Community guides
Although Latvians never really have been empire builders (unless we count the Duke of Courland), they have often referred to "colonies" of their kith and kin outside of Latvia. When Latvian newspapers published in North America before World War II would report on the activities of various enclaves, they often headlined stories with "Iz kolōnijām" — "From the Colonies." So it is only fitting that we adopt the same rubric for our selection of community guides.
In creating and updating these guides, we gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
These guides are by no means comprehensive, but provide overviews of various locations where Latvians have settled outside the homeland. If you don't see your community listed, let us know and we will be happy to work with you to add it. Contact us for more information.
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In shadow of Toronto, Latvians in Hamilton hold their own
Although barely 65 kilometers of suburban sprawl separates Toronto from Hamilton, Ontario, the two cities have a rivalry that goes back to the 19th century. Torontonians look down at Hamilton, the gritty blue collar steel mill capital of Canada. Many Hamiltonians consider Torontonians big-city snobs and everyone loves to see the Toronto Argonauts lose when they face off against the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League.
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Los Angeles is Latvian center for more than 100 years
Very little information exists about the first Latvian settlers in Los Angeles, who arrived in the years following the founding of the Latvian social democratic group “Zemgalieši” in 1905. However, they did have a sizeable library, which was later moved to the Los Angeles Public Library and from there to the Latvian Association of Southern California’s library.
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Losandželosa jau vairāk kā 100 gadu ir latviešu centrs
Par latviešu ieceļotājiem Losandželosā pēc 1905. gada, kad dibināts latviešu sociāldemokratu pulciņš “Zemgalieši”, diemžēl zināms ļoti maz. Viņiem bija paprāva bibliotēka, kas vēlāk nonāca Losandželosas publiskā bibliotēkā, no turienes – Dienvidkalifornijas latviešu biedrības bibliotēkā.
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Latvians contribute to Tasmania’s development
On the first boatloads of Non-English Speaking Background migrants arriving in Australia after the Second World War from 1947-1951 were people of the three Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Some of the migrants found new homes in Tasmania, but today few remain.
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Although small, Perth’s Latvian community hangs on
Perth, one of the most isolated metropolitan areas in the world, after World War II became home to about 1,500-2,000 Latvian immigrants or, more precisely, political refugees. The Latvian population now is estimated between 400 and 500.
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Kalamazoo remains active despite dwindling numbers
Kalamazoo, with a population of approximately 77,000, is located in the southwest corner of Michigan. It sits about halfway between Detroit and Chicago. The city is home to three institutions of higher education: Western Michigan University, a nationally recognized research institution; Kalamazoo College, a small highly rated liberal arts college; and a large community college.
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Seattle Latvians reach out to homeland and beyond
Few historical records can be found about Latvians in Washington State before 1945. Osvalds Akmentiņš in his Amerikas latvieši, 1888-1948 mentions a Latvian socialist meeting organized by Jānis Kļava in Seattle in 1909, but no records have been located of ethnic Latvian organizations like those which existed elsewhere in the United States at that time.
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Toronto: Capital of the Latvian exile community
In Latvian terms, Toronto and the surrounding area is big. Even almost 15 years after the restoration of Latvia’s independence and the downsizing evident in so many communities in the Latvian diaspora, the size and activity of the Toronto community is impressive.
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Visbiežāk dzirdamais vārds Rionovā - ‘bija’
Latvieši Brazīlijā ieceļojuši dažādos laikos un dažādu motīvu vadīti. Kaut arī pirmie jūras braucēji no Latvijas teritorijas apmeklēja Brazīliju jau hercoga Jēkaba laikos, par nopietnu izceļošanu uz Brazīliju kā kustību var runāt sākot ar 19.gs. 90. gadiem. Ne tikai latvieši šajā laikā pameta dzimteni un devās nezināmajā, cerot atrast sev labāku, brīvāku, pārtikušāku dzīvi. 19.gs. Eiropā notika lielas pārmaiņas – radās jauns saimniekošanas un dzīves veids.
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4,000 kilometers and 100 years removed
In the late 19th century the Russian czar encouraged the settling of virgin lands. At that time Latvia was on the border of the Russian empire, and from 1894-1914 Latvians established approximately 200 settlements in Siberia. At the time, more than 200,000 Latvians lived scattered throughout Russian territories east of present-day Latvia.
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4000 km un 100 gadu attālumā
19. gadsimta beigās Krievijas cara valdība veicināja neskarto zemju apgūšanu. Tā kā tagadējā Latvija tajā laikā bija Krievijas impērijas nomale, tad laika posmā no 1894. līdz 1914. gadam latvieši Sibīrijā nodibināja ap divsimt latviešu koloniju. Pa visu Krievijas impērijas teritoriju austrumos no tagadējās Latvijas tolaik dzīvoja vairāk nekā 200 000 latviešu.
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South of the border: Latvians in Akmenė
While most Latvian diaspora communities are thousands of kilometres from their ancestral homeland, Akmenė in Lithuania is almost within walking distance. Latvians have lived in and around this small town, just 20 kilometers from the current border, for two centuries.
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Publishing, arts among Minneapolis contributions
Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota, while St. Paul is the capital. Together they are known as the Twin Cities, although the region includes many other communities. In all, about half of the state’s almost 5.2 million inhabitants live in the Twin Cities area.
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Hell (and heaven) on Earth: Latvians in Lejas Bulāna
Many Latvians think of Siberia as a wintry hell that swallowed up thousands of their compatriots during Stalin’s rule. However, in a much less known story, this vast territory is also home to the village of Lejas Bulāna, a place that can probably claim to be the longest surviving Latvian diaspora settlement in the world.
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In Sydney, life revolves around Latvian House
Sydney, with approximately 4 million inhabitants, is Australia’s largest and oldest city. The first migrants came to Australia from the British Isles and were soldiers and convicts. They unfurled the Union Jack on Jan. 26, 1788, in Farm Cove, now known as Sydney. This date now is commemorated as Australia Day.
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Brisbane community grows smaller, older
Why did Latvians come to Queensland? Unlike many other migrant groups seeking a better economic life, Latvians came here to escape oppression by foreign rulers in their native land in two distinct phases—as a small number of individuals prior to World War I and as part of large groups during a concentrated period from 1948 to 1952.
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Cleveland boasts long Latvian history
The story of the Latvian community of Greater Cleveland begins in the late 19th Century when the first immigrants settled in the former Western Reserve area of Cleveland, Ohio. Over the next 50 years, they were joined by a growing number of immigrants. According to U.S. census statistics, more than 600 Latvians lived in Greater Cleveland in 1940 and the number grew to more than 4,000 ethnic Latvians by 1960.
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Melbourne among top émigré communities
Melbourne with its approximately 3 million inhabitants is Australia’s second largest city and, many would claim, its most cosmopolitan one. While white Australians of English and Irish origin form the bulk of the population, among the most noticeable minorities one would certainly have to include Greeks, Italians and, since relatively recent times, Vietnamese.
What's new
Multimedia
04 Jul 2009
New choreography, Čikāgas Piecīši among highlights
The new choreography show and a packed concert by Čikāgas…
Multimedia
02 Jul 2009
From opening concert to ‘Meldermeitiņa’
The second day of the 13th Latvian Song Festival in…
Opinions
02 Jul 2009
Turning Latvian
One morning in early April I found myself on…
In the forums
Video released in support of Latvian Police anti drunk driving campaign posted by Wahabist on 03 Jul 2009
Keves dels Kurbads: second copy available from the Bookstore at Saulaine! posted by Kristine Kirsch Stivrins on 03 Jul 2009
Vai ir nepieciešami bērnudārzi latviešu bērniem pasaulē? posted by rauls on 02 Jul 2009
Looking for my aunt ILGA GRAVA! posted by leibovich on 01 Jul 2009
Do we have nothing to say posted by courlander on 30 Jun 2009
