Latvian Americans are
Americans
Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...
who are of
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
n ancestry. According to the 2008
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, there are 93,498 Americans of full or partial Latvian descent.
History
The first significant wave of Latvian settlers who immigrated to the United States came in 1888 to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. By the end of the century, many of those Latvian immigrants had moved on to settle primarily in other East Coast and Midwest cities, such as
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, and
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, as well as coastal cities on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
, such as
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. Although most Latvians settled in cities, in most of these (with the exception of the
Roxbury district of Boston) they lived dispersed and did not form ethnic neighborhoods.
Some immigrants also established themselves in rural areas, but they were few and usually did not form long-lasting communities. The first Lutheran church built by Latvians in the United States was erected in 1906 in
Lincoln County, Wisconsin
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,415. Its county seat is Merrill. The county was created in 1875 and named after President Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln County comprises ...
, where an agricultural colony had been established in 1897.
A new wave of Latvian immigration began around 1906, after the failure of the
1905 Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...
. Many of these immigrants were political leaders and rank-and-file revolutionaries who could be killed by Russian soldiers if they were discovered, so they emigrated to survive and continue the revolutionary movement in other countries. Most of the Latvian revolutionaries were more politically radical than the earlier immigrants to the United States, which increased social friction within a number of communities.
In 1917, many Latvian revolutionaries returned to their homeland to work for the creation of a Bolshevik government. In 1918, when Latvia declared its independence, some nationalists also returned.
After the First World War, the promise of economic improvements in the newly independent nation, immigration quotas established in 1924 by the United States, and the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
all contributed to reduced emigration from Latvia to the US. From 1920 to 1939, only 4,669 Latvians arrived in the United States.
Toward the end of
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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, tens of thousands Latvians fled their country to Western Europe to escape advancing Soviet troops. Most were held in
Displaced Persons camps
Displaced may refer to:
* Forced displacement, the involuntary movement of people from their home
* Displaced (2006 film), ''Displaced'' (2006 film), a 2006 British feature film produced by Skylandian Pictures
* Displaced (2010 film), ''Displaced ...
. About half were eventually repatriated to Latvia, but the rest resettled to Germany, England, Australia, Canada, the United States, and other countries. From 1939 to 1951, 40,000 Latvians immigrated to the United States with the help of the U.S. government and various social service and religious organizations.
Although many of these refugees had been professionals in their country, in the United States they often had to take jobs as farmhands, custodians, or builders until they could learn English and find better paying jobs.
Most Latvians settled in cities because of economic opportunities, such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago. They did not settle in ethnic neighborhoods and relied on social events and the press for a sense of community.
Within a few years, Latvian organizations created schools, credit unions, choirs, dance groups, theater troupes, publishers and book sellers, churches, veterans' groups, and political organizations to help continue their culture and language.
From 1980 to 1990, 1,006 Latvians arrived in the United States.
Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991; however, few of the later immigrants or descendants of earlier generations have returned. They have made new lives in the United States.
Demography
According to the 2000 census, a total of 87,564 people of Latvian descent lived in the United States. The larger populations are located in the states of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
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
* '' ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
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, and to ...
, and
. Many Latvian Americans (about 9,000) have dual citizenship, which the country made available to emigrants after becoming independent of the Soviet Union. Since the late 20th century, more Latvian Americans have traveled to Latvia. Others provide financial support and give material to various organizations. Some Latvian Americans have settled there and been elected to the Saeima, or Parliament, in Latvia.
The
states with the largest Latvian-American populations are:
Latvian-born population
Latvian-born population in the US since 2010:
Education
The majority of Latvians immigrants to the United States after World War II were university graduates. Many were academics or belonged to
intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...
.
Languages and religions
Most Latvian Americans speak English, while Latvian (also known as Lettish) is basically the language spoken by American Latvians of the first generation due to intermarriage. As for religion, although most Latvians Americans are
Lutherans
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
, there are also
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
communities, represented by the American Latvian Catholic Association,
as well as American Latvian Baptists and American Latvian
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
communities.
Notable people
*
Rutanya Alda
Rutanya Alda (born Rūta Skrastiņa; October 13, 1942) is a Latvian-American actress. She began her career in the late 1960s, and went on to have supporting parts in ''The Deer Hunter'' (1978), ''Rocky II'' (1979), and ''Mommie Dearest'' (1981). S ...
(Rūta Skrastiņa, born 1942), actress (''Mommy Dearest'', ''The Deer Hunter'')
*
Jessie Andrews
Jessie Andrews (born March 22, 1992) is a retired American adult film actress, designer, producer, model, DJ, entrepreneur and photographer. Andrews was active in the adult film industry from 2010 to 2015, where she was honored with several Act ...
(born 1992), pornographic actress, model, and club DJ
*
Aldis Berzins
Aldis Imants Bērziņš (born October 3, 1956) is a Latvian-American former volleyball player, who was a member of the American Men's National Team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics playing opposite of Karch Kiraly.
College car ...
(Aldis Bērziņš, born 1956), member of the
United States men's national volleyball team
The United States men's national volleyball team represents the country in international competitions and friendly matches. The team is governed by USA Volleyball.
The team has won five Olympic medals, including three gold.
History
As the birth ...
that won the gold medal at the
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...
*
Gunnar Birkerts
Gunnar Birkerts ( lv, Gunārs Birkerts, January 17, 1925 – August 15, 2017) was a Latvian American architect who, for most of his career, was based in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan.
Some of his notable designs include the Corni ...
(Gunārs Birkerts, 1925–2017), architect (
Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass is a museum in Corning, New York in the United States, dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass. It was founded in 1951 by Corning Glass Works and currently has a collection of more than 50,000 glass obje ...
,
Marquette Plaza
Marquette Plaza is a highrise in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, located at 250 Marquette Avenue.
Design
Designed by Gunnar Birkerts, it was home to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1973 to 1997 (hence, many people re ...
in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, the
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri. With a $5 million annual budget and approximately 75,000 visitors each year, it is Missouri's first and largest contemporary museum.
Founders
The core of the museum's perm ...
, the
U.S. Embassy
The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
in
Caracas
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
National Library of Latvia
The National Library of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālā bibliotēka) is a national cultural institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture of Latvia. Its current main building is known as the Castle of Light ( lv, Gaismas pils) ...
,
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
)
*
Sven Birkerts
Sven Birkerts (born 21 September 1951) is an American essayist and literary critic. He is best known for his book ''The Gutenberg Elegies'' (1994), which posits a decline in reading due to the overwhelming advances of the Internet and other tec ...
(Svens Birkerts, born 1951), essayist and literary critic
*
Aris Brimanis
Āris Aldis Brīmanis (born March 14, 1972) is a Latvian-American former professional ice hockey defenseman from Shaker Heights, Ohio who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
At junior level, Brimanis played f ...
(Āris Brīmanis, born 1972), ice hockey player
*
Chase Budinger
Chase Andrew Budinger (born May 22, 1988) is an American professional volleyball player and former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the 44th overall pick in 2009 NBA draft after playing three years of c ...
(Čeiss Badingers, born 1988), NBA basketball player
*
Christopher Zarins
Christopher K. Zarins (born on in Tukums, Latvia) is an American-Latvian surgeon and professor emeritus who specializes in vascular biology and pathology.
Family background and education
Zarins was born during the Second World War in 1943 i ...
(born 1943), surgeon, researcher
*
Eric Cantor
Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minority ...
(born 1963),
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
*Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
*House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
*Legislator, someon ...
of
Virginia's 7th congressional district
Virginia's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The district is currently represented by Democrat Abigail Spanberger, first elected in 2018.
2016 redistricting
The Virginia ...
from 2001 to 2014, and
Majority Leader
In U.S. politics (as well as in some other countries utilizing the presidential system), the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body. from 2011 to 2014, until his historic primary defeat by
Dave Brat
David Alan Brat (born July 27, 1964) is an American academic and politician who is the dean of the Liberty University School of Business. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional di ...
.
*
Vija Celmins
Vija Celmins (pronounced VEE-ya SELL-muns;Hilarie M. Sheets and Randy Kennedy (September 24, 2015)''New York Times''. lv, Vija Celmiņa, pronounced TSEL-meen-ya) is a Latvian American visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and dr ...
(Vija Celmiņš, born 1938), painter; won a Fellow Award in the Visual Arts from United States Artists in 2009
*
David Cohen (1917–2020), a member of the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, a liberator of the
Ohrdruf concentration camp
Ohrdruf was a German forced labor and concentration camp located near Ohrdruf, south of Gotha, in Thuringia, Germany. It was part of the Buchenwald concentration camp network.
Operation
Created in November 1944 near the town of Ohrdruf, south ...
, and a schoolteacher
*
Jacob Davis (Jēkabs Jufess, 1831–1908), tailor, inventor of
denim
Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been pr ...
*
Burkards Dzenis
Burkards Dzenis (1879, Dreiliņi, Stopiņi Municipality, Dreiliņi, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – 1966, Dayton, Ohio) was a Latvian artist.
Biography
Burkards Dzenis was born in the outskirts of Riga and spent his first years in the ...
(1879–1966), artist
*
Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr., April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS ...
(1908–2003), actor and dancer; known for his role as
Jed Clampett
''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family fro ...
in the popular television series ''
The Beverly Hillbillies
''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family from ...
''
*
Andrievs Ezergailis
Andrew Ezergailis ( lv, Andrievs Ezergailis; born 10 December 1930 in Rite Parish, died 22 January 2022 in Ithaca, New York) was a Professor of History at Ithaca College, known for his research into the 20th-century history of Latvia, particularl ...
(1930–2022), historian of the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
*
Paul Grasmanis
Paul Ryan Grasmanis (born August 2, 1974) is a former American football defensive lineman from Jenison, Michigan of Latvian American, Latvian descent.
He was a ten-year veteran of the NFL and was picked in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Dr ...
(Pols Grasmanis, born 1974), former NFL American football player
*
Dave Grusin
Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record w ...
(born 1934), jazz musician; known for his musical score in the movies such as ''
Tootsie
''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, George Ga ...
'' and ''
Heaven Can Wait''
*
Natalie Gulbis
Natalie Anne Gulbis (born January 7, 1983) is an American professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.
Golf career
Gulbis was born and raised in the Sacramento, California, area. She has Latvian ancestry. Gulbis started finding ...
(born 1983), LPGA golfer
*
Moriss Halle (1923–2018), linguist
*
Philippe Halsman
Philippe Halsman ( lv, Filips Halsmans, german: Philipp Halsmann; 2 May 1906 – 25 June 1979) was an American portrait photographer. He was born in Riga in the part of the Russian Empire which later became Latvia, and died in New York City.
Li ...
(Filips Halsmans, 1906–1979), photographer
*
Juris Hartmanis
Juris Hartmanis (July 5, 1928 – July 29, 2022) was a Latvian-born American computer scientist and computational theorist who, with Richard E. Stearns, received the 1993 ACM Turing Award "in recognition of their seminal paper which established ...
(1928–2022), computer scientist,
Turing Award
The ACM A. M. Turing Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for contributions of lasting and major technical importance to computer science. It is generally recognized as the highest distinction in compu ...
winner (1993)
*
Rashida Jones
Rashida Leah Jones (; born February 25, 1976) is an American actress.
Jones appeared as Louisa Fenn on the Fox drama series ''Boston Public'' (2000–2002), as Karen Filippelli on the NBC comedy series ''The Office'' (2006–2009; 2011), and as ...
(born 1976), actress
*
Kristaps Keggi (born 1934), orthopedic surgeon
*
Mike Knuble
Michael Rudolph Knuble ( , lv, Maikls Rūdolfs Knuble; born July 4, 1972) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his 16 NHL seasons, he played for the Detroi ...
(Maiks Knuble, born 1972), NHL ice hockey player
*
Mārtiņš Krūmiņš
Mārtiņš Krūmiņš (March 2, 1900 – 1992) was a Latvian-American Impressionist painter. He left Latvia after World War II and came to the United States in 1950. "Mārtiņš Krūmiņš ... belongs to those artists of his generation, who amid ...
(1900–1992), Impressionist painter
*
Edward Leedskalnin
Edward Leedskalnin ( lv, Edvards Liedskalniņš) (January 12, 1887 – December 7, 1951) was a Latvian immigrant to the United States and self-taught engineer who single-handedly built the Coral Castle in Florida, added to the National Reg ...
(Edvards Liedskalniņš, 1887–1951), amateur sculptor;, builder of Coral Castle in Florida; claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids
*
Ari Leff
Ari Staprans Leff (born August 8, 1994), known professionally as Lauv (), is an American singer and musician, best known for his breakout hit "I Like Me Better"; included on his compilation album ''I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist)'', whi ...
(Ari Steprenss Līfs, born 1994), singer, songwriter and record producer
*
DJ Lethal
Leor Dimant ( lv, Leors Dimants, russian: Леор Григорьевич Димант, ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American Turntablism, turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups ...
(Leors Dimants, born 1972), DJ for rap-rock band
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by D ...
, of Jewish descent
*
Martins Licis
Martins Licis ( lv, Mārtiņš Līcis, ; born September 28, 1990) is a Latvian-American professional strongman, notable for winning 2019 World's Strongest Man, 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic, and 2021 Rogue Invitational strongman championships. He' ...
(born 1990), professional strongman
*
Peggy Lipton
Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American actress, model, and singer. She made appearances in many of the most popular television shows of the 1960s before she landed her defining role as flower child Julie Barnes ...
(1946–2019), actress
*
Juris Luzins
Juris Luzins ( lv, Juris Luziņš; born June 22, 1947) is a retired American middle-distance runner of Latvian descent. He won the national 800 m title in 1971 and placed second in 1969. He missed the 1972 Olympics due to an injury, and later ra ...
(Juris Luziņš, born 1947), 1971 US National Championship winner in the men's 800-meter run
*
Cynthia Lynn
Cynthia Lynn (born Zinta Valda Ziemelis; April 2, 1937 – March 10, 2014) was a Latvian-American actress.
Early life
Lynn was born in Riga, Latvia, as Zinta Valda Ziemelis. At age eight, she and her mother, Alisa, fled the country prior to ...
(Zinta Valda Ziemelis, 1937–2014), actress
*
Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978), artist
*
J. George Mikelsons
Juris George Mikelsons ( lv, Georgs Juris Miķelsons) is a former airline executive and airline pilot in the United States and the founder of ATA Airlines. He was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1938 on the eve of World War II. His family fled to Germany ...
(born 1938), airline executive
*
Nils Muižnieks
Nils Muižnieks (born 31 January 1964 in the United States) is a Latvian-American human rights activist and political scientist. He had served as the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights between 2012 and 2018, succeeding Thomas Ham ...
(born 1964),
human rights activist
A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing campai ...
and
political scientist
Political science is the science, scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of politics, political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated c ...
*Peters Munters, musician with the bands Over it and
Runner Runner
''Runner Runner'' is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by Brad Furman, written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and starring Justin Timberlake, Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton and Anthony Mackie.
The film was released in the United S ...
*
Fred Norris
Eric Fred Norris (born Fred Leo Nukis; July 9, 1955) is an American radio personality and the longest-tenured staff member of ''The Howard Stern Show'', aside from Howard Stern, Stern himself. He first met Howard Stern while working at WCCC (FM ...
(Fred Leo Nukis, born 1955), ''Howard Stern'' show personality
*
Lucia Peka (Lūcija Pēka, 1912–1991), artist, painter of "Flowers", "Riga", and "The Well"
*
Brita Petersons
The fourth season of ''America's Next Top Model'' aired in spring 2005, with the shooting location being moved from New York City to Los Angeles. The catchphrase of the season was "Dive In."
These were the last appearances of Janice Dickinson and ...
(Brita Pētersone, born 1979), model
*
Gundaris Pone
Gundaris Pone (October 17, 1932 – March 15, 1994) was a Latvian- American composer of contemporary classical music, conductor, and professor.
Born in Riga, Latvia, he emigrated to the United States in 1950 after his fleeing the advancing S ...
(1932–1994), composer and conductor
*
Eugene Revitch
Dr. Eugene Revitch, M.D. (1909–1996) was born in Riga, Latvia, attended the University of Montpellier in France, and graduated from the University of Paris Medical School in 1936. He received his psychiatry and neurology training in the Unite ...
(1909–1996), psychiatrist
*
Lolita Ritmanis
Lolita Ritmanis (born November 1, 1962) is a Latvian-American composer, known for her film score, film and television scores, including her work on the animated series ''Batman Beyond''.
Early life
Born on November 1, 1962, in Portland, Oregon, ...
(born 1962), orchestrator, composer
*
Laila Robins
Laila Robins is an American stage, film and television actress. She has appeared in films including ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' (1987), ''An Innocent Man'' (1989), ''Live Nude Girls'' (1995), ''True Crime'' (1999), ''She's Lost Control'' ( ...
(Laila Robiņa, born 1959), stage, film and television actress
*
Henry Rollins
Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rolli ...
(born 1961), musician, performance artist
*
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko (), born Markus Yakovlevich Rothkowitz (russian: Ма́ркус Я́ковлевич Ротко́вич, link=no, lv, Markuss Rotkovičs, link=no; name not Anglicized until 1940; September 25, 1903 – February 25, 1970), was a Latv ...
(Markus Rotkovičs, 1903–1970), painter
*
Raimonds Staprans
Raimonds Staprans ( lv, Raimonds Staprāns) is a well-known artist and playwright both in the United States and his native Latvia. Staprans was born in 1926 in Riga, Latvia. He now lives in San Francisco, California with his wife, scientist Ilo ...
(Raimonds Staprāns, born 1926), Latvian/American painter and playwright (''The Freezing'', 1979; ''Four Days in June'', 1989)
*
Harold Snepsts
Harold John Snepsts (born October 24, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 17 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1975 and 1991. He is one of the most popular players in the history of the Vancouver Canuc ...
(Haralds Šnepsts, born 1954), NHL ice hockey player
*
Esther Sans Takeuchi (Estere Sāns-Takeuči, born 1953), Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources at University of Buffalo; recipient of the
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...
, 2009
*
Eva Saulitis
Eva Lucia Saulitis (May 10, 1963 – January 16, 2016) was an American marine biologist and poet, based in Alaska.
Early life and education
Saulitis was born in the Bronx and raised Silver Creek, New York, the daughter of Latvian immigrants ...
(1963–2016), marine biologist and poet
*
Peter Tillers (Pēteris Tillers, 1943–2015), legal scholar
*
Juris Upatnieks
Juris Upatnieks (born 7 May 1936 in Riga) is a Latvian-American physicist and inventor, and pioneer in the field of holography.
Upatnieks fled the Latvia with his parents at the close of World War II, seeking asylum in Germany. In 1951 the famil ...
(born 1936), physicist; co-inventor of three-dimensional
holography
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...
; created the first working
hologram
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other Holography#Applications, applic ...
in 1962
*
Max Weinreich
Max Weinreich ( yi, מאַקס ווײַנרײַך ''Maks Vaynraych''; russian: Мейер Лазаревич Вайнрайх, ''Meyer Lazarevich Vaynraykh''; 22 April 1894, Goldingen, Russian Empire – 29 January 1969, New York City) was a Russ ...
(Makss Veinreihs, 1893–1969), linguist
*
Tati Westbrook
Tatiana Aleksandra Westbrook (née Krievins, born February 14, 1982) is an American YouTuber and makeup artist.
Career YouTube
Westbrook, a former image consultant turned makeup artist, created her YouTube channel GlamLifeGuru, later renam ...
(born 1982), YouTuber, makeup artist and Internet personality
*
DeAndre Yedlin
DeAndre Roselle Yedlin (born July 9, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the United States national team. Primarily a right-back, he has also featured as a right wing-back and ...
(born 1993), soccer player for the Seattle Sounders and the United States National Soccer team
*
Markus Zusevics
Markus Zusevics ( lv, Markus Zuševics; born April 25, 1989) is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He played college football for Iowa from 2009 to 2011. He is of Latvian descent.
Early years
Zusevics graduated ...
(Markuss Zuševics, born 1989), NFL football player
*
David P. Boder (born Aron Mendel Michelson, 1886–1961), psychologist known for the first audio recordings of
Holocaust survivors
Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and Axis powers, its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no unive ...
(''I Did Not Interview the Dead'', 1949)
See also
*
European Americans
European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent Eu ...
*
List of Latvians
This is a list of prominent Latvians with Wikipedia articles. It includes:
* persons who were born in the historical territory of what is now Latvia, regardless of ethnicity, citizenship, or time period; and
* persons of Latvian descent regardles ...
*
Latvians
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common Latvi ...
*
Latvia–United States relations
The United States established diplomatic relations with Latvia on July 28, 1922. The U.S. Legation in Riga was officially established on November 13, 1922, and served as the headquarters for U.S. representation in the Baltics during the interwar e ...
References
Further reading
* Andersons, Edgars, and M. G. Slavenas. "The Latvian and Lithuanian Press." in ''The Ethnic Press in the United States: A Historical Analysis and Handbook,'' edited by Sally M. Miller. (Greenwood Press, 1987).
* Kārklis, Maruta, Līga Streips, and Laimonis Streips. ''The Latvians in America, 1640–1973: A Chronology and Fact Book'' (Oceana Publications, 1974).
* Straumanis, Andris. "Latvian Americans." in ''Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America,'' edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 65–78
Online* Anderson, Edgar. "Latvians" in
Thernstrom, Stephan; Orlov, Ann;
Handlin, Oscar, eds. ''Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups'', Harvard University Press, , (1980), pp. 638–642
Online*
External links
American Latvian AssociationAmerican Latvian Youth Associationcikaga.comDaugavas Vanagi ASVDienvidkalifornijas Latviešu Informācijas BiļetensEmbassy of Latvia to the United States of AmericaKalifornijas Latviešu Uzņēmēju Biznesa Saiets "KLUBS"LaiksLatvian Center "Gaŗezers"Latvian Cultural Association TILTSLatvian Ev. Luth. Church of New York & CommunityLatvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaLatvians OnlineLatvian Relief Fund of AmericaLatvieši AmerikāPasaules Brīvo Latviešu ApvienībaThe Philadelphia Society of Free LettsUnion of Latvian Baptists in America
{{Authority control
European-American society