Peruvian Americans are Americans of Peruvian 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.
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, New Z ...
(along with
Chilean miners beginning in 1848) and the
Metro Detroit
The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...
area in the 1950s. 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 in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
. In the 1950s, there were a reported approximate 100 Peruvian families that resided in Paterson, New Jersey.
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 general who served as the President of Peru after a successful coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency in 1968. Under his presidency, nationalism ...
and
Francisco Morales Bermúdez
Francisco Remigio Morales Bermúdez Cerruti (4 October 1921 – 14 July 2022) was a Peruvian politician and general who was the ''de facto'' President of Peru (2nd President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces) between 1975 and ...
both 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 Kenya Fujimori Inomoto ( or ; born 28 July 1938) is a Peruvian politician, professor and former engineer who was President of Peru from 28 July 1990 until 22 November 2000. Frequently described as a dictator,
*
*
*
*
*
*
he remains a ...
.
Immigrants often come from urban areas of Peru, especially
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...
, and the majority settle in the
New York City metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
—particularly in
Paterson Paterson may refer to:
People
* Paterson (surname)
* Paterson (given name)
Places
Australia
*Paterson, New South Wales
*Paterson River, New South Wales
* Division of Paterson, an electoral district in New South Wales
*Paterson, Queensland, a lo ...
and
Passaic in New Jersey and the New York City borough of Queens. 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.
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
US 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 or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-ter ...
.
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 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 () is a Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime or lemon. It is also spiced with '' ají'', chili peppers or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are ...
(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 ''
Chifa
Chifa is culinary tradition based on Chinese Cantonese elements fused with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. Though originating in Peru, the Chifa tradition has spread to neighboring countries like Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia. ...
s'', or Asian-style Peruvian restaurants that serve typical Chinese or Japanese food with a Peruvian culinary influence.
Inca Kola
Inca Kola (also known as "the 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 ingredie ...
, 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 equal 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 ...
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 US 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 in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...
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
North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrat ...
and the
New York City Metropolitan Area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
, the
Miami metropolitan area
The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the List of largest cities, 34th largest metropolitan ar ...
, the
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virg ...
, and the
Los Angeles metropolitan area
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest urban area, metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Ber ...
.
Notably, a rapidly growing number of Peruvian Americans, about 10,000 in 2018,
have established an increasingly prominent community in
Paterson Paterson may refer to:
People
* Paterson (surname)
* Paterson (given name)
Places
Australia
*Paterson, New South Wales
*Paterson River, New South Wales
* Division of Paterson, an electoral district in New South Wales
*Paterson, Queensland, a lo ...
, 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 origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews afte ...
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 Per ...
in
downtown Paterson, 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
Clifton may refer to:
People
*Clifton (surname)
*Clifton (given name)
Places
Australia
*Clifton, Queensland, a town
**Shire of Clifton
* Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong
* Clifton, Western Australia
Canada
* Clifton, Nova Scot ...
, and
Passaic in Northern New Jersey as well, all within the New York City Metropolitan Area. The annual Peruvian Independence Day Parade is held in Paterson.
States with highest Peruvian population

The 10 states with the largest Peruvian population were (Source: Census 2017):
#
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
– 100,965 (0.5% of state population)
#
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
– 91,511 (0.2% of state population)
#
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
– 75,869 (0.9% of state population)
#
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
– 66,318 (0.3% of state population)
#
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
– 29,096 (0.4% of state population)
#
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
– 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 shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
– 18,229 (0.3% of state population)
#
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
– 16,424 (0.5% of state population)
#
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
– 10,570 (0.1% of state population)
#
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
– 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 Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...
with 78 Peruvians (less than 0.1% of state population).
Metro Areas
The top 5 US metropolitan areas with the largest Peruvian population were:
#
New Jersey-New York Greater Area – 182,672
#
Miami Metropolitan Area
The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the List of largest cities, 34th largest metropolitan ar ...
– 81,729
#Washington, D.C. – 53,961
#
Los Angeles metropolitan area
Greater Los Angeles is the second-largest urban area, metropolitan region in the United States with a population of 18.5 million in 2021, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Ber ...
– 48,380
#
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
– 26,969
Notable people
Artists
*
Alex Acuña
Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian-American drummer and percussionist.
Background
Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands such as La Orquesta de los Hermanos Neci ...
– drummer and percussionist
*
Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Miguel Alberto Harth-Bedoya (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. He is currently Director ...
– conductor
*
Roberto Eyzaguirre – classical pianist and famed piano pedagogue
*
Gabriela Lena Frank
Gabriela Lena Frank (born Berkeley, California, United States, September 1972) is an American pianist and composer of contemporary classical music.
Biography
Gabriela Lena Frank's father is an American of Lithuanian Jewish heritage and her mothe ...
– American pianist and composer of contemporary classical music
*
Josh Keaton
Joshua Luis Wiener (born February 8, 1979), known by his stage name Josh Keaton, is an American voice actor. He is known for his roles as Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender'', Spider-Man in various media in addition to ...
– actor, singer and musical producer
*
Isabela Moner
Isabela Yolanda Moner (born July 10, 2001), known professionally as Isabela Merced since 2019, is an American actress and singer. She played the lead role of CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series '' 100 Things to Do Before High School'' ...
– actress, voice actress, singer, songwriter, dancer and ukulele player
*
Adele Morales – American painter and memoirist; of Spanish and Peruvian descent
*
Plavka
Plavka Coleridge (née Lonich; born March 25, 1974) is an American singer. She is best known for being the singer of the German trance act Jam & Spoon, whose classically infused trance sound dominated the international charts in the mid-1990s ...
– American singer of Croatian and Peruvian origin
*
Susana Raab – Award-winning fine arts photographer based in Washington, DC
*
Kat Reeder – artist, illustrator and graphic designer
*
Ginger Reyes
Ginger A. Pooley (née Reyes, born April 22, 1977) is an American rock musician, best known as a bassist and backing vocalist for the Chicago alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. More recently she has played bass for Gwen Stefani and Lea M ...
– rock musician
*
Alex Rivera – U.S. filmmaker specialising in films about labor, immigration, and politics
*
Carmen Giménez Smith
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
– American poet, writer, and editor
*
Tony Succar – Peruvian born American musician, composer, arranger and producer
*
Yma Sumac
Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (September 13, 1922 (birth certificate) or September 10, 1922 (later documents) – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Yma Sumac (), was a Peruvian-American coloratura soprano. She was one ...
– indigenous soprano
*
Mario Testino
Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer.
His work has featured internationally in magazines such as '' Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...
– 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 science fiction and fantasy ficti ...
– 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 model, pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists. Numerous Vargas paintings have sold and c ...
– painter
Entertainment
*
Jorge Andres – Award Winning National Sportscaster and Former ESPN Sportscenter Anchor
*
Alexis Amore – pornographic actress
*
Daniella Alonso
Daniella Alonso is an American actress and former fashion model. She has appeared in a number of horror films, including '' The Hills Have Eyes 2'' and '' Wrong Turn 2: Dead End''. Alonso was a regular cast member in the NBC post-apocalyptic se ...
– American actress. Her father is from
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, of Japanese origins.
*
Miguel Arteta
Miguel Arteta (born 1965) is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film ''Chuck & Buck'' (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films '' The Good Girl'' (2002) ...
– 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 produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
''
Chuck & Buck
''Chuck & Buck'' is a 2000 American black comedy drama film directed by Miguel Arteta. It was written by and starred Mike White in the leading role.
Plot
Buck O'Brien is a 27-year-old amateur playwright with the maturity level of an adolescent. ...
'' (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 $500,000 by the Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers. It is named after a ...
, and ''
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. It ...
.''
*
Amber Barretto – American actress
*
David Bernal – illusionary dancer
*
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor and producer who has worked in film and on television. He had supporting roles in the 1990s in such box office hits as ''Demolition Man'' (1993), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), ...
– actor, Peruvian on his mother's side
*
Pepe Barreto Pepe Barreto (born in Lima, Peru) was a community and entertainment reporter for KMEX-TV, Channel 34. With extensive experience in television and radio, Barreto, joined KMEX's news team, Noticias 34 in April 1993.
Biography
Barretto moved from Peru ...
– 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 has a US record of 1000 meters; and he has also represented
Peru at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He was born in Japan and has Peruvian ancestry per his mother; his father is American.
*
Roberto Carcelen – Peruvian-American cross-country skier
*
Carmen Carrera
Carmen Carrera (born April 13, 1985) is an American reality television personality, model, burlesque performer, and actress, known for appearing on the third season of the Logo reality television series '' RuPaul's Drag Race'', as well as its ...
– American model of Peruvian and
Puerto Rican descent
*
Diego Chávarri – footballer
*
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; he ...
- mixed martial artist of Peruvian-Cuban descent
*
Cesar Conde
Cesar Conde is an American media executive currently serving as 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 ...
– Chairman 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 owned by Comcast. It provides content nationally with prog ...
Enterprises
*
Kenny Florian
Kenneth Alan 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 2011–2018, and he als ...
– mixed martial artist
*
Richard Green – football (soccer) defender
*
Kathleen Herles
Kathleen Herles (born November 13, 1990) is an American voice actress best known for being the original voice of Dora on ''Dora the Explorer'' for the first four seasons from 2000–2007 and ''Go, Diego, Go!''.
Herles was born in the Queens bor ...
– American voice actress
*
Q'orianka Kilcher
Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (; born February 11, 1990) is an American actress, singer, and activist. Her best known film roles are Pocahontas in Terrence Malick's 2005 film '' The New World'', and Kaʻiulani in '' Princess Kaiulani'' (2009). ...
– actress
*
Pedro Pablo León
Pedro Pablo León García (29 June 1943 – 9 May 2020), also known as Pedro "Perico" León, was a Peruvian footballer.
Career
León made 49 appearances for the Peru national football team between 1963 and 1973. He then started in the 1970 FI ...
– football forwarder(soccer)
*
Carlos Navarro, American actor and radio personality
*
Alex Olmedo
Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis.
People
Multiple
*Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people
*Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple peo ...
– former tennis player from Peru with American citizenship
["While Critics Cry, He Wins", ''Lakeland Ledger'', 23 August 1959, page 19.]
*
Luis Palomino
Luis Vicente Palomino (born October 9, 1980) is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle fighter who is the current Lightweight and Welterweight champion for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, making him the first “double ch ...
– Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division
*
Edgar Prado
Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.
His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races ...
– jockey
*
Rosa Salazar – 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 and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the ...
– 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 Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, California
*
Fernando Belaúnde Terry
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
– American educator, former President of Peru (1963–1968; 1980–1985)
*
Robert Garcia – Mayor of
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporated ...
, California, Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 42nd district (first Peruvian-American elected to Congress)
*
Alvaro Bedoya, nominee to serve on the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
*
Augusto B. Leguía
Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo (February 19, 1863 – February 6, 1932) was a Peruvian politician who served as President of Peru from 1908 to 1912 and from 1919 to 1930, the latter term known as ''El Oncenio de Leguía'' (Leguía's E ...
– businessman, former Prime Minister of Peru, former President of Peru (1908–1912; 1919–1930)
*
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for '' Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meani ...
– former
President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
(2016–2018)
*
Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (; born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian politician who served President of Peru, from 2001 to 2006. He gained international prominence after leading the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori, who held t ...
– former
President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
(2001–2006)
As of 2020, four
Presidents of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
are or were Peruvian-Americans.
File:Augusto B. Leguía (portrait).jpg, Augusto Leguía
Augusto is an Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
* Augusto Aníbal
* Augusto dos Anjos
*Augusto Arbizo
* Augusto Barbera (born 1938), Italian law professor, politician and judge
* Augus ...
(1908-1912; 1919-1930)
File:Fernando Belaúnde Terry 1980.jpg, Fernando Belaúnde Terry
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
, 80th President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
(1963-1968; 1980-1985)
File:Alejandro Toledo (8682).jpg, Alejandro Toledo
Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique (; born 28 March 1946) is a Peruvian politician who served President of Peru, from 2001 to 2006. He gained international prominence after leading the opposition against president Alberto Fujimori, who held t ...
, 84th President of Peru
The president of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente del Perú), officially called the president of the Republic of Peru ( es, link=no, presidente de la República del Perú), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is th ...
(2001-2006)
Sciences
*
Anthony Atala
Anthony Atala, M.D., (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 t ...
– M.D., W.H. Boyce Professor and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Chair of the Department of Urology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina. He is a Peruvian born, but American raised.
*
Carlos Bustamante Carlos Bustamante may refer to:
* Carlos Bustamante (biophysicist)
* Carlos D. Bustamante, population geneticist
* Carlos Bustamante (TV personality)
* Carlos Bustamante (baseball)
{{hndis, Bustamante, Carlos ...
– biologist
*
Carlos Castaneda
Carlos Castañeda (December 25, 1925 – April 27, 1998) was an American writer. Starting with ''The Teachings of Don Juan'' in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that purport to describe training in shamanism that he received under the tu ...
– philosopher
*
Carlos I. Noriega
Carlos Ismael Noriega (born 8 October 1959) is a Peruvian-American NASA employee, a former NASA astronaut and a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel.
Education
* 1977: Graduated from Wilcox High School, Santa Clara, California
* 1981: Ba ...
– 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's undergraduate work was in Electrical Engineering at the Universidad Nac ...
– physicist working on
String Theory
Journalism
*
Daniel Alarcón
Daniel Alarcón (born March 5, 1977 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian-American novelist, journalist and radio producer. He is co-founder, host and executive producer of ''Radio Ambulante'', an award-winning Spanish language podcast distributed by NP ...
– Peruvian born, American raised author
*
Marie Arana
Marie Arana (born Lima, Peru) is an author, editor, journalist, critic, and the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress.
Biography
Marie Arana was born in Peru, the daughter of Jorge Enrique Arana Cisneros, a Peruvian-born civil ...
– 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 – writer-producer
*
Alex Kuczynski
Alexandra Louise Kuczynski (born December 6, 1970) is a Peruvian reporter who has written for the ''New York Times'' and the ''New York Times Magazine'', and is the author of the award-winning 2006 book ''Beauty Junkies'' about the cosmetic sur ...
– 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.
Early life
Bayly was born to an upper class Pe ...
– writer, journalist and television presenter
Other
*
Arthur Chin – America's first
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
*
McKenna DeBever – Swimmer
*
David Utrilla
David Utrilla is the 31st member of the Utah Corps of Consuls and Honorary Consul to Peru in Utah. Utrilla is also the owner and CEO of U.S. Translation Company.
Utrilla was officially appointed by the president of Peru, Alan García, and afte ...
– 31st member of the Utah Corps of Consuls
See also
*
Peru–United States relations
Peru and the United States established relations on May 2, 1826, following Peru's independence from Spain.
According to Gallup, Inc. polls, Peruvian public perception of the United States is mixed, with 51% of Peruvians viewing the U.S. favorably ...
References
Further reading
* De Ferrari, Gabriella. ''Gringa Latina: A Woman of Two Worlds'' (Houghton Mifflin, 1996).
* Packel, John. "Peruvian Americans." ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 467–476
online* Paerregaard, Karsten. "Inside the Hispanic Melting Pot: Negotiating National and Multicultural Identities among Peruvians in the United States.” ''Latino Studies'' 3 (2005): 76–96.
External links
*
*
{{Peruvian diaspora
Hispanic and Latino American