Everything you need to know as a Venezuelan living in the US

If you’re a Venezuelan living in the US or if you’re planning to move to the US soon, there are many things to learn about life in the US that will make your living experience easier and more enjoyable.

As well as the strong Venezuelan communities in many cities across the United States, we want to highlight the many great things that Venezuelans have brought to the US including music, arts, food and culture.

In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know as a Venezuelan living in the US.

Below you’ll learn about:

• Venezuelan Migration to the US
• Venezuelan-American Culture
• The Embassy of Venezuela in the United States
• How can I send money to Venezuela?

Venezuelan Migration to the US

Venezuela has a long history of migration to the US. As a result, strong communities of Venezuelans have emerged in major cities across the United States. Additionally, there has been a wonderful influx of Venezuelan culture, music and food in many states. If you live in Venezuela and plan on moving to the US it helps to know a bit more about the history of Venezuelan migration to the US.

“The Venezuelan immigrant population in the United States has more than tripled in size since the turn of the century, and much of this growth has occurred in just a few years...The population of Venezuelan immigrants in the United States has risen 54 percent since 2015, when it stood at 256,000. By 2018, this population had grown to 394,000, making it the fifth-largest South American immigrant population in the United States.”(MigrationPolicy)

Where do the majority of Venezuelans live in the United States?

If you live or plan to live in the United States it’s worth knowing where the strong Venezuelan communities exist across the states.

According to the most recent studies, “More than half of Venezuelan immigrants in the United States reside in Florida (53 percent). The next largest destination state, Texas, accounts for another 12 percent. As of 2014–18, the greater Miami, Orlando, and Houston metropolitan areas were home to 53 percent of Venezuelan immigrants. Another 7 percent of Venezuelans resided in the greater New York metropolitan area, and 3 percent lived in greater Tampa.”(MigrationPolicy)

Venezuelan-American Culture

As a Venezuelan living in the US there are many Venezuelan-American cultural elements to learn about and embrace. Below we’ve highlighted a few features of Venezuelan-American life such as the celebrations, the music, the cuisine and the sport:

• Celebrations

Venezuelans love to celebrate and when they are in the United States the situation is no different. The main celebration for Venezuelan-Americans is Carnival, an annual holiday where Venezuelans get to reunite with family and friends for parties, food, singing, dancing and music.

Carnival celebrations occur across the United States especially in neighborhoods in Miami, Orlando and Houston. “Carnival takes place sometime in February or early March, depending on the date of Easter. Carnival celebrations can last a week or even longer, but the festivities usually culminate on Shrove Tuesday”(TripSavvy). They are a great feature of the lives of thousands of Venezuelans based in the United States every year.

• Sport

Sport is a massive deal in Venezuela and the United States. Whether it’s football, baseball or basketball there is a significant representation of Venezuelan sports stars in the United States. Perhaps the most famous Venezuelan sports stars in the United States are baseball players Miguel Cabrera, who plays for the Detroit Tigers, and Johan Santana, who used to play for the Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets.

If you’re moving from Venezuela to the United States it’s easy to become invested in the fantastic sports culture across the country. In particular, baseball - America’s pastime - is a great place to start.

• Food

Venezuelans are known to have a vibrant and diverse cuisine. Many of the traditional Venezuelan foods, dishes and drinks can also be found in cities across the United States especially in Florida, Texas, and California.

Whether you are hungry for Pabellón criolle, Pan de jamón or Pisca Andina, Venezuelan food is readily available at places like El Sitio Coffee Bar in Downtown, Miami or the Caracas Arepa Bar in Brooklyn, New York City.

• Music

Venezuela has a rich history of traditional/ folk music. In the United States Venezuela’s can expect to find an even broader range of Latin American music that mixes elements of folk, salsa, merengue, pop and rock in a way that many music fans are bound to find enjoyable and fascinating.

In cities like Miami, Houston, Austin and Los Angeles the rich tradition of Venezuela music can be found in bars, clubs and festivals.

• Education

There are many education opportunities for Venezuelans when they come to the United States. “Compared to foreign- and U.S.-born adults (ages 25 and older), Venezuelan immigrant adults have considerably higher levels of education, especially in terms of four-year college degrees. In 2018, more than half of Venezuelan immigrants held at least a bachelor’s degree (57 percent), [and they] were also more likely to have a graduate or professional degree” than a U.S. born citizen.(MigrationPolicy)

Higher education is certainly an attainable goal for many Venezuelan immigrants to the United States. Educational institutions close to strong Venezuelan communities include the University of Florida, Florida State University and the University of Houston.

The Embassy of Venezuela in the United States

The Embassy of Venezuela is located in Washington, D.C. The embassy also operates Consulates-General in several cities across the United States including Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Chicago, New York City and New Orleans.

If you need to undertake any official business the Embassy of Venezuela in Washington, D.C. operates as a first-port-of-call and the consular services in the other cities will also assist you with any administrative queries.

How can I send money to Venezuela?

If you have Venezuelan family and friends based abroad or in Venezuela you may want to know about how you can support them financially. The easiest and safest way to send money overseas is with Small World.

Small World has facilitated millions of money transfers all around the world. So if you need to support your loved ones in Venezuela you can rely on Small World.

Your first transfer online is always free of fees!