Ecuadorian Americans

Ecuadorian Americans

Total population
(Ecuadorian 662,633 0.22% of the U.S. population (2012) )
Regions with significant populations
New York City, Northern New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Los Angeles
Languages
American English, Spanish
Religion
Major: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Agnosticism

Ecuadorian Americans (Spanish: ecuatorio-americanos, norteamericanos de origen ecuatoriano or estadounidenses de origen ecuatoriano) are Americans of full or partial Ecuadorian ancestry. Ecuadorian Americans can be Mestizo, White Spaniard, Afro-Ecuadorian, Indigenous, Mulato, or Zambo. Some Ecuadorians are also of Lebanese and Japanese descent.

History

Until the 1960s, very few Ecuadorians migrated to the United States. In the late 1960s, several waves of migration started. Most Ecuadorian immigration to the United States has occurred since the early 1970s. This emigration was because of several reasons: The first of them was that United States immigration law changed.

Before 1965, national quotas on immigrants favored more European immigration than Latin American immigration. After 1965, changes in immigration law made it easier for Latin Americans and other foreign groups to emigrate to United States. In addition, the price of air travel lowered making immigration more accessible to Latin Americans. They were drawn to the U.S. for economic opportunities and political freedoms.

Ecuadorian immigration peaked in the political turmoil of 1996-97 and national banking crisis of 1998-99. Another factor in Ecuadorian emigration was the 1964 Ecuadorian land reform. This improved the lives of many Ecuadorian poor, but also had far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. Many new small landowners were forced to sell their land. Many landowners abandoned their land and migrated to countries like Venezuela and the United States.

Most immigrants who live in the United States send money home. Many immigrants get American citizenship, others simply are legalized, while other groups live illegally, crossing the border from Mexico or entering by boat from Puerto Rico. Ecuadorian Americans come from every part of Ecuador. During the 1970s, most of the Ecuadorians came from the northern and central highlands, including the area around Quito.

In the 1980s, many Ecuadorians came from the coast. In the 1990s, most of them came from the southern highlands, near the border with Peru. The majority of Ecuadorian immigrants emigrate into New York City and its surrounding suburbs. The 1990 census recorded that 60 percent of Ecuadorians living in the United States live in the New York City Metropolitan Area; while another 10% live in Miami.

Demographics

The New York City Metropolitan Area is home to the largest Ecuadorian population in the United States.

Many Ecuadorians in the United States have settled in cities such as New York City (most residing in various areas of Queens, as well as in Bushwick, Brooklyn and Fordham, Bronx); Ossining, New York; Hudson, New York; Washington Heights, Manhattan; Danbury, Connecticut; Jersey City, New Jersey; Union City, New Jersey; Newark, New Jersey; Plainfield, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; Dallas, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; and Cleveland, Ohio.

Although Queens county's percentage of Ecuadorians is about 4.7% it has the largest Ecuadorian community of any county in the United States numbering just about 101,000. Ecuadorians are the largest South American Latino group in New York City as well as in the State of New York.

Ecuadorians are the fourth largest Latino group in New York after Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Mexicans. Ecuadorians also constitute Queens County's largest Latino group. Another group of Ecuadorians live in the Bronx, in the Morris Heights and Highbridge neighborhoods north of Yankee Stadium. Still other Ecuadorian neighborhoods are in Brooklyn, in New Jersey cities such as Newark and Jersey City, and in towns in Connecticut.

States with highest Ecuadorian population

The 10 states with the largest Ecuadorian population were (Source: Census 2010):

1. New York - 228,216 (1.2% of state population)
2. New Jersey - 100,480 (1.1% of state population)
3. Florida - 60,574 (0.3% of state population)
4. California - 35,570 (0.1% of state population)
5. Connecticut - 23,677 (0.7% of state population)
6. Illinois - 22,816 (0.2% of state population)
7. Texas - 10,793 (less than 0.1% of state population)
8. Pennsylvania - 10,680 (0.1% of state population)
9. North Carolina - 8,110 (0.1% of state population)
10. Massachusetts - 7,592 (0.1% of state population)

The U.S. state with the smallest Ecuadorian population (as of 2010) was North Dakota with 55 Ecuadorians (less than 0.1% of state population).

US Metro areas with largest Ecuadorian population

The largest Ecuadorian populations are found within these areas (Source: Census 2010)

1. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA MSA - 316,243
2. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL MSA - 37,029
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA - 23,118
4. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA - 22,445
5. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA - 13,335
6. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA - 10,189
7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA - 9,129
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA - 7,121
9. New Haven-Milford, CT MSA - 6,680
10. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA - 6,440
11. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA - 5,292
12. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA - 5,011
13. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA - 4,662
14. Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC MSA - 4,590
15. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH MSA - 4,287
16. Trenton-Ewing, NJ MSA - 4,264
17. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA - 3,944
18. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA - 3,004
19. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY MSA - 2,957
20. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA - 2,700

US communities with high percentages of people of Ecuadorian ancestry

The top 25 US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Ecuadorian ancestry (as of the 2000 census, 2010 numbers in parenthesis) are:

1. Sleepy Hollow, New York 10.76% (17.54%)
2. Montauk, New York 8.08% (4.21%)
3. East Newark, New Jersey 7.87% (19.87%)
4. Ossining, New York 7.48% (19.31%)
5. Patchogue, New York 7.09%
6. Hightstown, New Jersey 6.31% (14.11%)
7. Union City, New Jersey 5.94% (9.23%)
8. North Plainfield, New Jersey 5.39%
9. Town of Ossining, New York 4.98% (19.31%)
10. Port Chester, New York 4.90% (9.58%)
11. Hackensack, New Jersey 4.78% (9.98%)
12. Springs, New York 4.46% (17.25%)
13. West New York, New Jersey 4.45%
14. Peekskill, New York 4.32%
15. North Bergen, New Jersey 4.02%
16. Harrison, New Jersey 3.90%
17. Guttenberg, New Jersey 3.88%
18. East Hampton, New York 3.81%
19. East Windsor, New Jersey 3.39%
20. Dover, New Jersey 3.37%
21. Rye, New York 3.18%
22. Belleville, New Jersey 3.06%
23. Danbury, Connecticut 2.92% (7.57%)
24. Guttenberg, New Jersey 2.9%
25. Weehawken, New Jersey 2.83%

U.S. communities with the most residents born in Ecuador

The top 25 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Ecuador are:

1. Sleepy Hollow, New York 10.4%
2. East Newark, New Jersey 10.3%
3. Ossining, New York 10.1%
4. Hightstown, New Jersey 9.5%
5. North Plainfield, New Jersey 7.8%
6. Montauk, New York 7.8%
7. Patchogue, New York 7.7%
8. Union City, New Jersey 7.5%
9. Wainscott, New York 6.4%
10. Peekskill, New York 5.9%
11. Springs, New York 5.4%
12. Hackensack, New Jersey 5.3%
13. West New York, New Jersey 5.2%
14. Port Chester, New York 4.8%
15. Queens, New York 4.7%
16. Dover, New Jersey 4.6%
17. Harrison, New Jersey 4.1%
18. Twin Rivers, New Jersey 4.0%
19. Belleville, New Jersey 3.8%
20. Danbury, Connecticut 3.7%
21. Newark, New Jersey 3.6%
22. Spring Valley, New York 3.5%
23. Tarrytown, New York 3.4%
24. Brewster, New York 3.1%
25. Guttenberg, New Jersey 2.9%

Notable Ecuadorian Americans

• Victor Hugo Enriquez - President and CEO of Doen Zhumir Importers & Distributors, Inc. First Licensed Latin American to import spirits into the United States. Zhumir Aguardiente from Ecuador was the first spirit product he imported to United States.
• Cecilia Alvear - Latina journalist in television news and the former President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
• Christina Aguilera - American singer-songwriter, actress, and television personality who is the daughter of an Irish mother and Ecuadorian father.
• Maria Banda-Rodaz - Theatre Director, founder of the award winning Area Stage Company and Theatre Conservatory.
• Nancy Bermeo - Professor of political science who is the daughter of an Irish and Danish mother and an Ecuadorian father. Nuffield Chair of Comparative Politics at Oxford University
• Adrienne Bailon - American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer, and television personality
• Lourdes Gillespie Baird - former United States federal judge.
• Chico Borja - retired U.S.-Ecuadorian soccer player and current soccer coach
• Miriam Burbano - Educator, Activist, and Ambassador of Peace
• Charles Castronovo - American tenor
• F. Javier Cevallos - president of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in Kutztown, Pennsylvania
• Irina Falconi - professional American tennis player
• Raul Fernandez (entrepreneur) - son of a Cuban father and an Ecuadorian mother.
• April Flores - American actress and plus-size model
• Alexandra von Fürstenberg - Director and business men
• Jose Garces - chef and restaurant owner
• Pia Getty - Independent filmmaker
• Jeremiah Godby - American ultramarathon runner
• Andrés Gómez - former Ecuatorian professional tennis player
• Cork Graham - Writer
• George Gustines - journalist
• Jaime Jarrín - Spanish language voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Gerardo Mejía - Latin rapper and singer
• Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece
• Lloyd Monserratt - (1966–2003)
• Francisco Moya - American politician from Corona, Queens
• Carmen Velasquez - New York Supreme Court Justice, first to be elected in New York State Civil Court (2009-2014) and Supreme Court (2015-2028).
• Gilo Muirragui - economist
• Byron Nemeth - Musician
• John Paulson - American hedge fund manager
• Jenn Pinto
• Lady Pink - graffiti artist.
• Fátima Ptacek - American child actress and model
• Ernesto Quiñonez - American novelist
• Roland Ruby - American composer, lyricist and playwright. He is Ecuadorian born, but American raised, of Spanish and Italian descent.
• Diego Serrano - American actor
• Nelson Serrano - former Ecuadorian businessman and a nationalized American citizen (since 1971) who was convicted for murder.
• Hugo Savinovich - former Ecuadorian professional wrestler
• Pancho Segura - former leading tennis player
• Jason and Kristopher Simmons - American actors
• Roberto de Villacis - American Latino fashion designer and artist
• Emanuel Xavier - American poet, spoken word artist, novelist, editor, and activist
• Samantha Boscarino - American actress (How to Rock). She is Ecuadorian descent from her mother.
• Nina G. Vaca - former Chair of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, emigrated to the United States from Ecuador

See also

• Corona, Jackson Heights