2. Colombians in the United States
The Colombian community is concentrated mainly in the Northeast, in New York City and Chicago. The community in New York City dates back to the 1940s when a few hundred white, middle-class, educated Colombians arrived in New York City and settled in the borough of Queens in a then working-class neighborhood called Jackson Heights because it provided decent housing, good schools and easy access to Manhattan. These early immigrants formed the nucleus of a now predominantly white, middle-class community into which large numbers of Colombians have settled over many years. Between 1945 to 1955, political instability in Columbia triggered a large-scale immigration to the United States. After 1960, thousands of Colombians continued to immigrate to the United States in search of economic and educational opportunities which were not available to them in Colombia. Most settled in established Colombian and Latino neighborhoods. Throughout these communities, Colombians have established professional, social, business, political and recreational associations and opened many small businesses, such as restaurants, grocery stores, real estate and travel businesses and repair shops. The Colombian community in Chicago is smaller and more racially diverse than its New York counterpart. It includes both a highly educated, middle- and upper-class community which resides mostly in the suburbs and, a working class community which is more urbanized. Both communities are racially diverse, consisting of white Colombians and those whose ancestry is a mixture of AfroCaribbean, Indian and European descent. Like new York City's Colombian community, those in Chicago have established professional, social, business, political and recreational associations held together by national, ethnic and regional ties.
