...

– 81,729 #Washington, D.C. – 53,961 #

– 48,380 #

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

– 26,969

Notable people

Artists

Alex Acuña Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian–American jazz drummer and percussionist. He has also worked as an educator at University of California, Los Angeles, and Berklee College of ...

– drummer and percussionist *

Miguel Harth-Bedoya Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya Gonzalez (born 1968) is a Peruvian conductor. He was formerly music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2020 and chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra from 2013 to 2020. Starting the Fa ...

– conductor * Roberto Eyzaguirre – classical pianist and famed piano pedagogue *

Gabriela Lena Frank Gabriela Lena Frank (born September 1972) is an American pianist and composer of contemporary classical music. Biography Gabriela Lena Frank was born in Berkeley, California, United States. Her father is of Lithuanian Jewish heritage and her mo ...

– American pianist and composer of contemporary classical music * Josh Keaton – actor, singer and musical producer * Isabela Merced – actress, voice actress, singer, songwriter, dancer and ukulele player *

Adele Morales Adele Carolyn Morales (June 12, 1925 – November 22, 2015) was an American painter, actress, and memoirist. Morales studied painting under Hans Hofman and was known for her abstractexpressionist paintingsand her work in papier mâché. She al ...

– American painter and memoirist; of Spanish and Peruvian descent * Plavka – American singer of Croatian and Peruvian origin * Susana Raab – Award-winning fine arts photographer based in Washington, D.C. * Kat Reeder – artist, illustrator and graphic designer * Ginger Reyes – rock musician * Alex Rivera – U.S. filmmaker specialising in films about labor, immigration, and politics * Carmen Giménez Smith – American poet, writer, and editor *

Tony Succar Antonio Guillermo "Tony" Succar (born 18 May 1986),Wall Street International Magazine, 11 July 2012 retrieved 1 June 2013. is a Peruvian- American percussionist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and producer. He is the son of singer Mimy Succa ...

– Peruvian born American musician, composer, arranger and producer *

Yma Sumac Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (born Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo; September 13, 1922 – November 1, 2008), known as Yma Sumac (or Imma Sumack), was a Peruvian singer. She won a Guinness World Records, Guinness World Re ...

– indigenous soprano *

Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva Order of the British Empire, OBE Royal Photographic Society#Distinctions and qualifications, HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in ...

– photographer *

Boris Vallejo Boris Vallejo (born January 8, 1941) is a Peruvian-American painter who works in the science fiction, fantasy, and erotica genres. His hyper-representational paintings have appeared on the covers of numerous novels in the science fiction, sword ...

– Peruvian-born American painter *

Alberto Vargas Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chávez (9 February 1896 – 30 December 1982) was a Peruvian-American painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists, and as one of the pioneers of airbrush art. Numerous ...

– painter

Entertainment

Jorge Andres Jorge Andres (born Jorge Andres Alfaro; July 7, 1984 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian-American sportscaster and sports reporter, who currently is an on-air talent for CBS. Andres was an award winning Sportscenter anchor at ESPN and called Super ...

– award winning national sportscaster and former ESPN Sportscenter anchor * Alexis Amore – pornographic actress * Daniella Alonso – American actress. Her father is from

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, of Japanese origins. *

Miguel Arteta Miguel Arteta (born August 29, 1965) is a Puerto Rican filmmaker known for his work in independent cinema and television. His film ''Chuck & Buck'' (2000) received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature made for under $500,000, while '' ...

– son of a Peruvian, director of film and television, known for his

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

Chuck & Buck ''Chuck & Buck'' is a 2000 American black comedy drama film directed by Miguel Arteta and produced by Matthew Greenfield. It was written by and starred Mike White in the leading role. Arteta, Greenfield, and White met and first collaborated at ...

'' (2000), for which he received the

Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award is presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $1,000,000 by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is named aft ...

, and ''

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

.'' * Amber Barretto – American actress * David Bernal – illusionary dancer *

Benjamin Bratt Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for playing Paco Aguilar in '' Blood in Blood Out''. He had supporting film roles in the 1990s in ''Demolition Man'' (1993), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994) and '' ...

– actor, Peruvian on his mother's side * Pepe Barreto – community and entertainment reporter for KMEX-TV, Channel 34 * Jorge Benitez – (also known as George Benitez) former U.S. soccer forward * Julio C. Canani – Peruvian trainer in American Thoroughbred horse racing who has won three Breeders' Cup races. * David Torrence – athlete, he had a U.S. record of 1,000 meters; and he also represented Peru at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He was born in Japan and had Peruvian ancestry per his mother; his father is American. * Roberto Carcelen – Peruvian-American cross-country skier * Carmen Carrera – American model of Peruvian and Puerto Rican descent * Diego Chávarri – soccer player * Jorge Masvidal - mixed martial artist of Peruvian-Cuban descent * Isabela Merced - American actress to a Peruvian mother. *

Cesar Conde Cesar Conde is an American media executive who is chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, overseeing NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC. Prior to this, Conde was chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. Befor ...

– Chairman of NBC Universal International Group &

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...

Enterprises *

Kenny Florian Kenneth Alan "Kenny" Florian (born May 26, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011 to 2018, ...

– mixed martial artist * Richard Green – soccer defender * Kathleen Herles – Peruvian American voice actress *

Q'orianka Kilcher Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (; born February 11, 1990) is an American actress. Her best known film roles are Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's 2005 film '' The New World'', and Kaiulani in '' Princess Kaiulani'' (2009). In 2020, she starred i ...

– actress * Pedro Pablo León – soccer forward * Carlos Navarro – American actor and radio personality *

Alex Olmedo Alejandro "Alex" Olmedo Rodríguez (March 24, 1936December 9, 2020) was a tennis player from Peru with American citizenship. He was listed by the USTA as a "foreign" player for 1958, but as a U.S. player for 1959. He helped win the Davis Cup f ...

– former tennis player from Peru with American citizenship"While Critics Cry, He Wins", ''Lakeland Ledger'', 23 August 1959, page 19. * Luis Palomino – Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division *

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (born June 12, 1967) is a retired Peruvian jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. Prado's big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in one year. Much of that success was ga ...

– jockey *

Rosa Salazar Rosa Salazar (; born July 16, 1985) is an American actress. She had roles in the NBC series '' Parenthood'' (2011–2012) and the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story: Murder House'' (2011). She made her breakthrough as the title charact ...

– American actress of Peruvian descent *

Tom Segura Thomas Weston Segura (born April 16, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster. Segura co-hosts the '' Your Mom's House'' podcast with his wife, fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the p ...

– Peruvian-American stand-up comedian * Daniel Tuccio – Peruvian-American television reporter/news anchor * Jose Valdivia, Jr. – jockey in American thoroughbred horse racing * Carlos De Valdez (1894–1939) – Peruvian film actor who appeared in around forty American films. He spend the last years of his life in United States (where he died).Pitts, Michael R. ''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films''. McFarland, 2012.

Politics

Juan Bandini Juan Bandini (1800 – November 4, 1859) was a Peruvian-born Californio public figure, politician, and ranchero. He is best known for his role in the development of San Diego in the mid-19th century. Early history Bandini was born in 1800 in Lima ...

– (1800–1859) early settler of what would become

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, California *

Fernando Belaúnde Terry Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, and former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa and Asia (like the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka). It is e ...

– American educator, former President of Peru (1963–1968; 1980–1985) * Robert Garcia – Mayor of

Long Beach Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, California, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 42nd district (first Peruvian-American elected to Congress) *

Alvaro Bedoya Alvaro Martin Bedoya (born February 21, 1982) is an American attorney and government official who served on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 2022 until 18 March 2025, when he was fired by President Donald Trump. Known for his focus on dig ...

, government official serving on the

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...

(FTC) * Augusto B. Leguía – businessman, former Prime Minister of Peru, former President of Peru (1908–1912; 1919–1930) *

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard (; born 3 October 1938), also known simply as PPK (), is a Peruvian economist, public administrator, and former politician who served as the 59th President of Peru from 2016 to 2018. He served as Prime Minister of ...

– former

President of Peru The president of Peru (), officially the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru (), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is the head of the executive branch and is the supreme head of the Peruvian Armed ...

(2016–2018) *

Alejandro Toledo Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (; born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian former politician who served as President of Peru, from 2001 to 2006. He gained international prominence after leading the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori, w ...

– former

(2001–2006) *

Jim Himes James Andrew Himes (born July 5, 1966) is an American businessman and politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 2009. Himes is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Pa ...

– American businessman and politician, also Ranking member of the

House Intelligence Committee The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), also known as the House Intelligence Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Rick Crawford. It is the primary comm ...

(HPSCI) As of 2020, four Presidents of Peru are or were Peruvian-Americans. File:Augusto B. Leguía (portrait).jpg, Augusto Leguía (1908–1912; 1919–1930) File:Fernando Belaúnde Terry 1980.jpg,

, 80th

(1963–1968; 1980–1985) File:Alejandro Toledo (8682).jpg,

, 84th

(2001–2006) File:Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard.jpg,

, 86th

(2016-2018)

Religion

Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) has been head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States and North America, the fir ...

- Head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2025

Sciences

Anthony Atala Anthony Atala (born July 14, 1958) is an American bioengineer, urologist, and pediatric surgeon. He is the W.H. Boyce professor of urology, the founding director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the chair of the De ...

– medical doctor and professor; Peruvian born, and American raised. * Carlos Bustamante – biologist *

Carlos Castaneda Carlos César Salvador Arana (December 25, 1925 – April 27, 1998), better known as Carlos Castaneda, was an American anthropologist and writer. Starting in 1968, Castaneda published a series of books that describe a training in shamanism t ...

– philosopher * Carlos I. Noriega – astronaut * Wenceslaus Sarmiento – also known as W.A. Sarmiento, Peruvian-born American modernist architect *

Barton Zwiebach Barton Zwiebach (born ''Barton Zwiebach Cantor'', October 4, 1954) is a Peruvian string theorist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Work Zwiebach studied electrical engineering at the Universidad Nacional de Ingenierí ...

– physicist working on

string theory In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and intera ...

Journalism

* Daniel Alarcón – Peruvian born, American raised author *

Marie Arana Marie Arana (born Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian and American author, editor, journalist, critic, and the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress. Personal life Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru, the daughter of Jorge Enrique Arana C ...

– editor, journalist and Peruvian born author * Mandalit del Barco – general assignment reporter for National Public Radio * Monica Brown (author) – children's book author, Peruvian on her mother's side *

Lorenzo O'Brien Lorenzo O'Brien (born 1955) is a Peruvian-American writer-producer of Irish descent. O'Brien was born in Lima and attended graduate school at UCLA. He has produced many television films and several features including ''Walker'' and '' El Patrul ...

– writer-producer * Alex Kuczynski – journalist *

Jaime Bayly Jaime Bayly Letts (born February 19, 1965) is a Peruvian writer, journalist, and television personality. He has won an Emmy Award and two of his books have been adapted into international movies. He also won the Premio Herralde in 1997 for hi ...

– writer, journalist and television presenter

Other

* Arthur Chin – America's first

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

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 ...

* McKenna DeBever – swimmer * David Utrilla – 31st member of the Utah Corps of Consuls

References

External links

* * {{Demographics of the United States Peruvian diaspora