Uruguayan American
Encyclopedia
A Uruguayan American is any person of Uruguay
an ancestry or birth who is a citizen or resident of the United States
. Similar to neighboring country Argentina
, Uruguay took in many immigrants from Europe beginning in the late 19th century and lasting until the mid 20th century. As it stands, approximately 93% of Uruguay's population is of European descent with Italians, Spaniards, French
, and Germans
being among the most populous groups to have settled in the country. Because of this, many Uruguayan Americans identify both with their nationality and their family's country of origin.
. For this reason the Uruguayan emigration to the United States was low during that period. However, after 1960, welfare in the life of Uruguay fell: This was due to the emergence of serious economic and political problems after World War II, particularly money crises and employment during the 1960s and 1970s decades. Moreover, Uruguay was ruled by an oppressive military regime. All this led to a major Uruguayan emigration, which corresponded for a large number of people who had a well-educated Professionals and the young. This migration, too, began the social security crisis. As the aging population and young people migrating to other countries, grew the burden on the country's financial resources. In fact, is calculates that of the Uruguayan immigrants from 1963 to 1975, 17.7 percent of them were aged 14 years or younge. While 68 percent of them were between the 15 and 39 years,. Only 14.3 percent were over 40 years old. The continued employment problems of the late 1980s developed yet another impetus for the youth of Uruguay to seek employment and new lives in others country. Some of them went to the United States, but the most of Uruguayan emigrants continued to migrating in Argentina.
Although in the 1990s Uruguayans constituted 43 percent of all immigrants to the United States originating from Latin America and the Caribbean, they only made up a small part of the large U.S. Hispanic population. The most Uruguayan immigrants were established New York City
, New Jersey
, and Long Island
. Two other remarkable centers for Uruguayan American population are Washington, D.C.
, and Florida
.
The American Community Survey
of 2006 estimated the Uruguayan American population to number 50,538.
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an ancestry or birth who is a citizen or resident of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Similar to neighboring country Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Uruguay took in many immigrants from Europe beginning in the late 19th century and lasting until the mid 20th century. As it stands, approximately 93% of Uruguay's population is of European descent with Italians, Spaniards, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, and Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
being among the most populous groups to have settled in the country. Because of this, many Uruguayan Americans identify both with their nationality and their family's country of origin.
History
The history of Uruguayan emigration to the United States is very recent. Before 1960, the Uruguayan living conditions were favorable, as had job opportunities, good education and good healthcare system. The few Uruguayans left the country, migrated other Hispanic countries such as ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. For this reason the Uruguayan emigration to the United States was low during that period. However, after 1960, welfare in the life of Uruguay fell: This was due to the emergence of serious economic and political problems after World War II, particularly money crises and employment during the 1960s and 1970s decades. Moreover, Uruguay was ruled by an oppressive military regime. All this led to a major Uruguayan emigration, which corresponded for a large number of people who had a well-educated Professionals and the young. This migration, too, began the social security crisis. As the aging population and young people migrating to other countries, grew the burden on the country's financial resources. In fact, is calculates that of the Uruguayan immigrants from 1963 to 1975, 17.7 percent of them were aged 14 years or younge. While 68 percent of them were between the 15 and 39 years,. Only 14.3 percent were over 40 years old. The continued employment problems of the late 1980s developed yet another impetus for the youth of Uruguay to seek employment and new lives in others country. Some of them went to the United States, but the most of Uruguayan emigrants continued to migrating in Argentina.
Demography
According to surveys in 2007 on the Uruguayan descent population in the U.S., there are about 50.538 people of that origin. The most of Uruguayan that migrated to the United States arrived in the 1960s and 1970s. Is calculates that, between 1963 and 1975 (when the country's economy suffered a huge drop), left of country 180,000 Uruguayans. More Late, between 1975 and 1985, during the period of oppressive military control, 150,000 Uruguayans left Uruguay. And, in 1989, only 16,000 of these citizens had returned to their native country. When these two figures are added together, the emigration figure stands at approximately one-tenth of the population.Although in the 1990s Uruguayans constituted 43 percent of all immigrants to the United States originating from Latin America and the Caribbean, they only made up a small part of the large U.S. Hispanic population. The most Uruguayan immigrants were established New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Two other remarkable centers for Uruguayan American population are Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Notable Uruguayan Americans
- Fernando ClavijoFernando ClavijoFernando Clavijo is a retired American soccer football defender and former head coach of the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. He played three seasons in the American Soccer League, two in the North American Soccer League and ten in the Major Indoor Soccer League...
- Former footballer/soccer player, currently retired. - Tab RamosTab RamosTabaré Ramos Ricciardi, known as Tab Ramos is a retired U.S. Olympic Team and National Team soccer midfielder. He played professionally for 13 seasons in Spain, Mexico and the United States. Ramos was the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, where he played seven years with the MetroStars...
- Former footballer/soccer player, whom also served as co-assistant to U.S. team manager Bob BradleyBob BradleyRobert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
from 2007-2011. - Gabe SaportaGabe SaportaGabriel Eduardo "Gabe" Saporta is the lead singer and primary creative force behind the synthpop band Cobra Starship. He was previously the lead singer, bassist, and lyricist for the pop punk band Midtown....
- DJ/Musician
See Also
- Uruguayan AustralianUruguayan AustralianA Uruguayan Australian is any person of Uruguayan ancestry or birth who is a citizen or resident of Australia.According to the 2006 Australian census, 9,376 Australians were born in Uruguay while 6,485 claimed Uruguayan ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.- References :...
- White Hispanic and Latino AmericansWhite Hispanic and Latino AmericansWhite Hispanic and Latino Americans are citizens and residents of the United States who are racially White and ethnically Hispanic or Latino.White American, itself an official U.S...
- White Latin Americans
The American Community Survey
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...
of 2006 estimated the Uruguayan American population to number 50,538.