The Growing Venezuelan Diaspora in the United States

Abstract

Venezuelans were once considered one of the happiest people in the world (World Happiness Report 2017, https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2017/HR17.pdf, 2017). However, this changed recently as the country has started to endure one of its worst crises since it became a country in 1811 (Crude nation: How oil riches ruined Venezuela. University of Nebraska Press, 2016; Salas, Latin American Perspectives, 32(2), 72–91, 2015). Rampant sociopolitical tension, economic decay, scarcity, and violence led two million Venezuelans to migrate in the past couple of decades, forming an expansive diaspora (Amid economic crisis and political turmoil, Venezuelans form a new exodus, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/amid-economic-crisis-and-political-turmoil-venezuelans-form-new-exodus, 2017). The United States remains a top destination for Venezuelans, who immigrate seeking refuge as well as via family-unification and employment sponsorship channels (South American immigrants in the United States, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/south-american-immigrants-united-states, 2016). Venezuelans make up 5% of U.S. Latinxs, with a highly educated population of 321,000 concentrated mostly in the Southeast of the country (How the U.S. Hispanic population is changing, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/18/how-the-u-s-hispanic-population-is-changing/, 2017). This chapter provides a data-grounded introduction to this immigrant community with a brief historical background, demographics, and migration patterns. An overview of the post-migration era highlights prevalent challenges, the role of cultural values, and effective strategies in providing services to this unique U.S. Latinx population.